No two working days are ever the same for Zander Muego, the regional director of international project management and cost consultancy at Thomas & Adamson. The workload involves overseeing projects as varied as the development of an independent cinema or a new nightclub concept in Dubai, to delivering cost management and contract administration services to government entities in Abu Dhabi. Having enjoyed living in Al Reef, Abu Dhabi for seven years, the Scotsman, 32 – who is also studying an executive MBA programme with London’s Cass Business School – is relocating to The Springs in Dubai.
6am
I get up and out the house as quickly as possible, because I operate best in the morning and want to get as much accomplished early in the day. Occasionally I go out for a cycle, but our meetings start any time from 8am, so I need to get to the office and catch up on emails before the phone starts ringing. I am moving house at the moment, from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, due to my wife changing job and now working in Dubai. For me there is no real change other than driving a different direction down the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway in the morning.
7am
Whether in our Dubai or Abu Dhabi office, my day usually always begins with a large coffee while I deal with a large volume of emails. As project managers dealing with anywhere between three or seven consultants and contractors for every client, it’s generally our job to coordinate between all parties to ensure everyone has the correct information at the right time.
8.30am
This morning we had our weekly cost management team meeting. This is an important part of how we operate, as it not only allows me to review allocation of resources across our various assignments, but it provides a platform for collaboration, allowing the team to discuss challenges they are facing and share collective knowledge.
10am
A big part of my job is business development, so I’ll either be progressing a proposal or meeting a potential client to understand their needs and develop a tailored proposition. We have a presence across the Mena region, but most of our current projects are in the UAE – in the hospitality, aviation, industrial, commercial interiors, government and residential sectors. At the moment there are liquidity issues in the market and, as a result, we are supporting our clients in sourcing and obtaining non-traditional sources of finance and alternatives to ensure their projects can continue.
12.30pm
I meet a client over lunch to discuss the finishing stages of the Billionaire Mansion project, which we have been working on for several months and is due to open in April. The concept, from the Italian businessman and former Renault Formula One tycoon, Flavio Briatore, will bring the nightclub and restaurant experience of Porto Cervo in Sardinia to the Taj Hotel in Dubai’s Business Bay.
2pm
Today is the weekly meeting with all parties working on Cinema Akil, which will be a cinema platform in Alserkal Avenue, bringing independent films from around the world to audiences in Dubai. I try to stay involved in our projects and keep up to speed to provide support. Every project faces challenges and we work together to solve them, such as with a current project involving expansion of an existing building in Dubai. Unfortunately, the current building has insufficient infrastructure at the site to support the client’s desired facilities, which could lead to extensive and expensive upgrade works. To find a practical, cost-effective way to achieve what the client requires, we have one member of the team challenging the specifics of the proposed facilities to reduce the demand on the infrastructure. Another member of the team is investigating cost-effective ways to boost the infrastructure without wholesale changes.
3.30pm
I’m back to the office. Today I have a technically challenging project for the Abu Dhabi government, as we are in the closing stages of negotiating the construction contract.
5.30pm
Often my working day ends with a conference call to our head office in Edinburgh, Scotland. I’ve been with Thomas & Adamson for over 15 years, joining straight from school, so it’s also good to see and hear from my hometown colleagues.
7.30pm
Finally, I head home and either get my head in the books as I work towards the end of the MBA programme I am currently undertaking or, preferably, head out with my wife to see a movie. If I had to choose a favourite movie of all time, it would be Pulp Fiction – Tarantino's movies are a cut above the rest.
10pm
I usually unwind watching an episode of a television series. I recently completed the latest series of Homeland, which I very much enjoyed and is consistently one of the best shows on television.
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