Since 2018, Jean-Luc joined WATA Global, subsidiary of IOTA Group. On a daily basis, he develops new markets, and works to the satisfaction of our clients, consultants, partners in Uganda. Discover his interview:
Could you please introduce your professional path?
After my graduation, in a classical way, I joined a French major Oil and Gas company where I discovered the petroleum world under its multiple aspects and its human capital wealth. During more than thirty years, I travelled all over the continents and countries where I learnt and worked in different professions in Exploration and Production. I lived many years in Africa (Gabon, Congo, Nigeria), in Europe (France obviously, Netherland, Russia) and also in Asia (Indonesia). All these secondments offered me extraordinary opportunities to learn and transmit in many aspects as HSE (RSES, Integrity manager), project (field operations project manager, Commissioning manager), field operations (Site manager, contract, maintenance and inspection manager) in a multicultural environment. In 2018, I decided to discover new challenges, to have pleasure and transmit my experiences within IOTA group.
As a resident Manager, what is your role?
The role of Resident Manager is primarily for me a role as moderator, unifying multicultural teams. Beyond the constant search for excellence for our clients, the resident manager must know the professions for which he seeks profiles, to be able to dialogue and understand his clients and to animate, motivate, his teams in accordance with the framework and the Strategy set by the IOTA group
Toward which markets would you like to make evolve WATA Global Uganda?
Uganda is a very rich country by its history, culture and environment (Faunas and Flores) and opens up to a very promising industrial development, particularly in the Oil and Gas.
At first, we are very much oriented towards the great TILENGA project and its EACOP pipeline which will cross Uganda from north to south and then Tanzania from west to east to finally reach the port of TANGA. We will be attentive to the strong project needs of the operators that are TOTAL, TULLOW and CNOOC but also of all the subcontractors in engineering, logistics, construction, and operations, which accompany this titanic development spread over several Years.
Based on our subsidiary Techma Support, IOTA Group and its local affiliate Wata Global (U) LTD will also have to set up and export in Uganda Training solutions for national staff that will one day take over the operations of the facilities.
How would you describe the business climate for those who are considering opening a branch in Uganda?
The Ugandan authorities are very supportive of the arrival of experts for its industrial development projects but in return requires transparency, respect for national rules in particular the local content and especially the transmission and Training for young Ugandan generations. We are also fortunate to have at our side a very dynamic French diplomatic representation in Kampala.
What is your recruitment/development strategy today?
In Uganda everything is to be done and therefore at first, we will source recognized experts in order to meet the requirements of the project which will allow us in a second time to prepare, to train nationals to take the succession in the phases of start-up and operating facilities. We will also rely on our subsidiary IOTA Kenya to source talents for Uganda and for our operations in Tanzania.
For more information about our Kampala’s team, our services (Talent Resourcing, Global Mobility, Gateway Services, Recruitment Solution, Training, Expert Consulting), and our opportunities, contact us!