HELB’s employee with the most air miles: From monkeys in Costa Rica to a cobra in Tanzania

Ivan Rajič started his career at HELB 12 years ago as an electrical fitter. Thanks to his tenacity and ability to adapt to challenging conditions, he distinguished himself as an important part of HELB’s team. Today, his work includes supervision of the installation of primary and secondary equipment at power plants with voltage levels of up to 500 kV. His colleagues have only words of praise for him and describe him as an extremely resourceful person who quickly solves problems, and they also emphasize how their day flies by with him because he always has interesting stories.

However, this is not surprising because it is Ivan who is one of HELB’s employees with the most “kilometers in his legs”, i.e. miles flown. Namely, he spends almost the whole year in the fields all over the world, so he often returns from such business trips with numerous anecdotes.

What does your job at HELB entail and what does your working day look like?

The position of supervisor of the installation of primary and secondary equipment of power plants includes planning of work activities, inspection of equipment before installation, inspection of installation sites, meetings with customers and users of power plants, supervision and management of installation works (sometimes also tests of equipment after installation), training of employees of power plants users, and quality control of the completed works. My day usually starts with a morning meeting with the “Site Manager” and his people, where they plan what will be done that day. After that, there is a so-called “toolbox talk” with the foreman and fitters, an inspection of the equipment, testing of the equipment that needs to be tested before installation (e.g. current conductors), and after all that comes the installation of the equipment. At the end of the working day, after writing the daily report, I proceed to the hotel, and then it’s time to rest.

You travel often. How many countries have you visited so far and do you have a favorite anecdote?

So far I have visited about 30 countries, 23 of which were due to HELB projects. A lot happens during the trip. We often met with, in our opinion, exotic animals. For example, in Costa Rica, monkeys were jumping on our cars, and iguanas were walking across the road. Perhaps the most memorable was when they caught a four-meter-long king cobra in Tanzania, at the substation where we worked. However, on such terrains, one finds oneself in numerous other unusual situations. For example, we had a military escort through Egypt.

How do you deal with communication challenges and cultural differences during business trips?

I mostly use English. As soon as I get to the “site”, I choose one of the workers assigned to me who speaks English, and assign him to translate for the rest of the team. As for cultural differences, I adapt to the way of working of the country I am in, respecting their customs and practices. If it is a prayer break for the Arabs or a tea break for the English, I let them do their thing, after which they return to their work tasks. But there are also challenges that we face both at home and abroad. Before starting the work, the customer is sent a list of people and tools that we need for the completion of the project. In almost every field, we get the answer that they have the required tools and experienced workers. However, in most cases, the workers I get have never done this type of work, especially when it comes to the installation of power transformers of high power and voltage levels. So with such people there is always shock, surprise, but also laughter.

What are the advantages of working at HELB and where do you see room for improvement?

Although I am rarely in the headquarters, whenever I come the atmosphere is relaxed. I also appreciate the approach to work, as well as the practice of solving problems in a short period of time. As for room for improvement, I think that people who are experts should be more motivated and connected with the company.

What do you do in your free time?

I go to the sea, relax and enjoy 😊