Employee Spotlight on Ilva Javier de Lozano
This month’s blog post is part of our A Day in the Life series. As part of this series, we will introduce you to a new member of the DPM team and give you an inside look at a typical day for them!
For this month we interviewed Ilva Javier de Lozano who is our Senior Project Coordinator at DPM to shed light on what a typical day looks like for her.
Get to know Ilva!
1) What is your role at DPM?
Senior Project Coordinator
2) How long have you been working at DPM?
Almost 4 years (3 years, 8 months)
3) How did you get into your field of work?
I was always interested in science and space, I wanted to be an astronaut but coming from a country that has very limited opportunities, my ideas started to evolve and become more “realistic” until I decided on Civil Engineering. I spent most of my years in the luxury development and high-rises but after moving to this country and having most of my experience in Project Management and coordination, here we are! 😊
Questions:
Q: Is there such thing as a typical day for you? If so, what is it like?
A: Every single day is different although the tasks are generally the same. Every project has it’s challenges and it’s blessings so each one of them require attention to details and a lot of planning. For me, my workday starts after I deal with the craziness of the mornings with the kids, and they are off to school, and my routine varies depending on the day of the week.
Q: What is something you enjoy most about your role?
A: I enjoy seeing the projects take form from the very beginning at the Take off meetings, to the very end when I package them for construction. Having to deal with different faces and requirements for them to go into construction gives you a unique perspective of what we do.
Q: What are some of the most challenging aspects of your role?
A: All the projects have different contacts and clients, having to deal and manage all those aspects is a challenge. Also, planning all the tasks with the timelines that we get is a huge challenge. Dealing the different municipalities, the ever-changing processes, its all a challenge but its fun.
Q: What has been a career highlight for you?
A: As a civil Engineer, my professional experience was always in subdivisions, buildings and high-rises. Coming to DPM was the first time dealing with Electrical projects and, as an immigrant, getting to know the processes with the different cities and municipalities (as this is different in my country of origin) was a challenge. After getting the knowledge and the experience, being able to work and move onto bigger projects like Finch West LRT, Crosstown, Port Lands Flood Protection program, Eglinton LRT, Scarborough Subway line extension, etc., has been a huge highlight in my career.
Q: When you’re not at the office what are you in doing in your spare time?
A: Well, I’m a mom, and that takes the rest of my time. My kids and their different activities/ projects fill my days with stress but also with joy; there’s a lot of laughter and noise (they are all boys) but its fun to see them grow and discover their personalities, develop skills and just live life. Don’t get me wrong, I do get my spare time, and that’s full of K-dramas, K-pop, books and Instagram.
Q: Why choose DPM? What sets it apart from other companies?
A: When I interviewed with DPM, the first thing I saw in the conference room that caught my eye was the writing on the wall that said, “We are family”, that set the whole tone of the meeting and set the company apart. When you work in an environment where teamwork is key and you actually work as a team, it’s a huge difference. I love the culture and the way we work.
Q: What are some of your favourite projects to work on?
A: I liked working on Finch and Crosstown. I also loved working with Allison on Humberline, I learned a lot from that project. I also enjoy working in subdivisions, especially the ones in Durham region (my region) as I can see the growth of my community there.
Q: What is something that motivates you each day?
A: My supervisor and my team, having their backs the same way they have mine. This team is the dream team and most of the time I do my best work just to not let them down. They are the best.
A big thank you to Ilva for sharing a day in her life with us! Hopefully, you got to know Ilva and her role a little better. We are so happy to have her on our team.
Connect with Ilva!
