Hazel Kannemeyer

Hazel’s Turner & Townsend journey 

Q. Hi Hazel! So where in the world are you joining us from? 

A. So I’m based in Johannesburg, but I actually work within the wider South African Development Community (SADC) region. I mostly work with the Zimbabwean and Zambian teams, and I also sometimes assist on the Botswana side as well.  

Q. Fantastic! So what does a typical day look like for you as an Associate Director? 

A. I’m in real estate, in the project management department. So a typical day for me, whether I’m office or home based, involves a lot of meetings. I’m handling meetings for different types of projects, along with admin work, phone calls and follow-ups.  

Whenever I’m on site, I mostly spend the day with contractors and consulting teams, making sure we meet our targets for construction projects for our clients.  

Q. What do you enjoy most about your role?  

A. I think it’s that no day is typically the same because projects bring a lot of complexities. I enjoy the problem-solving aspect, unravelling sticky situations and helping the team deliver on site. I really enjoy charting the way forward and getting the ship moving. 

Q. Can you think of a favourite project that you’ve worked on? And if so, why does it stand out to you?  

A. Within Turner & Townsend, my favourite project so far has definitely been the Hwange Safari Lodge in Zimbabwe. It’s located in the southern region, right in the national park. We flew out from Victoria Falls and then drove from the airport to the lodge. 

Working in that environment was incredible. The project itself was challenging due to the complexity of procurement in Zimbabwe and the volatility of the currency. Despite these challenges, completing the refurbishment of the rooms was very, very rewarding. 

Q. Wow, that sounds incredible!  

A. It really was! The location was amazing – you could see all the ‘Big Five’ animals. You could literally open your curtains and see elephants. 

Q. Amazing! So, moving on, can you describe the culture at Turner & Townsend in three words?  

A. ‘Love a challenge’ is the first thing that comes to mind for me about the culture at Turner & Townsend. From the start, it’s been a wonderful challenge. I remember starting at the company and being thrown right into the deep end, finding my way and swimming.  

The beauty is that you’re not facing these challenges alone. I know it sounds cliché, but phrases like ‘better together’ and ‘stronger together’ - our company values – really capture the culture here. 

In all that I’ve been doing to advance my career, there’s been tremendous support to help me do my job and also understand my family background. When I can’t meet certain requirements due to personal reasons, people are like, ‘Okay, let’s look at it differently. How best can we support you on that?’ So, yeah, that’s the culture. 

Q. Has there been anything about your role that’s surprised you?  

A. Yes, a lot actually. The level of responsibility I’ve been entrusted with is something I’ve been surprised by but also really appreciate. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me level up. Being the first point of contact for Turner & Townsend with our clients is a big responsibility, but the support to carry it out has been excellent.  

Q. How do you feel about the opportunities for career progression and development in your role?  

A. I feel great about them! I was recently appointed as an Associate Director. I came in as a Senior Project Manager, and within two years, the company has seen my value and recognised it. That’s very encouraging. I see myself growing much further within the business because there’s always opportunity to grow. It’s one of the first places where I’ve grown quickly in a way that really encourages me. 

Q. Our three company values are ‘love a challenge’, ‘bring out the best in everyone’ and ‘stronger together’. Which company value do you align with most and why?  

A. I think I align with ‘bring out the best in everyone’ more because Turner & Townsend has certainly brought out the best in me.

Working with the teams in Zimbabwe and Zambia, which can sometimes be quite small, gives me more room to bring out the best in every single one of them. I’ve had the opportunity to mentor project managers in Zimbabwe, which I value more than anything else because I can actually see their growth. We started without any project managers (PMs) in the office, and now we have a team of two PMs who are really driven and trying their best.

And so for me it’s very important to me that I can support them so they can progress to the next level. 

Q. That’s great to hear! Inclusion as a vital part of how we work – can you tell us how you’ve experienced inclusion in the workplace?  

A. I think just being allowed to be myself has been important. I’ve never had to change who I am to fit in. From the outset I’ve been accepted as Hazel, and I’ve built good relationships with the teams just by being myself. I don’t have to pretend to be something else. To me, that’s what inclusivity means – being accepted for who I am in whatever room I’m in. 

Q. And what do you do to encourage inclusion in your role? 

A. What I do is allow people to be who they are – because I’ve been given that privilege. I also look for ways to include others who might not be fully participating due to certain limitations. That’s been my role, especially now as I try to bring the PM teams in the wider SADC region to the same training and knowledge level as those in South Africa. 

It’s still early days working with the South African team, who have a programme for PM registration. I’m trying to extend that programme to the areas I work in so everyone feels upskilled and more included.  

Q. Why is Turner & Townsend a great place to work? 

A. I think Turner & Townsend is a great place to work mainly because of the people. I really enjoy working alongside the people in Johannesburg and other locations. I visited the Kenyan office two years ago and felt right at home because the company culture is consistent across offices. Turner & Townsend does a great job with recruitment, bringing in new talent that fits in well with the existing team. 

I was also fortunate to be part of our Licence to Lead leadership development programme last year, which allowed me to connect with people from different parts of the world. I had a one-on-one session with someone in Scotland, which you don’t get with many other global companies. Usually, you only associate with people within your region. But at Turner & Townsend, you have the opportunity to work with people from various locations. 

We also engage through social pages, keeping up with what’s happening in other places. I’ve reconnected with colleagues I knew before who are now at Turner & Townsend. For example, I found out that one of my friends who I worked with before is now over in Qatar.  

Basically, it’s a great place to work because of the people, inclusion and global interaction. 

Q. Thank you so much for speaking with us today Hazel. We’ve got one final question for you: do you have any tips for people applying to work at Turner & Townsend? 

A. I was recruited by someone who’s been with the business for about 16 years. She was very open about the nature of the business and its values.  

So, if someone is considering working at Turner & Townsend, I’d say that they should look at our values. And if those values resonate with you, then this will be a great place to work.