Have you ever wondered what a typical working week looks like for the team at IFP? In our new ‘Meet the Team’ mini-series, we get to know a new member of our team a little better each month, finding out more about their role and their experiences here at IFP.
In this blog, we chat to Paul Hanson, Head of Construction.
How long have you worked at Integrated Food Projects?
I started working as Head of Construction at IFP in October 2018 – I joined after working with a company operating in the same sector as IFP.
What does your role entail day to day?
I spend most of my time working in senior construction-focused project management roles and I am also actively involved in business strategy – this includes business development and sales.
I have spent a lot of time working in the Netherlands with IFP, heading up the building element of the Innocent project. I was responsible for leading on the design of the factory, procurement of the works, ensuring it is contracted on time and overseeing the initial part of the construction.
I have a great team under me that supports all of this activity, and I’m here to keep them on the straight and narrow!
What’s your experience pre-IFP?
I have got 20 years of experience in the sector. I started in 2001 as a project engineer (draftsman), and worked up through the ranks to senior engineer, project manager, and then department manager for the building and civil teams – a very similar role to what I am doing now. In all of those 20 years, my roles all focused on the Food & Beverages sector, which provides me with a wealth of experience when working with clients in my role at IFP.
What do you think the future of food manufacturing looks like?
The future of food manufacturing will be more automated and more conscious of energy usage and sustainability. It’s certainly the direction that the major projects I have been involved in over the last couple of years are heading.
We’re seeing a big emphasis on sustainability, renewable energy, and future-proofing our energy generation, as we’re looking at trying to reduce usage of fuels like natural gas. In the coming years we’ll undoubtedly continue to look for more long-term solutions like electricity, bio-methane and hydrogen.
The circular economy also plays a big part now, which relates directly to the recyclability and reuse of materials. From a construction perspective, we’re seeing a need to track and monitor where we’re sourcing our materials from and how they can be reused or recycled at ‘end-of-life’. We’re sort of seeing an extra layer of thought process going into the process – we used to say projects were time/cost/risk, and now we’re saying time/cost/risk/carbon.
When you’re not working, what can we find you doing?
Mountain biking is my favourite pastime and hobby – I love taking my two dogs for their run. I like walking and spending time with the family and being outdoors. As a family we’re keen campers – if it’s outdoors it’s pretty much on the list.
Keep your eyes peeled on our LinkedIn for our next instalment in this series.
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