Meet the team – Karthy Gajendran, Project Manager

Discuss your role within Ashtead Technology

As a Project Manager within Ashtead Technology’s mechanical solutions service line, I am responsible for the timely, safe and reliable delivery of our subsea technology and services to support our customers’ projects in the Asia Pacific region. Specifically, I lead the development of each project plan to include objectives, scope, budget, timescales and resource management and allocation. Identifying and mitigating risks is also part of my role which is mainly accomplished by risk assessments and contingency planning to help minimise any disruptions, ensure safety and compliance whilst adhering to the highest quality standards. Good communication is an essential part of my role as I am the main project point of contact for all stakeholders from project initiation to delivery. Internally, I assign tasks, monitor progress, and provide feedback to create a better and safe work environment for everyone involved in the project.

What does your typical day look like?

I start each day with daily project meetings and address anything urgent that needs attending to. I also prioritise tasks, deadlines and keep on top of all offshore and onshore activities associated with each project. Throughout the day, I will have regular contact with our BD, operational and management teams to provide everyone with ongoing updates and determine what other work is coming up in the pipeline. It is all about communication, transparency, organisation and planning.

What has been your background and career history to date?

I have had many years’ experience working in various management and operational disciplines, supporting the successful execution of projects for major energy operators and service companies in the Asia Pacific region. After graduating from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, my first position was as a project engineer for a fabrication company building 30 to 50 tonne A-frames for launching ROVs offshore. After a few years I made the move to a company specialising in decommissioning technologies and ROV tooling where I served as the single point of contact to support projects in Asia, India and Australia. Fast forward a few years and I started to manage larger decommissioning work scopes from the bidding phase right through to project completion and close-out. This experience has been extremely beneficial in reaching my career goals to date.

Who or what inspires you the most?

Each supervisor or manager I have worked with throughout my career had specific attributes or leadership styles that I have learned from or admired. I have been very privileged to have worked with so many great people over the years which has helped shape me into the person that I am today.

What do you enjoy most about working in Ashtead Technology and in the Asia Pacific region?

Ashtead Technology’s mechanical solutions service line continues to grow in the region and I’m relishing the opportunity to lead the ongoing delivery and successful completion of our diverse range of decommissioning projects. We have a great regional leader who leads by example and encourages a supportive and collaborative working culture, ensuring we adhere to our core values at all times and strive for excellence together. I also enjoy the flexibility of my role and trust placed in me to succeed. Hard work is recognised and rewarded so we feel valued and empowered as individuals and as a team to want to do our best and make a difference for our customers.