We’ve worked hard to recruit some of the most experienced global talent from the world of design, build, construction and project management. Each month, we put one of our colleagues in the spotlight so you can learn a little more about their role. Next up, it’s assistant project manager, Kiran Kondrapu...

1. Tell us what attracted you to Agilité?

When reading the job specification, I noticed how many of the candidate’s ideal qualities — punctuality, accountability, willingness to learn — I possessed myself. I was further motivated to apply because of the high calibre of clients that Agilité works with. The likes of Fred Perry, Indeed.com, Lids have a reputation for superior standards — something I am keen to deliver on behalf of my new organisation.

2. Can you share a little bit about your background?

I grew up, completed my bachelor’s degree, and began my career in India before commencing the next phase of my education in Northumbria, England. My background in civil engineering and project management means I have an eye for detail and thrive when overseeing a construction project from start to finish.

3. Describe a defining moment in your career.

Beginning my journey with Agilité. I have always had an interest in the construction industry — as a young boy I loved assembling sandcastles and playing with building blocks. In my undergraduate degree, I achieved a distinction and the highest mark in my course — a record I still hold to this day! When I moved to UK, I decided to take a leap of faith and follow my passion — now here I am in my perfect role.

4. What does your new role involve?

My job is mostly about planning and supervision — coordinating with stakeholders, clients, colleagues, and subcontractors to ensure targets, standards, and expectations are met throughout a project.

5. What are you most looking forward to doing?

I am looking forward to getting to know my new colleagues and clients, building strong professional relationships, and doing my best.

6. The phone rings and it’s your dream client… who is it?

This is a very hard question — someone with a high standards who presents challenge. But, if you’re asking me to choose just one, I would say Five Guys, because I’m extremely familiar with the organisation, which probably gives me a unique perspective in delivering the work.

7. When you’re not at work, where are we most likely to find you?

In the evenings after work, I tend to have my head in a novel — a recent favourite was ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ by John Green. But I also love travelling, so when I have a little more time off, you’re unlikely to find me as I’m always on the move!

8. Which country or city is at the top of your ‘must-visit’ list?

Paris, to see the Eiffel Tower. Working with Agilité, this may happen sooner than I’d anticipated!

9. What’s your favourite productivity trick?

I find that if you are accountable for something, it’s the biggest motivator of all.

10. How would you describe Agilité to a relative?

My dream job.

11. As an organisation with sustainability at its heart, Agilité is dedicated to minimising environmental impact within the construction industry. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the sector, and how do you think we can rectify it?

I personally believe, the biggest challenge is the industry mindset. If we drilled down into the root causes, the thirst for profits at corporate levels can sometimes come at a cost, and one which ignores the wider environmental impact. The solution is simple, yet difficult to implement — focus more on purpose than bottom lines.

For this reason, I am proud to be a part of Agilité, as we are already making excellent headway in the sector — implementing changes to reducing carbon emissions and protect our planet for future generations.

When we launched Agilité, the strategy was always to have a seamless pan-European business that could be operational in multiple locations for multiple customers. Growth has been exponential, so after only four years in business, our brand needed a refresh, to reflect the journey we’ve been on, and the reputation we’ve carved in the industry as the European commercial interiors specialist.
That’s why you might have noticed something a little bit different in the way we ‘look and feel recently – and here’s how (and why) we did it.

Formed by a senior management team with extensive experience in the European construction sector, when Agilité was launched in January 2018, we wanted to tackle construction and fit-out projects in the way we truly believed they should be done. Fast-forward four years, and much has changed for the business – but our values and reason for being remain very much the same.

Over the past nine months, we’ve revisited the Agilité brand – alongside our communications partners, Scriba PR, and specialist branding experts, The Engine Room – to ensure the way we present ourselves is consistent across the countries and nationalities we work in.

What began as a Parisian construction and fit-out company, has evolved into a truly Pan-European commercial interiors specialist, with offices in France, Italy, Luxembourg, and the UK – with Germany and the US to follow soon. Therefore, our brief was simple: “Help us to underpin what our brand purpose and principles are and understand how to manifest these throughout various international fractions.”

To start the ‘coming of age’ project, every single one of our colleagues joined a brand workshop to share their interpretation around what Agilité does, our personality, and what sets us apart. The Engine Room also spoke with our clients and consultants, to understand their perspective, too.
All of these elements were brought together to define our purpose and principles – the very foundations of every project and client/colleague interaction.

While a brand update is about so much more than tweaking the logo, we did update our avatar, as well as our colour palette – but the main element of the project involved communicating our USP in a concise fashion. You’ll now often hear us talk about Agilité PACE.

PACE is the secret to our success, and is the reason why office, retail, hospitality, and leisure clients turn to us time and again. Find out more, here.

While we could ruminate around the origins, process, and outcomes of this project for the entire day, the best way to experience the changes, is by taking a look at our website, as well as LinkedIn, and Instagram feeds – please do let us know what you think.