Full Speed Ahead: Havva's Path to Construction Management
“It hadn’t even been a month, and I was already given responsibility for the two basement levels,” says Havva Oezby. The junior construction manager has just completed her probationary period—on the project for the new offices of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), which Implenia is carrying out as the general contractor.
Not a typical career path
Havva’s career path hasn’t been a traditional one. While site managers are often bricklayers or foremen, Havva comes from a slightly different background: She worked as a trained construction and furniture carpenter, in drywall construction, and in fire protection. She completed her technical vocational training while working. “That meant working full-time, attending school for four hours twice a week in the evenings, and studying on the weekends,” she says. This was followed by five years in fire protection and project management—and then the desire to try something new. “I wanted to become a construction manager, went all out—and landed the job at Implenia,” she says. And she’s happy about it.
New Office for the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
In the WankdorfCity district of Bern, Implenia is serving as the general contractor for one of Switzerland’s most sustainable and innovative office buildings: the new SNF headquarters. This project is creating a modern work environment for Switzerland’s leading institution dedicated to promoting scientific research.
