From CAD to compass: how Frederico puts people at the center of high-tech projects

An engineer from Brazil, a career turn in the Netherlands, and a project vision that revolves around people. Bright Innovator Frederico proves how engineering and humanity reinforce each other every day. Brightnewday and VDL ETG demonstrate how much of a difference they make by relying on the power of their talents.

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Talent takes leaps

What happens when a mechanical engineer takes the plunge into project management? Frederico, originally from Brazil and already active in the Dutch technology sector for several years, made that leap with the support and confidence of Brightnewday and customer VDL ETG. For over a year now, he has been managing projects from the perspective of process and people. The reason? Technology is nothing without the people who use and build it. Brightnewday and VDL ETG gave him the room to grow and realize his vision: managing projects with insight, structure and empathy.

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Need for a new growth path

Frederico worked as a mechanical designer, but hit a boundary: his interest shifted from CAD to coordination. His previous employer did not offer a growth path toward project management. Frustration grew: he saw mistakes in projects that could be avoided with better processes and more attention to people. But the space to address that was lacking. An exceptional talent deserves a fertile environment in which to develop. Frederico looked for and found Brightnewday , which did want to think along with him in his search for a new career path.

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Success begins with seeing talent

Brightnewday and VDL ETG saw his potential. They gave Frederico the confidence and responsibility to start immediately as project manager. This was an enormous opportunity for Frederico to immediately work on high-tech innovation and production in a very challenging technical environment. Not just filling the role blindly, but with guidance, reflection and room for learning. Within his first project, he not only set up a roadmap, but also helped build Brightnewdays internal project management vision. His starting point was always: who are the people in this project, and what do they need to succeed?

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The thriving partnership of Brightnewday and VDL ETG

Today, Frederico independently leads projects, monitors budgets and deadlines, and manages stakeholders from engineering to regulatory boards. This was only possible thanks to the mutual trust and strong relationship between Brightnewday and VDL ETG. This is how you create new opportunities for talented people: by exploring together how technical potential can best be realized. And then going all out for it. This is a perfect example of the strong corporate culture at Brightnewday. There is a combination of top talent and a management that inspires confidence and creates opportunities for growth. The result? People who rise above themselves. Thanks to his approach, Frederico was also recently asked to take on a second project with the same client. His trajectory is a textbook case of growth made possible by trust, culture and structure.

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Looking for the real problem behind every question

When a project stalled due to unclear requirements, Frederico took initiative. Instead of continuing to struggle, he brought all stakeholders around the table. "What's the real problem?", he asked. The analysis brought unexpected insights: most of the requirements turned out to be non-critical. With that clarity, the project accelerated again adn became more fun for everyone.

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Personal experience of the engineer

"As engineers, we sometimes lose sight of people," Frederico says. "But technology is not about bits and bolts alone: it's about people. That's what I can live up to at Brightnewday and VDL ETG. I learn every day, by doing, failing, questioning and growing. And all because I got the opportunity here that I didn't get elsewhere." From his role as project manager, Frederico also helps build Brightnewdays own Technology Roadmap. He himself is co-driving the development of a proprietary methodology for project management. Thanks to the Technology Roadmap, Brightnewday keeps its own team sharp and savvy by gathering its own knowledge about the technical innovations of the future. Thus, Brightnewday takes the lead in every technical domain. This provides great value for clients and constantly gives the team new learning opportunities.

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Brightnewday in one case? Check.

Frederico's story shows how Brightnewday works: entrepreneurial (we give opportunities), warm (we build people), pure (we are honest about what works) and expert (we steer on quality with knowledge ánd heart).