Andres Onu | Gestionnaire de projet

Andres Onu

Project Manager

Laporte Engineering Inc.

Created On: May 31, 2017
Sector:
Engineering
Education Pathway: University
Related School Subjects:
Math,  Physics,  Technology & Engineering

Learn About My Career

Andres Onu is a project manager at Laporte Engineering Incorporated.

I was born/grew up in: Born, Quebec City. Raised in Ottawa, Canada.

I now live in: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

I completed my training/education at: University of Ottawa for Engineering. I also have on the job training from different jobs working in big chemistry and design.

My days are a mix of project management and technical design. Most of my work is in process design for food manufacturing. Specifically in the dairy process. Problems in the food manufacturing industry are mainly due to issues with energy resources. If they were not installed properly, there may be issues with spoilage, etc. Often older buildings need to upgrade or improve their energy resources. It is a real challenge to make changes in a business that operates 24/7.

The technical side of my work includes the use of specialized design and calculation software. I use my knowledge of the processes of flows, pressure drop, heat exchange, and fluid properties on a regular basis.

My decisions to do with career were not sound. High school was a social time for me. But I was drawn to chemistry in school and to mechanics outside of school. Chemical engineering sounded like a good combination. The reality is very different from that, but the framework of my interests still applies. All told, what I found most useful in all my education, extra-curriculars, training and jobs is that the more cross-training and inter-disciplinary knowledge I could bring to the table, the more value I could give. There are distinct times when electrical engineers would praise me for my ability to ask dumb questions, simply because no one else had thought ask them, and allow a solution to be discovered.

Interesting problems and interesting people motivate me. The exact problem and the exact people rarely matter. "Engineering" can be a catch all term for a career where information needs to be mined and analyzed to make practical decisions and implement them. The variety is often what drives me forward.

The responsibility in my role, like many engineers, is to improve things invisibly. When an improvement is made it often affects thousands or millions of people in their day to day lives. It's fun to give people a glimpse into what goes into the products they consume and often take for granted.

Hockey, barbell training, nuclear power options, science shows and documentaries. Home experiments with my kids and anyone else who'll stay still for 3 minutes. Motorcycles riding when time allows.

Think of 10 problems that 1 billion people need solved and determine which education might help you with that. Speak to 3 people in each industry you are interested in who are 5-10 years ahead of you and interview them for what they are doing and how they got there. .

What I do at work

My days are a mix of project management and technical design. Most of my work is in process design for food manufacturing. Specifically in the dairy process. Problems in the food manufacturing industry are mainly due to issues with energy resources. If they were not installed properly, there may be issues with spoilage, etc. Often older buildings need to upgrade or improve their energy resources. It is a real challenge to make changes in a business that operates 24/7.

The technical side of my work includes the use of specialized design and calculation software. I use my knowledge of the processes of flows, pressure drop, heat exchange, and fluid properties on a regular basis.

My career path is

My decisions to do with career were not sound. High school was a social time for me. But I was drawn to chemistry in school and to mechanics outside of school. Chemical engineering sounded like a good combination. The reality is very different from that, but the framework of my interests still applies. All told, what I found most useful in all my education, extra-curriculars, training and jobs is that the more cross-training and inter-disciplinary knowledge I could bring to the table, the more value I could give. There are distinct times when electrical engineers would praise me for my ability to ask dumb questions, simply because no one else had thought ask them, and allow a solution to be discovered.

I am motivated by

Interesting problems and interesting people motivate me. The exact problem and the exact people rarely matter. "Engineering" can be a catch all term for a career where information needs to be mined and analyzed to make practical decisions and implement them. The variety is often what drives me forward.

How I affect peoples’ lives

The responsibility in my role, like many engineers, is to improve things invisibly. When an improvement is made it often affects thousands or millions of people in their day to day lives. It's fun to give people a glimpse into what goes into the products they consume and often take for granted.

Outside of work I

Hockey, barbell training, nuclear power options, science shows and documentaries. Home experiments with my kids and anyone else who'll stay still for 3 minutes. Motorcycles riding when time allows.

My advice to others

Think of 10 problems that 1 billion people need solved and determine which education might help you with that. Speak to 3 people in each industry you are interested in who are 5-10 years ahead of you and interview them for what they are doing and how they got there. .

When I was a student I enjoyed:

  • Industrial Arts/Shop Programs
  • Physical Education/Health
  • Science
  • Technology

When I was a student, I would describe myself as someone who:

  • Enjoyed doing things on my own
  • Always wanted to be outside
  • Liked helping people
  • Played on a sports team
  • Enjoyed working with my hands
  • Liked being given specific instructions
  • Played video games
  • Didn't really care about grades
  • Wasn't sure what I wanted to do
  • Liked to take things apart to see how they worked

Related Topics

Careers Chemical Engineering Engineering Management Manufacturing

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