Driving Hong Kong water and desalination innovation through collaborative leadership

When David Wong obtained a bachelor of science degree in civil and structural engineering from the University of Hong Kong, little did he know that it would lead to a 26-year (and counting) career at RSK. Having joined Binnies Hong Kong as a graduate engineer in 1997, he is now a senior resident engineer, overseeing a team of 20. 

David’s role includes both supervision and consulting work. He is currently working on the first stage of the Tseung Kwan O desalination plant, the first in the city to use seawater reverse osmosis technology. 

“A key part of my role on the project is to represent our client and ensure work is carried out as per the agreed contract (delivery time, cost and quality). This involves collaboration with different professional engineers, work supervision teams, surveyors and technical and general officers. 

“Typically, my day begins with a safety walk around the construction site, followed by discussions with the contractor’s safety team. For the remainder of the day, I collaborate with my team, tackling different issues, which, with a project this big, can arise and can include everything from construction programming and safety to building information modelling and public relations. I also represent our company and the client at different meetings and events and make sure our client is up to speed with our progress.” 

One of David’s main objectives is to support his team and manage human resources and workload distribution to ensure efficient productivity. 

“To ensure that all work on-site is being performed at an optimal level with minimal error, it’s important that I lead effectively. For example, when it comes to the issue of safety, my goal is to implement measures that would decrease the likelihood of workers coming to any harm. It’s why the safety walk I do every morning is so vital, as are the regular safety meetings I host. They are an opportunity to review safety concerns, including early warning topics and construction methodology. 

“Managing people working in different disciplines who have their own working styles and perspectives can be challenging. I value the contribution of each team member and promote effective communication between colleagues. I listen to all voices and combine suggestions into one single package to ensure everyone understands the common goals and works toward them.” 

Thanks to the versatility of his role, David has lots of freedom to explore and work within multiple disciplines and bring new ideas to projects. 

“Through my work, I’ve had the chance to contribute to the production of videos for social media platforms, introducing our desalination plant to the public. Not only does the whole social media production process provide a lot of interesting challenges for me to tackle but it also allows me to discover potential talents within my team. 

“I also enjoy sharing and promoting our industry and desalination plant to the next generation through school visits. It’s a fantastic opportunity to highlight how important and magnificent our desalination plant is and inform students of its purpose.” 

With David approaching 30 years of working in the industry, he is well placed to advise those considering a career in civil engineering. 

“I believe it is important to have an interest in a specific field, such as site formation, foundation works, drainage, etc. I also think that those considering a career in this field should focus on current construction methodologies. It’s advisable to be aware of the rise of technology in the construction industry. For instance, artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to manage safety concerns and on-site management. 

“On a personal note, I hope to be able to contribute more ideas to the construction industry and use different methods to complete tasks. This includes implementing enhanced technologies such as AI. Most importantly, I want to serve as a role model to young engineers, helping to foster their personal growth and provide inspiring perspectives.”