Why great engineers need more than technical expertise: Meet Michael

As an Associate Technical Director at AtkinsRéalis in Hong Kong, Michael spends his days tackling some of the most technically complex challenges in infrastructure and building services engineering.

With more than 13 years of experience across underground developments, tunnel ventilation, railway systems, data centres, and other complex engineering environments, his role today extends far beyond technical design. He works closely with teams, clients, and stakeholders to help navigate complexity, solve problems, and provide clear direction on challenging projects.

For Michael, that's one of the most rewarding parts of engineering.

While technical expertise remains essential, he believes real value comes from helping people understand problems, make informed decisions, and move forward with confidence.

Building expertise in complex environments

Michael's career began in mechanical engineering, where he developed a strong foundation in technical design. Over time, his responsibilities expanded into project management, multidisciplinary coordination, client engagement, and team leadership.

Throughout that progression, he has built extensive experience in specialised areas including tunnel ventilation, underground infrastructure, cavern developments, railway systems, data centres, and mission critical facilities.

These projects require engineers to think beyond traditional building services design. Safety, resilience, operational requirements, system interfaces, constructability, and stakeholder alignment all need to be considered simultaneously.

It is this complexity that continues to motivate Michael and drive his professional growth.

More than solving technical problems

As his career has evolved, so has his perspective on what makes a successful engineer.

Today, much of Michael's role involves helping teams establish the right direction, manage project interfaces, prioritise resources, and communicate technical issues in a way that supports decision making.

He believes the best engineers do more than provide answers.

"A good engineer should not only solve the problem technically, but also help the project team understand the problem, make decisions and move forward with confidence."

This mindset has shaped the way he approaches both leadership and project delivery.

Creating value through clarity

Some of Michael's proudest achievements have come from projects where the solution was far from obvious.

Complex infrastructure and underground developments often involve multiple design iterations, competing priorities, and close collaboration across disciplines before the right approach can be identified.

For Michael, success comes from helping teams cut through that complexity.

He takes particular pride in turning difficult technical challenges into practical solutions and clear strategies that clients and project teams can understand and act upon.

That ability to translate complexity into clarity is where he believes engineering creates its greatest value.

Exploring the potential of digital innovation

Alongside project delivery, Michael has a strong interest in how technology can improve engineering workflows.

He has been exploring how digital tools and AI assisted processes can support more repeatable workflow by improving consistency, efficiency, documentation, and knowledge sharing.

However, he is careful to distinguish between automation and professional judgement.

While technology can reduce repetitive tasks and streamline delivery, he believes the engineer's role remains essential.

Defining problems, evaluating risks, validating solutions, and taking accountability for recommendations are responsibilities that still require human judgement and experience.

For Michael, innovation is not about replacing engineers. It's about enabling them to focus more of their time on the work that creates the most value.

Looking ahead

As digital technologies continue to transform the industry, Michael believes the role of consultants will become increasingly focused on judgement, governance, risk management, and trusted advice.

While clients have access to more information than ever before, they still need experienced professionals who can challenge assumptions, understand constraints, and make informed recommendations.

He sees significant opportunities for AtkinsRéalis to combine specialist technical expertise with digital innovation and stronger collaboration across regions, creating greater value for both clients and employees.

Continuing to learn and lead

Outside of work, Michael enjoys learning about culture, technology, and practical design ideas. That curiosity influences how he approaches both engineering and leadership.

As he looks ahead, he hopes to continue supporting engineers as they develop beyond technical delivery and become trusted advisors capable of leading complex projects with confidence and integrity.

For Michael, the future of engineering is not just about designing solutions. It's about helping people understand challenges, make better decisions, and move forward together.

Inspired by Michael's story? AtkinsRéalis offers opportunities to work on complex projects, collaborate with experts across disciplines, and build a career where technical excellence and continuous learning go hand in hand. Explore our current opportunities and discover how you can grow your career with AtkinsRéalis.