Introducing Paul Owens, one of the newest members of the Project Management Team who joined our Glasgow Office back in February, just one month before the recent lockdown took effect.
Paul has a first class honours degree and diploma in Architecture from the Glasgow School of Art and has achieved Chartered Architect status with the professional bodies RIBA and RIAS.
Having worked for various architecture firms including ICA, Norr and George Buchanan Architects, Paul saw at first-hand the value, importance and necessity of a Project Manager in delivering projects of all sizes, and he felt compelled to make a career change.
What benefits does your background as an Architect bring you as a Project Manager?
Coming from an architecture background I feel, is invaluable. I can combine my technical knowledge on how to actually put buildings together, with the management skills I’m perfecting in my current role. This powerful coupling of knowledge is fairly unique and will hopefully be considered useful in the eyes of our clients
What do you think makes a good Project Manager?
I would say it is their ability to deliver complex projects on time and budget for clients and to smoothly handle the various project issues incurred throughout a project, using clear and concise communication to reach the end result.
What are you enjoying most about the job so far?
I appreciate the varied tasks and projects I am working on, and that no two days are ever the same. So far I’ve found myself working on a range of tasks, from contract administration and design team management to managing cashflow and change control.
I also really enjoy being able to learn from my colleagues across the different disciplines at Doig+Smith. Within our Project Management Team, we all have different professional backgrounds, and I believe this gives us a competitive edge in the market, as each team member brings a different perspective and set of experiences to the table. In addition to Project Management, I’m also getting a flavour of Building Surveying, Quantity Surveying and Principal Designer. For me at Doig+Smith every day is a school day!
What are your career aspirations?
My next goal is to achieve Chartered Surveyor Status to add to my existing Chartered Architect status. Along the way, I’m also hoping that I can progress within the team at Doig+Smith.