In this installment of Light Lunch Chloe Stephen, the Institute's Regional Events Lead gets to know two of the newest members of the Institute's Central Region Committee - Alex James and Paul Fairbrother. 

Alex is a Senior Associate - Structural Engineering at Beca and Paul is the Projects Director at Summerset.

They discussed their backgrounds, what excites them about their work, and shared lessons on maintaining work-life balance and finding good mentors. They talk about the importance of taking a thoughtful approach to advancing your career, being present with family, and drawing wisdom from supportive influences.

A few takeaways from their chat: 

• Enjoy the journey in your career rather than rushing to the next step; be well prepared before making big career jumps
• Practice being fully present at home after work to avoid negative impacts on mental health and family time
• Surround yourself with good mentors who become friends you can rely on for career and life advice
• Leaders come in many forms; you can lead with empathy and compassion just as well as more traditional leadership styles

Watch the full video podcast below.