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My name is Veera Venkata Manoj Dontabhaktuni (Manoj) and I am a graduate civil engineer at Whitfield Consulting Services and an active committee member of the IHE Greater London Branch.

My journey with the IHE began while completing my Masters in civil engineering at the University of Greenwich, where I was introduced to the organisation and was made aware of the events it organises and the support available.

In 2023, I had the privilege of attending the IHE Greater London Branch Conference, my first event outside of university. The focus of this conference was on sustainable highways and driving down carbon. This experience allowed me to gain valuable insights into the field of highway engineering and to meet industry professionals. This conference was the first they had held since being reformed to ensure Greater London is covered by an IHE local branch.

After graduating, I became an affiliate member of IHE and continued to engage with it. A highlight of my journey was attending the Greater London Branch low carbon workshop event in Westminster, where I had the opportunity to review sustainable practices to reduce the carbon footprint of schemes and discuss them with experts in the field.

During this event, I met Mark O’Leary, the operations manager at Westminster Council, who provided invaluable support to recent graduates like me. Mark gave us the opportunity to visit the construction site of a bitumen road in Westminster.

Mark shared detailed explanations of the project, including efforts to reduce pollution and the use of special techniques for material laying that contributed to the sustainability of the road.

It was an incredible experience that not only deepened my understanding of the project but also solidified my commitment to the IHE due to the opportunities that arise.

I attended the Greater London Branch’s next event: SuDS – What can we learn from beavers? I was encouraged by committee members to take a more active role and to apply for membership to the committee. I responded by attending the 2024 IHE Greater London Branch conference on innovation within highways and the AGM that followed. This focused on new innovations within highways, whether these were materials, IT or new solutions to increase the safety, efficiency and performance of our roads and networks.

At the AGM, I officially became a committee member for the ongoing term. Since then, I have been attending monthly committee meetings to support the initiatives of the branch and contribute to the advancement of the highway engineering profession.

We are planning an exciting 2025 and beyond. It has been a fulfilling and rewarding experience, and I look forward to continuing my involvement with the IHE and supporting the next generation of engineers. I am aiming to use the experience and networking from this opportunity to work towards chartership. My current aim is to become chartered by 2030. Being part of the IHE and the Greater London Branch has allowed me to develop valuable connections, expand my knowledge, and take on leadership roles within the industry.

I encourage all young professionals in highway engineering to get involved with the IHE.

The opportunities to learn, grow and give back to the community are invaluable. My experiences with IHE have been instrumental in shaping my career path so far. Looking forward, I am excited about the potential opportunities that lie ahead, including the pursuit of professional registration.

Achieving this milestone will open new doors for career advancement and further cement my commitment to contributing to the development of the highway engineering profession.