Staff Stories
#amazing consortium of people;
#USA;
#Plant Installation Program;
#international school;
#living in Provence;
#collaboration;
#respect
Maureen Anderson is a Project Management Officer in the Plant Installation Program. The Plant Installation Program plans, manages, and executes assembly and installation works on the ϲʸ worksite for the Tokamak Complex and in all Balance of Plant buildings up to commissioning readiness. As a Project Management Officer, Maureen manages Tokamak Complex installation risks and opportunities, supports contract management activities as a FIDIC resident engineer, and provides the program's management team with both organizational and process support aligned to its strategy.
"ϲʸ is the ultimate project of greater purpose, a lasting legacy that would improve the future of the world for our children and generations to come. The fact that it’s also this amazing consortium of people from all over the world working together to create technology to benefit all of humankind also makes me incredibly proud to have the opportunity to play even a small role in achieving the project’s goals.”
A newcomer to ϲʸ (here less than a year at the time of the interview), Maureen’s biggest challenge has been “learning my job in this multicultural, multi-language environment.” She has overcome this obstacle by leaning on the ϲʸ values of collaboration and respect. “I’m finding that I must work really hard and consciously to not let my own learned cultural frame of reference limit my understanding of my colleagues’ messages and points of view. I must take the time to seek clarity and give the benefit of the doubt when I might perceive something in a negative way. It’s the most challenging, but also the most rewarding aspect of working at ϲʸ.”
Maureen admits that getting started in France can be slow, especially if you don’t speak French and have school-aged children. “Things are often much more complicated than the way things are done in the United States. And not speaking French can make day-to-day errands challenging. Opening a bank account will take weeks. Buying a home will take months if not years. The school calendar and the way the school is administered is very different than American schools. The is a French-run school that serves an international community. It is not really what might be expected when you think of a true ‘international’ school. But none of this needs to be a frustration if you come into the situation with a positive attitude and a sense of adventure.”
“We love living in Provence. The pace of life is much slower than in the United States, the weather is incredible, and the people (both local and expats) are generally open, friendly, and kind. Our daughters love the school and have made friends from all over the world—friends we know we’ll have for the rest of our lives. We’ve eaten the most amazing food, travelled to some incredible places, and experienced life in a way we never could have imagined. Moving to France and joining ϲʸ was the right decision for our family, and we are excited to be here for a long time to come.”