Michal, Technical manager for our italian industrial plant
Express CV
Age 32. Polish. Master’s degree in Civil Engineering- 2015 Research Engineer, then Business Engineer, Concrete structures and Repair Division, Technical Department (Freyssinet International)
- Since 2019 Technical Manager (Bearings), FPC (Italy)
From design… to industrial manufacturing
I started my career in the Technical Department, as a Research Engineer. I was then promoted to Business Engineer (i.e. responsible for a team of engineers and designers). I mainly managed new structure designing projects (bridge decks, cabled structures, seismic protection) and structural repair projects. However, I was never fully aware of the concrete problems our Business Units face every day until I was assigned on design coordination jobs, in Algeria (Boumerdes viaducts), in the Philippines (Marcos Bridge) and in Turkey (Çanakkale viaduct). I really enjoyed this interface with operations, which is why I then took a position as Technical Manager of a product line, in our manufacturing subsidiary, FPC Italy. Today, I manage a team of 8 people, and we design bearing devices for all our projects around the world. Our devices are 100% custom-made, but manufactured with industrial production rules. They are either sold by our BUs, or directly by our FPC sales teams to contractors.
Permanent interface
I oversee about 100 implementation projects per year simultaneously, which is a big challenge in terms of team organization. Each project is like a cycle that lasts an average of one year : coming up with a technical solution and a price, designing and optimizing, getting approval by the customer, and finally manufacturing. Since our department is integrated with the manufacturing plant, we can easily interface with the assembly line teams or quality control teams, which allows for immediate and continuous feedback. Milan is also where our Freyssinet Isolab seismic laboratory is; it holds one of the biggest test presses in the world, which enables thorough and full-scale load and movement testing of our devices. One of these presses is among the largest in the world.
High technical complexity
What I enjoy is taking on highly technical challenges. We’re currently designing bearings and shear wrenches for the future Storstrøm Bridge in Denmark, one of the largest bridges under construction in Europe, and also for the new Nowra Bridge in Australia. We had a very innovative approach on both design and methods engineering : we used stainless steel that is more durable than the usual carbon steel, and we designed bearing devices that will also play a key part in the final deck pushing phase. Furthermore, I am one of Freyssinet’s Digital Ambassadors, in charge of promoting the digitalization of our sites and products. And this challenge proves to be as much technical as relational !
| What pleasantly surprised you when you arrived at Freyssinet ?
How competent Freyssinet teams are, all over the world; and how fulfilling our exchanges can be. The work that best embodies Freyssinet’s excellence ? The access viaduct to the future Çanakkale Bridge (Turkey). Design, methods, bridge fittings (bearings, prestressing, expansion joints), it is an emblem of almost all the company’s trades and know-how ! 3 words to describe Freyssinet ? Technicality. Audacity. Openness ! Because it is a young, international and collaborative company. |
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