While making sandwiches might seem miles away from working in structural engineering, Kavinda Widanapathirana says that there are some similarities. Working at Subway years ago helped him build strong listening and people skills that serve him well today.

As Structural Team Lead, Kavinda manages the workload of his team, providing support and mentorship, and ensuring projects run on time and under budget. A qualified Structural Engineer, he works on the technical side of the job as needed. He’s also involved with networking and client outreach, seeking new clients and selling the Mitchell Vranjes brand. In all parts of the job, his ability to listen and give people a voice is a valuable asset.

Kavinda believes in putting people’s wellbeing first – because it’s the right thing to do, and because happy people are motivated and efficient. He works closely with his team and clients, keeping communication open so the client always knows where their project stands. For him, one of the most satisfying parts of the job is leading a project to success and delivering the good news to the client.

Outside of engineering, Kavinda is a semi-professional snowboarder and Sim racer – although these days, he spends most of his free time with his young family.