Employee Spotlight on Alex Loeffen

This month’s blog post marks the third installment of DPM’s Employee Spotlight. We wanted to shed more light on who are the amazing employees that make up DPM.

For our third Employee Spotlight, we interviewed Alex Loeffen, who is an Intermediate Designer at DPM.

Alex is one of the newer employees at DPM but comes from an experienced background. He is a Carleton University graduate with an Electrical and Electronics Engineering Degree. Prior to joining the DPM family, Alex worked for a large Local Distribution Company (LDC) focusing on conservation. He brings with him extensive knowledge in distribution system design, electrical systems of industrial buildings and residential dwellings, as well as performing design calculations. Additionally, Alex has experience with industrial, commercial and retail power distribution & lighting design. We are very lucky to have a new employee that is very familiar with our industry!

We sat down with Alex to learn a little more about him.

1. When did you start working at DPM?
   A: July 2nd, 2019, just over a month ago.
2. What made you apply to DPM?
   A: The high voltage work attracted me to the company. I have previous experience with this type of work but stepped away for a bit. I realized that I really enjoyed it and wanted to get back to it.
3. How has DPM been different than any other company you have worked for?
   A: I worked for an LDC before and appreciated the intellectual growth, but it was very rigid in the rules in how you did a project. The private side offers more opportunities for creativity and growth. I enjoy the innovation aspect of getting projects completed and finding one-of-a -kind solutions for each unique job.
4. What has been your favorite project to work on and why?
   A: The Finch West LRT (light rail transit) project. It’s quite a challenging project that requires you to think outside of the box. I am very familiar with overhead work, so now getting to work on underground designs has been a new experience. I am learning a lot of new skills on a really important infrastructure project.
5. If you could pick one theme for DPM to turn into a book about the company, what would it be?
   A: I have a book title: “Honest bosses in a glass house”. Everyone here is very open and transparent.
6. What advice do you have for new employees at DPM?
   A: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Everyone is extremely helpful in answering questions. We are all working towards the same goal to help one another and finish the projects on time.
7. What three words would you use to describe DPM?
   A: Progressive, Fair, Honest
8. What would the name of your autobiography of your life?
   A: All Around Alex
9. Do you have an office nickname?
   A: I currently do not, but accepting offers.
10. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
    A: I would buy an around the world plane ticket and visit every continent.
11. How do you define success?
    A: If it’s taken as much energy as you can give and you have given everything you can offer, I call that a success, regardless if you win or lose.
12. What would people never guess that you do in your role?
    A: I’m still to new for this question, sticking to the job description so far.
13. If you weren’t working at DPM, what would you do for a career?
    A: I have always wanted to be an architect, but I can’t draw for the life of me.
14. What was your first concert?
    A: Blink 182 in high school
15. What do you like most about your role?
    A: That I am involved with several different projects that allow me to work with other Supervisors within the company and not just work with my design team. It allows you to get a taste of the variety of projects DPM works on, rather than the set of projects only being managed by your Supervisor.
16. What “Core 4” item resonates the most with you and why?
    A: The “Core Values” as I feel core values are important for everyone to hold both in and outside of the workplace.
17. If you could witness one historical event, what would you want to see?
    A: I would have loved to be in the control room during Apollo 11 for the first rocket on the moon.
18. What do you like to do in your spare time?
    A: Being outside. I spend a lot of time on the weekends out of the city in nature, or even going up north. The summers are spent doing anything from BBQing to hiking up a mountain. In the winters I ski and still find myself exploring the city even in the cold.
19. What trends do you see happening in the industry?
    A: Mass energy storage and coming up with ways to store green energy as well as develop green energy.
20. If you could have dinner with one person, living or dead, who would it be and why?
    A: Nelson Mandela, for a man to serve 27 years in prison and still maintain a positive outlook on life is so rare. There are so many things happening on a day to day basis that are so small in comparison and can get you down. Being able to have a positive outlook on life, even with negativity going on around you, I think is such an important skill to have.
21. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
    A: Learn how to fly. You asked anything *laughs*
22. Since DPM doesn’t stand for anything, what would you make it an acronym for?
    A: Dependable Power Modifications

A big thank you to Alex for taking the time for an interview. We hope this helped you get to know our newest Intermediate Designer a little better!