SUSTAINABLE LEGACIES: MENTOR-PROTÉGÉ AGREEMENTS SEAN GARLAND AND GARRICK EDWARDS In celebration of Pont Engineering's 10th anniversary and 10-year relationship with AECOM, our firms are entering into a formal MentorProtégé Agreement. This article recounts the story of two bridge engineers - Sean Garland, founder and President of Pont Engineering, Inc., and Garrick Edwards, AECOM's Georgia Transportation Lead who met two decades ago in a job interview and laid the foundation for two growing businesses in the Georgia Transportation market.
GARRICK: As the firm's Chief Bridge Engineer, I was responsible for hiring and training engineers. We had built a solid team of mid- and junior-level staff, but I needed a senior bridge engineer to whom I could delegate responsibility. This was the first time in my career interviewing someone for a senior engineering position. I had interviewed several candidates with more experience, but Sean clearly distinguished himself by the way he answered my interview questions.
THE INTERVIEW
SEAN: Garrick quizzed me about my approach to bridge design. Anticipating this, I described my systematic approach leveraging software, automation, and development of in-house tools to improve efficiency, ensure quality deliverables, and minimize rework. This exchange made it clear that Garrick and I had similar views on bridge design. He then told me he was looking for someone with more experience.
SEAN: In 2003, I was between jobs and looking for new opportunities when a colleague referred me to a small Georgia-based bridge engineering company. I was able to secure an interview for an open senior bridge engineering position. It was during this job interview that I first met Garrick Edwards.
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