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Day in the life -Frederico Almeida 

Frederico is a construction planner and expert witness with over 24 years of experience, working in claims and disputes carrying out forensic planning and delay and disruption analysis.

He is based within our Latin Americas division and has been involved in projects in different locations such as USA, Canada, Costa Rica, Brazil and Chile.

What is your typical day?

Conducting a delay or disruption analysis, along with speaking to the managers and engineers on site   to collect all pertinent information needed to analyze the project programs.

I also advise and assist the lawyers and quantum experts, responding to any questions they have on a  dispute; this can require me to support the lawyers in official proceedings. I attend the  weekly management meetings with the contractors and  the project owner,  where I am responsible for identifying the critical issues to include in the updated programs.

What are the interesting aspects of your work?

Travel for Systech to meet clients in countries like Chile, Costa Rica, USA and Canada.  I enjoy the different cultures, food and tourist attractions during the weekends.

I worked on  projects and disputes across a variety of sectors including power stations, rail, airports, and mining  so this keeps my day to days interesting. I enjoy being flexible, adapting to change and the experience of working in different locations with new people around the world. It’s a very multicultural and diverse environment to work in.

What are the challenges?

Understanding how we can offer the best of our expertise to help our clients as much as we can, producing clear and consistent reports.

A good challenge in a forensic planning role, with any complex construction project and detailed analysis, is assisting the non-planning or construction disciplines in understanding the findings. However, Systech has many knowledgeable staff in various disciplines who are highly qualified in dealing with different technical experts.

What training and support has Systech given you?

I will soon commence a course run by the Ontario Dispute Adjudication for Construction Contracts (ODACC) to become an adjudicator under Ontario’s new Construction Act.

What words of advice would you offer someone thinking of working for Systech?

Join without thinking! Great company and great team to work with. You will learn a lot from the highly experienced people in the business.

What is the culture like?

The culture in Systech makes me feel satisfied  because I always receive the needed support. The Systech’s managers are always available to interact and explain the main goals for each different project.

The culture is very team orientated, and everyone gets involved with all aspects of a claim, irrespective of your discipline. You are given the opportunity and responsibility to manage your own work, and client relationships, meaning there is plenty of room for you to grow quickly in the company and show what you can do.

How has working for Systech helped you achieve your career goals?

Systech has helped achieve my goals to work in claims and forensic planning and assisted in my career going from strength to strength, whilst working around the world.

What makes working for Systech different from the competition?

I have always been well looked after and made to feel part of the team.

Systech has so many experienced staff in various disciplines including, Systech Law, in many different countries. Meaning no matter where in the world the project is, Systech can offer multidisciplinary assistance straight away, and there will always be someone who has had experience in that particular country, legal jurisdiction, or construction method.

What has been your greatest achievement working for Systech?

A great achievement has been working with important clients who have come back for more assistance, advice and work on other projects, showing that we have done  a great job.

Tell us about a project where you have learnt a key lesson?

An important aspect to consider in any analysis is the as-built information along with the associated contemporaneous records. Do not just assume the information is correct - a detailed forensic investigation into the detail and reliability is required.

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