Get to know the team: Angel Waddy
We reached out to Angel Waddy, one of our Quantity Surveyor based in rhi’s Houston, Texas office, to learn about her professional development and what excites her about rhi’s future.
Can you tell us more about your career with rhi?
I have been working in the Oil and Gas industry for over 15 years in cost estimating and engineering roles on both the operators and consultancy side. Before joining the industry, I studied chemistry and chemical engineering at San Houston State University and University of Houston and landed my first job in manufacturing conducting estimating on piping and production equipment. However, an opportunity came up to work with ExxonMobil which is where I worked as a Cost Engineer Cost estimating comparison of Crude Cracker and Naphtha Cracker Units for the Huizhou Chemical Complex Project.
Unfortunately, after only a year, I was let go like many others due to a project being shut down due to Covid. It was a very unsettling time in the industry with multiple projects being put on hold due to the uncertainty. Thankfully, I came across an exciting role that was being advertised at rhi for a Quantity Surveyor. From my time in the industry, I had heard of Wood and was interested in finding out more about the connection between Wood and rhi. I was hired virtually during the pandemic, and I could not have hoped more for such a smooth experience to be onboarded remotely. Everything was handled incredibly well, and communication never faltered.
For the past two years with the company, I have been working remotely on the Tengizchevroil’s (TCO) Future Growth Project in Kazakhstan as a Quantity Surveyor carrying out electrical / instrumental measurements for the project.
I am also now the first person from Houston to be working on an exciting new microchip manufacturing project where I am developing estimating guidelines for a client for their 2D / Excel – 3D software projects.
What excites you about your future with rhi?
There are copious amounts of opportunities coming up all the time as we continue to win new projects and diversify into new sectors. Not only are we investing in our energy transition and offering new services, but we are also moving into microchip manufacturing, which is an exciting and innovative sector.
What career advice would you give your younger self?
Always be open to learning new things and never disregard new opportunities. Be open and curious to learning from, talking to your colleagues, and getting to know more about their background. Don’t ever stop asking questions – there is no such thing as a silly question especially when you are learning.
When you are at work, how do you motivate yourself?
I motivate myself by setting deadlines and goals, training, and coaching others, as well as learning new things through our parent company’s Learning Hub.
In terms of successes, which accomplishments are you most proud of?
Being selected as the first employee from our Houston office to work on a new and confidential project. I am proud of the feedback I have received and what I have been able to learn on this project. It has also opened the door for new opportunities for rhi with the client.
What are you most passionate about outside of work?
I am passionate about learning and experiencing new things, and so far, this has included trying new foods and recipes, exploring different parts of the world, learning to fly an airplane, learning how to make wine and a new language.
Who are some of your biggest inspirations both within the company and outside of the company
Within rhi my biggest inspirations are my team members. They have so much industry experience and a strong work ethic that has enabled me to learn from them and be able to apply their advice to continue my career growth.
Outside of my professional life, my biggest inspirations would be my mother and grandmother. They taught me the importance of being a hard worker, having a good mindset, morals, and respect for others. They are my advisors and support system and have taught me how to find joy in everything that I do.