Pascal is technical director of Blue World Technology. This 3D modelling enthusiast looks back on his career and explains what his job is.
Pascal, you are technical director at Blue World Technology. What is your mission in this company?
First of all, my mission is to supervise all the work and the smooth running of the projects. I am an important contact person, as I am the bridge between the customers and the team. We have specifications to meet and always a very tight deadline. That’s why customers turn to us: they know they can count on our responsiveness and the quality of our work.
What is your background and what are your specialties?
I have a background in civil engineering. Afterwards, I turned to mechanics. When I was first hired, I was totally unaware of what was in store for me, especially as this field was not very well known in Mauritius at that time. Management was hiring young people with engineering backgrounds.
The trainers would come to Mauritius and provide us with training. That’s when I discovered the inner workings of the business. After a few months, I flew to Paris to attend various courses. I had to finish everything in eight months.
Afterwards, in order to increase my skills, I did internships with different clients and was involved in several large projects. I was lucky enough to be able to follow training courses in France, in large automotive design companies. Today, my specialties are mechanical design and manufacturing.
Why this particular area?
When you’ve worked with the greatest in this business, and seeing all the products that pass through your hands, I can tell you that I quickly forgot my basic training. I became a 3D modeling enthusiast. I have the chance, because of my job, to visualize parts that do not exist yet, or that have not yet been manufactured: for example, new car models, or new phone cases, among others.
There is also the satisfaction of seeing the parts or vehicles we have worked on and produced. It is impossible to describe. What I also like is that we design products to improve people’s lives and the world in general.
How does one become a technical director?
Seventeen years ago I started my career for my friend and colleague Beejeet Ramchurn. We’ve come a long way together, and we had one goal: to win. Today, it is three years since he left us. I continue to fight for two, and I always aim to move forward.
If, in the past, someone had told me that one day I would be a technical director, I would have laughed. I worked very hard for many years. In 2010, I took a big risk to start a new adventure, while continuing to practice this profession that I am passionate about. I didn’t covet the title, but I worked hard to meet my clients’ expectations. It is this added value that has allowed me to remain competitive. It is not easy to constantly meet the expectations of customers 10,000 km away, not to mention that we work on parts that we do not physically see in their real dimensions. It is this hard work that is paying off today.
If, in the past, someone had told me that one day I would be a technical director, I would have laughed. I worked very hard for many years. In 2010, I took a big risk to start a new adventure, while continuing to practice this profession that I am passionate about.
Can you describe a typical working day?
In fact, my work day starts the night before, because I always have access to my emails, no matter where I go. I already know what the customers want, so I have a head start on what to expect.
So I start my day with a meeting with the team, going over the different projects in progress and to come. I am continuing the meeting with Doris Sullivan, my colleague and managing director of Blue World Technology. Afterwards, we hold various meetings and video conferences with our employees in France. The time difference is an advantage, as it gives us time to plan everything internally before continuing with our collaborators and clients.
My day continues with the projects I cannot delegate. I always have to juggle between the projects that are entrusted to me and, at the same time, be in direct contact with the clients on the various projects in progress. I also have to ensure that the work entrusted to the team runs smoothly: in our profession, we have no right to make mistakes. Also, before the whole team leaves the office, I have to make sure that all data is transferred, check deliveries, in-progress files and reports on all the big projects.
While we have the advantage of the time difference, which allows us to move forward and complete a good part of our work in the morning, I also have the disadvantage of staying in contact with our employees and clients until very late.
Today, the traditional professions are becoming more digital. This is the case in medicine, architecture, journalism… How do you feel about it?
I’m certainly not going to tell you otherwise. I’ve always worked in digital, and I find that our world depends on it more and more. Manufacturers, for example, make digital models so that the product can be visualized before it is built or manufactured.
Architects make digital models of buildings to see what they will look like, but also to simulate their reaction to climate or earthquakes.
In the automotive industry, testing the aerodynamics of a vehicle in real life would be too expensive for manufacturers. So they do it digitally, using very sophisticated software. There are even crash tests that are performed digitally.
Finally, we can talk about augmented reality. This tool allows us to visualize virtual environments in real time, with great visual precision. At the end of the day, I think the digital world will continue to evolve.
I’ve always worked in digital, and I find that our world depends on it more and more.
Do you plan to evolve beyond your position as technical director?
Anyone who would like to evolve. But for now, it remains a challenge for me, and I’m working hard to get there.
Do you have any advice for young people with a lot of imagination who are struggling to find their way?
I don’t pretend to be a teacher, but I would say that everyone should have dreams and believe in them. You have to go all the way to get there. As they always say: every success starts with a dream.
The final word?
There is a definite future in this business, because we will never stop designing and manufacturing. Today, I am happy to see that our name is among the greatest in Europe. Our goal is to one day bring them back home and make Mauritius the hub for 3D design.
