Vol. 22 - Edition no. 1 - SNC

vol. 22
EDITION
no. 1
2013
quarterly
magazine of
SNC‑Lavalin
Shaping
the Future
04
Sustainable Retrofitting:
The Future Looks Cleaner
Please send all correspondence to:
08
SNC‑Lavalin’s District
Cooling Team on
a Winning Streak
10
Calgary Mass Transit
Extension Up and Running
13
Four Reasons
Why SNC‑Lavalin’s
New Code of Ethics Matters
14
Snc‑Lavalin
Environment Leads
the Way with Innovative
Green Solutions
Spectrum
SNC‑Lavalin Inc.
455 René-Lévesque Blvd. West
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Z 1Z3
Tel.: 514 393-1000
Fax: 514 875-4877
E-mail: [email protected]
We invite you to visit our website
to learn more about SNC‑Lavalin:
www.snclavalin.com
Spectrum is published
for SNC‑Lavalin Group Inc.
by Global Corporate Communications.
Spectrum est aussi disponible en français.
N.B.: All figures are in Canadian dollars
unless otherwise indicated.
Editor-in-Chief:
Monica Bhattacharya, Director,
External Communications
Writing and coordination:
Noel Rieder, Senior Writer
Contributors:
Nicola Cardwell
Marie-Claude Dubeault
Peter McCarthy
Étienne Plante
Craig Segal
Copyright deposit:
Bibliothèque nationale du Québec.
Articles may be reproduced,
with attribution, upon request.
Design and production:
mosaic design
Printing:
L’Empreinte
16
Meeting our Full Potential
18
Cover:
The RTB Bor smelter complex in Serbia,
where SNC-Lavalin is carrying out a major
retrofitting project.
Shaping Tomorrow’s
Leaders: Putting Stock
in Student Interns
Paper made from
recycled material
XXXXXXX
03
President’s Message
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
Shaping the Future
In this inaugural edition of Spectrum for 2013, we
look at the different ways we are “shaping the future”
for a variety of our stakeholders: from developing
ground-breaking initiatives like the Vale Clean AER
initiative and innovative district cooling projects, to
encouraging young engineers through our recognition
and internship programs.
T
he world around us is changing at a dizzying pace. Demographic shifts,
globalization and rapidly evolving technologies are transforming our
work environment and combining to profoundly impact the role of
engineering in society. Succeeding on a project today, regardless of where it
is, means recognizing and understanding how these trends are shaping the
needs, interests and expectations of all stakeholders. In short, you must have
a comprehensive approach to project development and delivery.
This comprehensive approach is especially valuable to the developing world,
which has a great need for resources and infrastructure. Improving the access
of these emerging economies to essential commodities, and providing them
with state-of-the-art hospitals, waterworks and transit systems will help
enhance their standards of living. And by partnering with regional subcontractors and purchasing materials and equipment from the local market, it is
possible to have an ever greater positive impact. This is the approach to projects that SNC-Lavalin embraces.
SNC-Lavalin is also committed to being a good corporate citizen. As such, our
teams dedicate considerable time and effort to supporting local charities and
schools, both in developing and developed countries. Our employees and the
communities we serve around the world also expect a certain standard of
behaviour and values from a company like ours. We are committed to excellence in that regard. World-class ethical standards, safety, environment and
quality create the framework from which we go forth to shape the future.
As a global company that has the ability to change lives for the better through
our dynamic projects and local presence, we at SNC-Lavalin work to shape a
better future for all the citizens of the world, from Montreal to Melbourne and
Marrakesh to Moscow. In the end, it is the local villagers, townspeople and
city-dwellers who will use our infrastructures to improve their own lives and
shape their own futures in the many decades ahead.
Bob Card
President and Chief Executive Officer
“World-class ethical
standards, safety,
environment and quality
create the framework
from which we go forth
to shape the future.”
04
Feature
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
Sustainable Retrofitting:
The Future Looks Cleaner
When people think sustainable projects, they tend to imagine futuristic buildings and
facilities, such as LEED-certified office towers or innovative industrial plants that employ
state-of-the-art technologies to minimize waste generation and energy consumption.
S
uch projects are certainly sustainable, but it could be
argued that retrofitting older facilities with clean,
mo­dern technology is the most sustainable kind of project. By incorporating the best available technologies into aging
plants, it is possible to dramatically decrease their impacts on the
environment and local communities, all without building on new
sites, using more resources or extending utility networks.
“With sustainable retrofits, we’re helping our clients reduce their
environmental footprint by reusing old infrastructure and recycling what we can into more efficient, less polluting factories,” said
Mark Osterman, SNC‑Lavalin’s Vice-President, Environment, in
charge of corporate environmental policy. “In just about all cases,
sustainable retrofits lead to more efficient factories which cost
less to operate, perform better and improve the quality of life for
those who live near them.”
SNC‑Lavalin teams are currently at work on many projects of this
kind around the world. Three of the largest are the Vale Clean
Atmospheric Emissions Reduction (AER) project in Ontario, the
Boundary Dam carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project in
Saskatchewan, and a modernization and upgrade of a mining
equipment, copper smelter and sulphuric acid complex in Bor,
Serbia. All three mega-projects demonstrate that it is p
­ ossible to
vastly improve the environmental performance of aging industrial
facilities. All it takes are governments with a commitment to a
clean future, clients with the will to act, and engineering and
construction companies with the right expertise.
Vale AER: A healthier
future for Sudbury
The region around Sudbury, Ontario, is known as one of the foremost mining areas in Canada. Companies have been pulling minerals from its ground for well over a century. But while the
mining boom has been great for the economic growth of the
region, it has taken a toll on the surrounding environment (a local
myth persists to this day that NASA trained astronauts for its
Apollo mission around Sudbury because some areas had been
reduced to a rocky wasteland by acid rain).
It is understandable, then, why there is so much enthusiasm in
the area for Vale’s $2-billion environmental retrofit of its Sudbury
nickel smelter. The facility, which features the tallest smokestack in the Western Hemisphere, currently sends around
175,000 metric tonnes of acid rain causing SO2 into the
The superstack at Vale’s Sudbury nickel smelter rises 380 metres, making it the tallest chimney
in the Western hemisphere.
­ tmo­sphere each year. Once the new improvements in technola
ogy are integrated into the plant, however, emissions of the gas
will fall to less than 45,000 metric tonnes per year, well below
the Ontario government-mandated limit of 66,000.
The project will see four new converter vessels—complete with
primary and secondary hoods—incorporated into the facility.
There will also be numerous additional process units to reduce
emissions and particulate matter into the local atmosphere,
as well as a 1,500 tonne-per-day sulphuric acid plant.
Project Director Hank Froese finds Vale AER highly rewarding to
work on. After a long career of building industrial facilities—
including the largest refinery in the world in India—he takes pride
in knowing that his work will have a palpable and positive impact
on the health of locals.
“People in Sudbury are very glad to meet you and shake your
hand when they hear that you’re working on this project,” he said.
“I’ve worked on major industrial facilities around the world, so
I can tell you that’s not always the case on major jobs. This retrofit is good for the people of the region, good for Vale, and good
for SNC‑Lavalin.” 05
Feature
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
“People in Sudbury are very
glad to meet you and shake
your hand when they hear that
you’re working on this project.
This retrofit is good for the
people of the region, good for
Vale, and good for
SNC‑Lavalin.”
Hank Froese
Project Director
Once improvements in technology are integrated into Vale’s Sudbury plant, emissions of SO2 will fall to less than 45,000 metric tonnes per year.
Guy Couturier (fifth from left in front row) surrounded
by the Boundary Dam engineering and management team.
Boundary Dam – Unit 3:
Doing the Work
of 23,000 Trees
Through potentially reducing
CO₂ emissions of the 150-MW unit by 90%,
1.2 million tonnes per year
of GHG emissions could be eliminated from
the atmosphere. According to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, it would take
10 years for 23,000 trees
to sequester that much CO₂.
Boundary Dam:
a showcase for clean coal
In Saskatchewan, SaskPower is testing the limits of CCS technology with a retrofit of one 150-MW unit at its 800-MW coalfired power plant known as Boundary Dam. Earlier in 2011,
SNC‑Lavalin, which is providing full EPC services for the project,
integrated a 225-tonne carbon dioxide (CO2) stripper into the
unit. The stripper will work as part of a sophisticated aminebased capture process to remove 90% of the CO2 from the flue
gas. To this will be added a second amine-based process that
will remove all SO2 from the flue stream as well.
RTB Bor: a measurable benefit
for all
In operation since 1903, Serbia’s Bor integrated copper mine and
smelting complex is one of the region’s foremost producers of
copper and precious metals. During the last two decades of
operation, however, significant impacts on local rivers, wildlife
and the atmosphere have been observed. Now, with more stringent Serbian and EU regulations in place, the state-owned complex is taking a leap into the 21st century.
SNC‑Lavalin’s involvement began with a contract to evaluate the
existing smelter and produce a feasibility study in June 2010.
That led to the current engineering, procurement and
construction mandate, which includes a new state-of-the-art
flash smelter furnace, new hoods, evaporative cooling chambers,
a new acid plant and a waste effluent treatment system.
The upgrades will yield a dramatic improvement in copper recovery and allow the complex to use less fossil fuel. Meanwhile,
capturing 98% of the sulphur from the smelter’s SO2 emissions
(complying with the EU’s most stringent standards) should have
a noticeable impact on the local environment and social benefits
for residents of Bor.
“This project will increase production at the smelter by 225%,
while greatly reducing its impact on local residents and the
env­­­ironment,” said Inder Bhasin, Senior Project Manager. “I think
that, as a company, we can be proud of our involvement in such
a project.” The process used at the Boundary Dam is called “post combustion”
because the capture of the CO2 occurs after the combustion
pro­­cess that produces the facility’s power. This is the most costeffective way to proceed for an existing coal facility. When the
project is completed in late 2013, it will be the first commercial
scale post-combustion carbon capture project ever implemented
on a coal-fired power plant. And once proven at Boundary Dam, the
technology has the potential to be commercialized worldwide.
The project is good for the environment, but it also makes
economic sense. The CO₂ that is removed will be sold to oil
producers, who can inject it into the ground to coax more
resources from mature wells, while the SO₂ will be converted
into sulphuric acid for the local market.
“This project will create one of the world’s cleanest coal-fired
power plants, in terms of emissions of air pollutants,” said Guy
Couturier, Project Sponsor. “The plant will also now be producing
two commodities of value. Everyone wins when you can turn
waste into valuable products.”
The Boundary Dam: soon to be one of the world’s cleanest coal-fired power plants.
07
Feature
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
The upgrades to the RTB Bor complex will yield a dramatic improvement in copper recovery and allow the complex to use less fossil fuel.
How they stack up
Vale AER
SO2
reduction
of
Boundary Dam – unit 3
Metals
and dust
reduction
of
70% 35%-40%
RTB BOR
CO2
SO2
SO2
reduction
of
reduction
of
reduction
of
90%
100%
98%
08
District Cooling
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
SNC‑Lavalin’s District Cooling
Team on a Winning Streak
Over the past 12 years, SNC‑Lavalin has become a world leader in a
state-of-the-art air conditioning technology known as district cooling.
District cooling involves producing chilled water at a central plant, then
piping it to various buildings where it is used for air conditioning.
09
District Cooling
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
S
NC‑Lavalin’s district cooling hot streak began in 2000,
when Tabreed, a world leader in the sector, awarded the
company a major turnkey engineering, procurement and
construction (EPC) contract for two district cooling plants for
Zayed Military City in Abu Dhabi. This and other successes in the
Emirates led to the formation of the SNC‑Lavalin Gulf
Contractors (SLGC) joint venture with Tabreed in 2004.
“Today, SLGC is the global leader in district-cooling EPC contracts,” says Mohamed Youssef, Managing Director of the Abu
Dhabi-based joint venture. “We are a microcosm of SNC‑Lavalin
itself, with all functions in-house. As a competitive local contractor, we adhere to SNC‑Lavalin’s high engineering standards and
health, safety and environment (HSE) requirements. We are
ISO 9001- and 14001-certified, and OHSAS 18001-certified for
occupational health and safety.”
A string of close to 40 successful projects in the UAE has
recently opened doors to new opportunities in Saudi Arabia.
Current Saudi district cooling contracts include a 27,000-refrigeration tonne (RT) plant for Aramco at Dharan, two
50,000-RT plants in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District,
and a 25,000-RT plant at the Jabal Omar Development in Mecca,
all scheduled to open shortly. A 10,000-RT district cooling facility has the same power as 20,000 standard window air
conditioning units.
“We have had excellent feedback from our many UAE and Saudi
customers,” adds Ibrahim Guemei, Projects Director, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia. “That has strengthened our solid reputation for
every aspect of these comprehensive projects.”
That good reputation is widespread in the region. In the UAE, for
example, government bodies and real estate developers appreciate SLGC’s cost-efficient approach, and lenders are more likely
to provide financing to these developers if SLGC is involved. “We
provide the best value over the typical district-cooling project’s
40-year life cycle,” says Louis Gosselin, Projects Director, UAE.
SLGC’s success is linked directly to the talent and enthusiasm
of its people. Like SNC‑Lavalin itself, the SLGC joint venture is a
melting pot of top global talent. “We have a cross-cultural team
of employees from many countries,” said Gosselin. “The level of
collaboration and energy in this team is impressive to see
in action.”
The team is also enthusiastic about the future of district cooling
in the region and beyond. They have their sights set on neighbouring nations such as Bahrain and Qatar, which will host the
World Cup in 2022. There is plenty of demand for district cooling
in Qatar as it makes plans to build a new stadium, related infrastructure and residential developments.
“We’re even looking at opportunities in India,” adds Hany
Abdelsayed, Projects & Proposals Manager. “And our district
cooling expertise can also open the door to our clients for other
SNC‑Lavalin offerings.” A string
of close to
40
successful district
cooling projects
in the UAE
10
Mass Transit
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
Calgary Mass Transit Extension
Up and Running
Big cities around the world have at least one thing in common: traffic jams on their streets
and highways. Through its world-leading light rapid transit (LRT) expertise, SNC‑Lavalin
is playing an important role in easing that congestion by getting people out of cars and
onto commuter trains.
T
he SNC‑Lavalin Mass Transit Group recently added a new
success story to its growing roster of public transit
systems now in operation around the globe. The
Calgary West Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Extension Project was
completed on time and was ready for passenger service in
late 2012.
LRTs: Green by nature
The Project, which was awarded in late 2009, is one of Calgary’s
largest-ever infrastructure undertakings, its largest design-build
contract and its first new LRT line in 20 years. It includes an
eight-kilometre extension from downtown to the southwest part
of the city, six passenger stations, nine traction-power substations, two Park’n’Rides and a major highway interchange.
“Many Calgary road commuters have already switched to this
new LRT service, cutting their trip downtown by more than
half, and eliminating a considerable amount of greenhouse
gas emissions from the atmosphere,” said Project Director,
Dave Weatherby. “Beyond that, the project has acoustic walls
to minimize noise pollution for adjacent residents, and a
LEED-certification four-storey office building above one of
the stations.”
SNC‑Lavalin was chosen because of its extensive experience in
urban public transport, including its recent involvement in
Vancouver’s Canada Line. The company successfully completed
that project a full three months ahead of schedule in 2009.
SNC‑Lavalin is the only Canadian company to have singlehandedly undertaken a design, build, finance, operate and maintain
mandate for a large mass transit system.
Mass transit projects are, by their very nature, green initiatives,
but the Calgary LRT team has incorporated extensive environmental considerations across the project to make it a true showcase for sustainability.
The project’s stations were also designed using green principles.
Thanks to the east-west alignment of all but one station, passengers are sheltered from wind and summer sunshine, but
benefit from the warmth of winter sunshine. Meanwhile, southfacing windows are equipped with shades, which block highangle summer sun rays, but let in the lower angle winter sun.
11
Mass Transit
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
The opening ceremony for the Calgary West LRT was held on December 8, 2012.
Demand is strong,
and getting stronger
The time is right for this expansion in Calgary. The city’s population growth is expected to be more than double the Canadian
national average over the next several decades. Calgary’s quickly
expanding population also likes its mass transit.
“The city routinely reports North America’s highest, or secondhighest, per-capita public-transit ridership levels, with very high
off-peak usage rates too,” said Kevin Vokey, the project’s
Trackwork Design Manager.
The LRT expansion is particularly good news for residents, business owners and workers in the city’s southwest area, where the
current population of 90,000 is expected to grow to 120,000
over the next 20 years.
While the city’s southwest district has always been served by
city buses, steep grades make wintertime bus travel challenging.
With the new LRT expansion, however, downtown work and
entertainment destinations will be much more accessible whatever the weather.
“The new LRT extension will also help to rejuvenate the southwest,” says Blair Squire, Project Manager for the SNC‑Lavalin
joint venture. “There will be a brand new high school at the
terminal, and considerable residential and commercial development growth, to cite just two examples.” “Many Calgary road commuters
have already switched to this
new LRT service, cutting their
trip downtown by more than
half, and eliminating a
considerable amount of
greenhouse gas emissions
from the atmosphere.”
Dave Weatherby
Project Director
12
Mass Transit
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
Some members of the Calgary West LRT team took time out in 2011 to pose for a group photo.
The power of teamwork
Any project of this magnitude has more than its share of challenges. What distinguishes a great project from a merely good
one, however, is how well the team is able to adapt and overcome them. The Calgary LRT team has been exemplary in this
regard thanks to teamwork.
“One of our major tasks was to assemble large teams from different corporate cultures,” says Weatherby. “It’s great to work
with a team that is on the same page and fully committed to
delivering a project that is absolutely world-class. That allowed
us to overcome many obstacles that could have otherwise
caused major issues for the project.”
As examples, Weatherby cites the construction of the sole
underground station in the new network, which required deep
excavation under some challenging soil conditions. Mother
Nature was also busy above ground, with two of the wettest
summers and coldest winters on record.
“We overcame these challenges, and many more, because of the
excellent level of communication that existed within the entire
team, including the client, SNC‑Lavalin staff and our local partners,” Weatherby said.
With Calgary West now complete, work begins on new projects.
SNC-Lavalin was awarded the Evergreen Line Rapid Transit project in Vancouver, a crucial extension of the existing Skytrain. In
Ontario, the company won the Confederation Line, a major LRT
project for the Canadian capital of Ottawa. No question about it:
the SNC‑Lavalin Mass Transit Group is on the move. “We overcame these challenges,
and many more, because
of the excellent level of
communication that existed
within the entire team, including
the client, SNC‑Lavalin staff
and our local partners.”
Dave Weatherby
Project Director
▪▪
▪▪
▪▪
▪▪
13
Ethics
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
Four Reasons Why SNC‑Lavalin’s
New Code of Ethics Matters
Over the past century, SNC‑Lavalin has built up its business on the quality of its work and
its reputation. The company knows that its individual and collective actions may have a
direct impact on its reputation. In 2012, SNC‑Lavalin launched a reinforced Code of Ethics
and Business Conduct, in part to ensure global excellence. The new Code has many new
features, including an anonymous third-party ethics hotline available on the company’s
intranet and external website. It is also now available in 12 languages, and three separate
Code documents have been streamlined into one.
H
ere are the top four reasons the new Code of Ethics matters (in no
particular order), according to Bob Card, President and CEO; Réjean
Goulet, Executive Vice-President and General Counsel; and Darleen
Caron, Executive Vice-President, Global Human Resources.
1 to our employees
Because it matters
“Everyone wants to work for a company they can be proud of,” said Caron.
“A company’s ethical standard is one of the top criteria potential employees
will assess. It’s also a key driver of our current employees’ level of engagement. In our company-wide employee engagement survey, this is something
we are very keen to measure, because when employees are engaged and
proud, it leads to better results and a better work environment.”
2 to our clients
Because it matters
“Our clients are demanding that we have the highest possible standards,
in many cases higher than laws in certain regions,” said Card. “They need to
see proof, not only that we adhere to those standards, but that measures are
in place to ensure them.”
3 it is the law
Because
“As SNC‑Lavalin continues to grow, it’s of the highest imperative that we
adhere to all laws where we do business,” said Goulet. “We are competing with
some of the world’s biggest firms on multi-billion dollar projects. Our reputation must be stellar because a small misstep could mean the difference
between winning and losing an important contract.”
4 to our future
Because it matters
“It’s a matter of sustainability for the business,” said Card. “If you do not have
a solid code of ethics, the business will not continue to succeed. The highest standards on this front are what allow us the social license to do what we do best.” Did you know?
▪▪ A violation of the Code may be
reported via any of the following
resources, and will be treated
confidentially: an immediate
supervisor; the Human Resources
Vice-President for the business
unit; corporate contacts from
Global Human Resources, Finance,
Legal Affairs and Internal Audit;
and/or SNC‑Lavalin’s Ethics and
Compliance Hotline: www.
snclavalin.ethicspoint.com.
▪▪ The Code is available in
12 languages: English, French,
Spanish, Portuguese, Russian,
Romanian, Indonesian, Swedish,
Norwegian, German, Polish and
standard Arabic.
▪▪ Signing the Code upon hiring
is mandatory, and renewing
a commitment to it every year
is a condition of employment.
14
Environmental Expertise
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
Snc‑Lavalin Environment Leads the
Way with Innovative Green Solutions
SNC‑Lavalin Environment (SLE) is offering a new set of services that will help its clients
remain where they want to be: at the forefront of environmental issues and regulations.
Being proactive rather than reactive when it comes to green issues can make all the
difference for clients—and for the planet.
GHG verification auditing:
transparent, reliable,
responsible reporting
In early 2012, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
awarded SLE accreditation that allows the division to perform
greenhouse gas (GHG) verifications in North America. SLE auditors may now enter client facilities to examine and affirm accurate gas emissions reports. Such GHG reporting and verification
is now a regulatory requirement in many jurisdictions, and is
seen as a precursor to further regulation.
The accreditation process was spearheaded by SLE Senior Air
Quality Specialist, Bryan McEwen. From May 2011 to May 2012,
the project team steadily navigated the application process,
before completing a Witness Audit of a limestone quarry in
south-central British Columbia with the client and ANSI staff.
“This was a challenging process,” explained Director and Lead
Auditor Roger Ord, after the recent Witness Audit. “While we
were looking over the client’s shoulder, ANSI was evaluating us.
Overall, however, it was a rewarding and interesting process for
my team to be involved in.”
SLE’s GHG verification program is coordinated by Project Scientist John Lindner.
ANSI awarded
SLE accreditation
In early
2012
With the new accreditation under its belt, SLE is now in an
attractive position to win new business in the growing GHG services sector. The division can provide a wide range of carbon
services, from supporting Carbon Capture and Sequestration
(CCS) projects and building risk management systems, to performing pre-evaluations and audits.
“This process has allowed us to build tool sets that increase our
rigour, as well as our capacity to execute valuable and necessary
services,” said Ord. “This accreditation solidifies SLE’s position
as an expert in carbon management.”
15
Environmental Expertise
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
SAM’s versatile, modular architecture allows for the surveillance of numerous factors.
SAM: integrated,
innovative, flexible
SLE recently launched an innovative and highly specialized tool
that effectively monitors environmental impacts at multiple
sites. The Automated Monitoring System, known as SAM, is a
combination of hardware and integrated, web-based software
modules that together measure activity across a variety of
environmental parameters.
Developed over a period of three years, SAM improves upon
SLE’s former noise monitoring system by increasing its capabilities and scope of services. Clients may select which modules
they want to employ based on their specific needs and
site specifications.
SAM’s versatile, modular architecture allows for the surveillance
of numerous factors. Currently, SAM offers modules for noise,
vibrations, particulate matter, pollutants, traffic radars, weather,
water level/flow rate and electric power. An additional module,
capable of monitoring the pressure, slope, stress and displacement
of landslides, is currently in development. Modules can be added
or deleted from the list of services at the client’s discretion.
SAM is linked via secure web servers to the client’s internal
systems and bolstered by extensive security features. Motorized
cameras measure activity levels on site. This data is then
uploaded to generate analysis reports and displayed for the
“What makes SAM so innovative
is its capability to be as
customized as the client
requires.”
Jacques Savard
Director of Acoustics and Vibrations
c­ lient in real time, allowing for the timely prevention of exceedances. Excessive activity or disturbances are reliably recorded
with an alarms and notifications feature.
“The client gets to see things as they are happening,” explained
Jacques Savard, Director of Acoustics and Vibrations. “All notifications received can be used to prevent problems from developing or escalating, making operations considerably smoother
for the client.”
“What makes SAM so innovative is its capability to be as customized as the client requires,” he added. “The older technology
allowed clients to monitor some of the same parameters, but
different systems were needed for each environmental factor that
was measured. The client benefits from the one-stop-shop nature
of SAM, an all-inclusive, integrated and cost-effective system.” 16
Interview with the President
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
Interview with
Bob Card
President and CEO, SNC‑Lavalin
Meeting our Full Potential
Since becoming President and CEO of SNC‑Lavalin on October 1, 2012, Bob Card has been
meeting employees and learning about our many projects around the world. He is a top
industry expert with close to 40 years of experience, but he readily admits that he has been
amazed by the full extent of the company’s capabilities and global reach.
Card reports that he sees fantastic potential in SNC‑Lavalin. The question, of course,
is where and how he will seek to apply it. Spectrum recently met with Card to discuss
the future of the company, and what he feels SNC‑Lavalin must do to reach its full
potential in a global market that is more competitive than ever.
Spectrum (S): You’ve identified our infrastructure
concession investments (ICI) expertise and portfolio
as one of our key strengths. Can you expand on why
you feel so much of our potential lies in ICIs?
Bob Card (BC): ICIs are great for many reasons. One is that they
allow us to take part in really interesting, large-scale projects.
The other, which is so valuable, is that these are projects where
we are also the client. So people who work on ICIs are automatically trained to deliver what the client needs because they are
thinking from the client’s perspective. That’s the mindset we
should bring to every project, regardless of whether or not we
have an ownership stake. If we are always placing ourselves in
the client’s shoes, we will win more contracts and do a better job
at exceeding their expectations.
S: What other strengths have you noticed?
BC: Well, we certainly have great employees, and we need to
continue to find new ways to attract the best talent because that
is our lifeblood as a company. That said, we don’t have any use at
SNC‑Lavalin for somebody who is not on the right side of health
& safety and compliance issues. It doesn’t matter how talented
they are. So we are looking for talented people who also understand the importance of ethics and health & safety in business.
These are the people who will help us grow the company and
take it to new zeniths.
S: You’ve spoken quite a bit about the importance
of health & safety since your arrival. Health & safety
goes deeper than statistics for you, doesn’t it?
BC: To me, health & safety has to be a fundamental part of our
ethos. We are not even close to done until health & safety
becomes a religion for us. And I don’t agree that being highly
focused on health & safety is expensive or will make us less
efficient. I see absolutely no downside to good health & safety
management. When you are health & safety smart on a project,
you become leaner because you are not doing anything that
endangers your people. So rather than slowing you down, planning and engineering a job to be as safe as possible makes you
more efficient.
S: We know that much of your experience is
in the US market. What do you say to business
development people who look at the US market
as the Holy Grail?
BC: There are many attractive markets, of which the US is one.
But to really grow our share in that market, we need to be present
there in a significant way. We are competing against firms with
offices in every state and key city, so we must also have a solid
footing to operate from. That’s something that we would probably need to acquire, but the good news is there are plenty of
candidates, should we decide to do so.
17
Interview with the President
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
“We certainly have great
employees, and we need to
continue to find new ways to
attract the best talent because
that is our lifeblood as a
company”
Bob Card
President and CEO
Bob Card was presented with a personalized Montreal Canadiens hockey jersey at the SNC-Lavalin Awards of Excellence in September 2012.
S: There is talk about water and environment being
the sectors of the future. Would you agree with
that assessment?
BC: Yes, with the addition that I feel that water and environment
are already major sectors. What makes them special, however, is
that they are evolving at great speed. So to really capture our share
of business in those sectors we have to stay on top of developments and anticipate what’s coming next.
For example, in the water sector there is currently a lot of combined sewer overflow work, but that was not really the case
15 years ago. There are now also more regional water issues,
such as what the State of California is experiencing. So to capture more of those markets, you need to foresee what expertise
is going to be required and where it will be needed. Then you
have to mobilize and be prepared to respond.
S: The theme of this issue is “Shaping the Future.”
Do you see SNC‑Lavalin as having an influence
on the future, whether environmentally, socially
or economically?
BC: Yes. Just think about what we do as a company. We do
resource extraction and development to help strengthen economies, build major transportation and vital water projects and we
perform e­ nvironmental studies to protect sensitive ecosystems.
So we clearly have an important role to play in shaping the future
and in benefiting populations worldwide.
I think, however, that we could provide an even greater value to
all our clients by thinking more about the larger context within
which these projects get carried out. Our clients should want to
hire us, in part, because we are thinking through strategic issues
with them, and because we have a deep understanding of their
market reality. By taking on that role, we will help our clients
shape their projects in a way that benefits them and all their
stakeholders in the long term. We have that know-how and expertise, and we should be more forward about offering it. 18
Human Resources
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders:
Putting Stock in Student Interns
Christine Harries, Intern
© Concordia University
Christine Harries desperately wanted an internship at SNC‑Lavalin. After applying three times,
her determination finally paid off when she earned a spot on the McGill University Health
Centre (MUHC) Glen Campus project in Montreal. She demonstrated so much talent and
drive that her supervisors at the MUHC threw increasingly challenging projects at her.
Again and again, she proved herself, and by the end of the summer, she walked away with
a $2,500 SNC‑Lavalin Award.
“T
he internship at SNC‑Lavalin was incredible,” said
Harries. “It had always been a dream of mine to work
for the company. It has amazing, huge projects and
I wanted so badly to work on one. My main job was inspecting the
reinforcing steel prior to concrete pouring on the Glen Campus
site, but I went on to participate in the design of a steel structure
and assist in the design of concrete slabs. I was lucky enough to
work with three structural engineers who served as project managers, each responsible for their respective blocks: Patrick
Bourgeois, Daniel Ménard and Fernando Leblanc-Carrera. They
were all very supportive.”
Harries is one in a long line of young people who have won
SNC‑Lavalin Awards, which were presented in 2012 to students
from Canada, the United States, Chile, France, Belgium, Brazil
and Egypt. The winners are awarded $2,500 on top of the competitive student salaries all interns receive. In 2012 alone, there
were 23 winners around the world. Since 2000, there have been
a total of 169.
A chance to stand out from
the crowd
The SNC‑Lavalin internship program focuses on “strengthening
the supply of high-quality ambassadors in selected universities
and future successors in engineering.” Its objective is threefold:
to build relationships with top engineering students and universities; recruit top talent engineering students from the top universities; and develop our reputation.
The internship program is clearly successful on all three fronts,
and it easily proves its value, year after year—both to the company and to the students themselves. “SNC‑Lavalin’s internship
program stands out from the crowd,” said Antonella Nizzola,
Career Advisor at Concordia University. “I really appreciate that
SNC‑Lavalin takes the time to reward students for their great
work. It teaches them they are valued for what they do and
makes the company a more desirable employer.”
One recent SNC‑Lavalin Award winner who was hired by the
company says her internship launched her engineering career.
“I always had very high grades,” said Sarah Dépont, a Junior
Engineer in the Transport, Infrastructure and Buildings (TIB) division, “but it was the internship that really gave me my chance to
19
Human Resources
Spectrum Edition No. 1 | 2013
stand out. There are so many junior engineers looking for jobs
that, in today’s market, unless you have an internship, you’re
going to have a very hard time finding a job.”
Dépont’s SNC‑Lavalin internship challenged her in a way
school did not. Clearly, she proved herself. Today, at 24 years
old, Dépont is working on designs for a highway in Haiti, a proj­
ect she takes tremendous pride in. “From my little office in
Montreal, I’m building highways that will add value to so
many people’s lives.”
“My SNC‑Lavalin internship was invaluable,” added Harries, who
is in the last year of her undergrad in Building Engineering at
Concordia. “School teaches you a lot, but it’s when you apply it on
the job site that it really sticks. You really have to ask questions,
and be curious and willing to take on new challenges. You don’t
get that chance in school. That’s one of the things I love about
engineering: it’s not an individual success; it’s a team success.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Richard Wendler
“From my
little office
in Montreal,
I’m building
highways that
will add value
to so many
people’s lives.”
Sarah DÉPONT
Junior Engineer
Transport, Infrastructure
and Buildings (TIB)
Renaud Lafontaine
Age: 24
Age: 22
University: Universidad de Chile
University: Université Laval
Internship: Layout and mechanical
engineering at the SAG Mill
Secondary, Tertiary and Pebble
Crusher Upgrade Project for
CODELCO’s Chuquicamata
Copper Mine in Chile
Internship: Two internships with
the Building Structures team
Supervisor: André Caron,
Director, Infrastructure
and Bridges
Supervisor: Víctor Guaico
Mechanical Engineering and
Mechanical Discipline Lead
“My internship at SNC‑Lavalin was an excellent
experience. I had the opportunity to work
with professionals in a variety of disciplines
and learned many things, such as technical
knowledge, teamwork and safety protocols.”
“I had to make decisions on my own, and when
I worked the night shift, I had to know to contact my
supervisor at home if I felt something needed his
attention. I did have to call him one time, and it was
the right decision. I really enjoyed the relationships
with my colleagues and the on-the-spot decisionmaking. After all those years studying, it was great
to have the chance to apply what I had learned at
school in a real, practical way.”
HELP US
BUILD
A BETTER
TOMORROW
Printed in Canada, March 2013
The SNC-Lavalin Award offers you the chance to gain practical
experience supervised by skilled professionals. Award winners
will receive a competitive student salary during their four month
internship, as well as a $2,500 scholarship upon completion of
the work term.