From student assistant to member of the Ramboll Foundation Board
Mia Wagner launched her career as a civil engineer at Ramboll in 2012 and has advanced steadily over the years, taking on new challenges and embracing the support of her leaders and colleagues along the way.
“Believe in yourself and lean on the people close to you who have supported you – managers, colleagues, friends. Their belief in you can help fill the gaps that maybe you sometimes can’t by yourself.”
Mia’s career has flourished at Ramboll, as she has progressed from working as a student assistant to being a project manager to today being a head of department and an elected member of the Ramboll Foundation Board. During her decade at the company, Mia has learned how to leverage her ambition to do more of the things she loves. Now, she shares what the Ramboll values mean to her and what her top five career tips are.
“I’ve always been interested in bridges. As a kid, I remember looking at big bridge structures and just wanting to know how people made them.”
Mia has always been interested in the built world around her. Seeing huge structures and wondering, awe-struck, at how they get made was a part of her childhood that she remembers vividly.
Mia studied civil engineering at university and started working at Ramboll during her studies.
“Where I live, there are only a few companies where you can work as a bridge engineer. So I interviewed at them all and went with my gut feeling and picked Ramboll. I really just had a feeling after my interview that I wanted to be here. And I still believe I chose right!”, she says with a smile.
“I ended up doing my master’s thesis with Ramboll and then started working full-time after I finished my studies. Over the years, I discovered how much I enjoy talking to people, coordinating projects, making sure our work comes together cohesively, and playing a part in other people’s growth. Over time, I became a project manager and a couple of years ago I became head of department.”
“I definitely try to bring the transparency and openness to dialogue back to my own department.”
Mia explains that after starting at Ramboll, she began to see the impact of the values that are set by the Ramboll Foundation and understand how they guide the company.
“Those values are why I have been so loyal to the company after all these years. I really believe our culture is a business case. Our people are our greatest assets and as long as we do right by them we will continue to succeed.”
Ramboll is owned by the Ramboll Foundation. The Foundation Board has four positions reserved for employees elected representatives. In 2022, Mia was elected by her colleagues to take one of these positions and has found getting closer to Ramboll’s core values to be as exciting as it has been inspiring.
“I was astonished by how quickly I felt comfortable sharing my perspectives,” she continues. “Right from the start, the board members encouraged those of us who were new to the room to speak first. This made it clear that I didn’t need to have the perfect answer – they just really wanted to hear and try to understand my perspectives and perceptions. I’ve also appreciated that I still get to ask critical questions directly to our senior leaders. Speaking with them and hearing their answers and reflections has been an incredible learning experience.”
“I have felt as a part of the Foundation Board that there is room for difficult dialogues and respectful debate and discussion. It’s often sensitive topics that we’re discussing and we have different points of view but it’s inspiring to be a part of that open and respectful exchange.”
“I definitely try to bring that transparency and openness to dialogue back to my own department. And when it comes to putting our values into action, I believe that I focus on integrity and empowerment. You can get far if you focus on those two things.”
“I can also see out in the market that those values equally add a lot of value for our clients. By supporting and fostering a culture of empowerment for my employees, I help them do their best work. It is important to find the right balance of the necessary amount of support and empowerment – I really try to help them feel independent and confident in their knowledge. I love to help people grow.”
“If you see that a colleague is doing something that you want to learn more about, go to that person and say, ‘You’re really good at this. I’d like to get better at it. Could you help me?’ Most people will say yes!”
Tip #1: Embrace the challenging moments
“I think a lot of people have experienced that feeling of stepping into a new role and wondering whether they’re ready for it. But I truly believe that those moments are some of the most important points in your career. In those moments, believe in yourself and lean on the people close to you who have supported you – managers, colleagues, friends. Their belief in you can help fill the gaps that maybe you sometimes can’t by yourself.”
Tip #2: Bring your manager in on the plan
“How you advance is very often linked to your manager. So it’s crucial that your manager understands your ambitions. And if there is anything about their career that you admire or aspire to, ask them about it. Your manager can also help connect you with other colleagues to help you grow in another specific direction. Try to understand what they did to be where they are.”
Tip #3: Be curious
“There are so many inspiring people at Ramboll. If you see that a colleague is doing something cool or something that you want to learn more about or learn how to do, go to that person and say, ‘You’re really good at this. I’d like to be good at it too. Could you help me?’. People are usually proud of their work so they’re often very happy to share.”
Tip #4: Ask for specifics
“It can be hard to crack the nut and understand your own success criteria if you’re getting fluffy answers. Try to ask about the specific skills you need to develop to be able to grow into the roles you are interested in. Maybe you need to learn how to use a specific software or work with a certain client or learn how to project manage. You can’t start to match the qualifications if you don’t know exactly what they are.”
Tip #5: Don’t take no for an answer
“If you’re getting a ‘no’ or a ‘not right now’, try to ask why. Of course, you need to be respectful, but try to get a better understanding of the reason behind the answer so that you can take steps that will put you in a better position next time you ask – and hopefully you’ll get a better answer.”
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Employee voices on the Ramboll Foundation
Hear directly from Ramboll employees what is most important to them about being foundation owned in this short video on LinkedIn.
Want to know more?
Mia Wagner Kastrup
Head of Department
+45 51 61 68 71