16 January 2024
This year’s nominees were of an exceptional calibre, each demonstrating the qualities that David himself valued in NDY staff: dedication, technical excellence, service to the community and exceptional client management.
Congratulations to our nominees for 2023:
- Sanjeev Ganda, Auckland
- Alex Mayes, London
- Tom Michael, London
- Corey Busuttil, Melbourne
- Jessica Pegg, Melbourne
- Leigh Davey, Melbourne
- Matthew Lau, Perth
- Chau Lam, Sydney.
We’re pleased to announce Tom Michael as the winner of the 2023 David Norman Young Engineer of the Year.
Based in NDY’s London office, Tom has led significant smart buildings projects for global tech clients across the UK and Europe. He has also developed deep and trusting relationships with some of our most innovative developer clients – ensuring that the development and delivery of highly technical digital and smart buildings projects helps these clients differentiate their assets to attract and retain tenants.
Tom also invests significant time in training and development, not only of our NDY team, but with our key clients and across industry.
“Tom’s remarkable achievements at NDY highlight his potential as a future leader. His innovative approach to smart buildings projects, exceptional client management and ability to expand our reach, all while maintaining outstanding work quality, truly set him apart.”
– Ragz Padayachi, Regional Director UK and Ireland
Here’s a word from Tom, officially NDY’s most outstanding young engineer for 2023.
Winning The David Norman Young Engineer Award for 2023 is a remarkable achievement. Can you share what this recognition means to you personally?
I am really grateful to have won this award, standing alongside such a high calibre of nominees and past winners. Working at NDY has been a rewarding journey and I really appreciate the guidance and mentorship provided by my colleagues, whose support has played a big role in my professional growth and has made this recognition possible. This is a great achievement and one I am really proud to achieve.
What sparked your passion for engineering? Was there a particular moment or inspiration that drew you to this field?
I have always been fascinated with how things work and was always taking things apart when growing up to explore how they work. Combined with my passion for technology and science, engineering was the natural path to take.
Looking back, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self just starting out in engineering?
Take every opportunity that is given to you and don’t be afraid to take risks and make mistakes. The best way to learn and grow is to throw yourself into the deep end and get stuck into everything, no matter how out of depth you feel. Make sure to ask lots of questions and really learn from those that have experience.
Could you share a pivotal moment or a significant turning point in your career that has shaped the engineer you are today?
I initially started my career as an electrical engineer before being given an opportunity to move into smart buildings. This move was challenging and involved having to quickly expand my knowledge base and learn a whole new discipline while at the same time being directly responsible for project delivery. I very quickly developed my passion for the discipline, learnt to embrace the challenges, take risks and get stuck into the opportunities that made me feel uncomfortable.
Every morning is a new opportunity. What motivates you to get out of bed and face the challenges of the day?
Working on some of the largest and most innovative projects is definitely a motivating factor, having the opportunity to push the boundaries and implement new and creative solutions. It is also important to continuously learn and develop, and with smart buildings being such a broad field touching across all disciplines, there is always something new for me to learn.
In your journey so far, what has been the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned, either about engineering or about yourself?
Realising my capability to tackle any challenge and face all opportunities head on. Also, things can change very rapidly in this industry and being able to adapt and shift quickly is very crucial.
If you could work on any dream project, regardless of practical constraints, what would it be and why?
I like working on projects that make a difference, either by targeting ambitious sustainability goals that truly make a difference, or by leading the industry in a new direction through enhanced digitisation. I think it’s important to make a positive impact across the industry and drive changes that push all future projects down the new path.
Congratulations, Tom!
