Career Story:

James Culwick

What is your name and your role with Bureau Veritas?

My name is James Culwick and I am a Senior Building Control Surveyor based in our London Office.

What is your journey with Bureau Veritas?

I have recently emigrated back from Australia where I had been living for the past seven years, five of those years I was working in Brisbane for McKenzie group consulting. I then joined the Bureau Veritas family in 2017 and one of these benefits that came with that was joining the Bureau Veritas global brand. When I approached the team last year to advise of my intention to move back to the UK, they were able to reach out to the Bureau Veritas team in the UK and organise a position for me to transition into in the London office.

What does your role entail?

The main function of a Building Control Surveyor is to help ensure new building works and alterations meet the regulatory standards of safety and sustainability, accessibility and design. We are involved in the planning and construction phases of projects, providing the architects, designers, engineers and the builders with building regulations advice. Our role includes attending design meetings, undertaking assessments, and furthermore, inspect the construction works at the key stages.

Did the technical elements of your role in Australia largely differ from your role in the UK?

On a technical level, they both share the same primary functions in the construction process. Therefore, with the skills and knowledge that I developed in Australia, the transition process into the UK role has been very calm.

How did working with Bureau Veritas enable your transition to the UK?

Working for Bureau Veritas definitely made the transition easier. Being able to organise and secure my position well in advance of my departure really assisted my move back to the United Kingdom. Having that job security, really lifted the pressure of allowing me to concentrate on other areas of the move. Also having the communications through the various Bureau Veritas channels with the London team prior to the move has really made settling in a lot easier.

What would you say is the largest difference between your role working in Australia to your role in the UK?

It is difficult to define the differences between the Australian team and Bureau Veritas UK at a company level as both share the same values supporting key areas, such as employee safety. I think the main difference would be the climate doing regular inspections. The constant rain in the United Kingdom, as opposed to the Queensland sunshine, does certainly take some getting used to.

How did Bureau Veritas support you on your transition from Australia to the UK?

The support from the Bureau Veritas team has been great in my transition back to the United Kingdom. I have been in regular contact with both teams and the communication has been great. Even with the uncertainty that was caused by the pandemic, the team have been so hopeful in organising all boarding process remotely and giving me the support required in order to continue my career here at Bureau Veritas UK.