Warren Poh
Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Masters in Engineering Management (2005)
UCSA President 2006
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Why did you decide to study at UC?
I knew when I was 16 years old that I wanted to be an electrical engineer. I have always had a fascination with how stuff works, and have been searching for the answers ever since. So it was either Canterbury or Auckland to study Engineering and UC won me over. The social life and cultural aspects of Canterbury swayed me. The clubs, societies and facilities on this campus make it the best in New Zealand. The friendships and the focus that exist on campus are what make the university special. Everyone is there for the same thing, and there is so much happening, it’s crazy. The social side of university is mashed together with the dedication and commitment that is required to earn your university degree.
What did graduating from UC mean to you?
Graduating from UC was a culmination of a number of factors for me. When I graduated with my BE in 2005, it was the end of a number of years of hard work and almost a sense of relief that I completed what I set out to do in 2001. It was also the end of a journey for my friends and I who all started and completed our degrees at the same time. When I graduated with my MEM in 2006, I was excited at the prospect of now putting into practise some of the theory that I had been working on and getting some ‘real life’ experience.
What are your favourite memories of UC?
The extracurricular activities are a very fond memory for me at UC. I tried my hand at many things including the Soccer Club, Rowing Club, Engineering Society, Engineering Student Representation and UCSA representation to name a few. For some of these clubs I was simply a club member, and in others, I played a role in the running of the club. In particular, two specific highlights include my year as ENSOC Secretary running ENSOC alongside others on a committee, and attending University Games and the camaraderie experienced from the Uni Games team.
Later on, as I become involved with the UCSA, I remember the responsibility and pride in being elected as a representative of the student body, and my determination to always do my best to represent the best interests of UC students.
What have you been doing since leaving UC?
Professionally I have been working for Cosgroves, a local Christchurch based building services engineering consultancy. My initial role was as a Design Electrical Engineer completing electrical engineering designs and specifications. The soft skills I brought to the role were recognised and I now play a leading role in the client liaison side of the business.
Cosgroves has been very good at recognising my potential and gave me the opportunity to run Cosgroves Southern Branch. This role encompassed the lower South Island including Queenstown, Invercargill and Wanaka and was based in Queenstown. I have since returned to Christchurch with Cosgroves to assist and provide further resourcing in the wake of the recent Earthquakes.
Some of the skills that I learnt through my voluntary work at UC have been put to good use during my professional career. The ability to lead teams and work in a team environment, skills learnt through the UCSA and ENSOC committees, has boded well for me when participating within work teams and project teams. I have also found that the well rounded nature of my UC experiences has lead to soft skills which have enabled me to create a certain level rapport with clients. This rapport can then cement existing (and new) relationships that Cosgroves have with clients. This ability to create and maintain relationships is a critical aspect of the consulting engineering industry.
Outside of work, I have continued to participate in extra-curricular activities including a role as Board Member for Canterbury Hockey, Executive Member and President of University Sport NZ and Executive Member Canterbury Young Professionals.
What is your current role?
Having been recently repatriated back to Christchurch, my current role consists of three side-by-side roles. I will continue in my previous role as a Design Electrical Engineer assisting in meeting the demands placed on our company during the post-Earthquake period. I will also continue to remain responsible for Cosgroves operations in the Southern Region and will be maintaining ‘face-time’ visits down to Queenstown to service our client base in the Southern Region. I also have a new role as Business Development Manager. This role aims to provide a strategic direction and client focus for existing and potential clients within Christchurch and more broadly throughout the South Island.
This new role is exciting for the company as it is a sign of investment in the future workload that will be borne out of the significant increase in demand for our services after the earthquakes. Our consultancy skills in the area of Building Services Engineering are in high demand now and, as a rare multi-disciplinary consultancy focused solely on Building Services Engineering, we predict that this demand will continue to grow as the re-build workload gains momentum and increases.
What are the highlights of your career/life so far?
The highlight so far in my career has been the progression and personal development I have achieved within Cosgroves. The Directors have shown tremendous levels of support and recognition for me which has resulted in increased responsibility and two chances to grow and build a business unit at a young stage of my career. In particular, the opportunity to reside in Queenstown and grow our business unit there was unique.
I have also managed during the last five years to get married, and have two young children, so it definitely has not been all work and no play. My family and I are now settled into Avonhead and are happy to be back in Christchurch, although the shakes are something that takes a bit of getting used to.
What advice would you give to graduating students?
To graduating students I would simply say that you must make the most of every opportunity that passes you by. Many things will change throughout your lives but grasping the chance to go with this change, and stick it out will make for not only an exciting career but an exciting life. It would also be worth noting that these opportunities will not necessarily be amongst the brightest and biggest lights, but can be right under your nose here in NZ.
I am in the tiny minority amongst my graduating peers that did not undertake the traditional OE experience of working and living in the UK. Whilst my no-show in the UK has been a source of many messages and emails over the years, I have continued to follow the opportunities that have presented themselves to me here in Christchurch.
Through this persistence of a local career, I will now play a role in the significant once-in-a-lifetime event of restoring the city of Christchurch to its former glory and more. There will be some exciting yet hard years ahead for those committed to Christchurch but the end result will no doubt be something to behold.
Another valid point for graduates to consider is the benefit of starting and developing your career working for a smaller entity as opposed to working for a large global corporate. The smaller, more boutique nature of Cosgroves has enabled me to develop my career as a professional engineer whilst attaining greater levels of responsibility, varied work experiences and enhancing my soft skill set. The ‘flatter’ company structures associated with smaller business can also offer career development pathways at a much earlier point in your career if you can prove your value add to your company.