HelderHVAC manager
Chez asap.work depuis
April 2024
Between dreams of Formula 1 and mastery of climate engineering, Elder has climbed all the building ladder, driven by a taste for challenge and transmission.
I became a dad at 19: it pushed me to want to evolve and to prove myself.
Of Portuguese origin, Elder saw himself as a racing driver. It was finally in the ventilation networks that he found his adrenaline. From his beginnings at the age of 14 to manage state construction sites, he gives us an inspiring testimony on the strength of will.
Elder started building at a very young age, at 14. Under the wing of a first teacher who taught him everything, he discovered the profession of ventilation duct. Becoming a father at 19, he decided not to remain a labourer and climbed the ladder four to four: at 21, he was already a team leader. Today HVAC manager, he manages the complexity of supplier deadlines and the rigor of security, while maintaining immense pride in his work. His best victories? Having air conditioned the Senate or the Ministry of the Interior, and being able to say to your children as they pass by: “Dad did it.
The hardest thing is to make workers understand that safety is not an obstacle, but a necessity.
His look at theFuture of the profession and the place of young people in the sector
Sa pride to work on projects that shape the daily lives of Ile-de-France residents
Les technical challenges which he was confronted with.
In this interview, Helder discusses:
- His early beginnings at the age of 14, abandoning his initial dream as a Formula 1 driver to learn climate engineering jobs in the field while continuing his studies at night.
- His role as a young father at 19, a real personal impulse that prompted him to want to evolve quickly to prove himself, leading him to the position of team leader at the age of 21.
- Proud of his achievements on exceptional projects such as Senate Or the Ministry of the Interior, iconic projects that he is proud to show to his children today.
- The importance of pedagogy and mentoring, marked by the positive influence of his first boss, as well as his daily requirement for safety, which he places above immediate productivity.
Beyond his career, Elder delivers an inspiring testimony on meritocracy in construction, proving that the will to progress and the respect of teams are the real foundations of a successful career.
Steve: Hello Elder.
Helder: Good morning
Steve: Thanks for taking the time today. As I understand it, you have been an HVAC manager for many years. Who are you and where do you come from?
Helder: So, I am of Portuguese origin. I started building when I was 14. It was not at all what I wanted to do, I wanted to be a Formula 1 driver in the car. But I put myself in the building while studying at night to get my CAP-BEP auto mechanic. I stayed in the air conditioning and evolved.
Steve: Do you have to go up the steps to be responsible?
Helder: I started at Fort de Vincennes for the Gendarmerie Nationale, installing ventilation ducts. At 21, I became a team leader.
Steve: Did someone push you to improve your skills?
Helder: It was me who wanted it. I became a dad at 19, so I wanted to grow. It's a very nice job, I think I'll do that for the rest of my life. I often talk to my children about it when we pass by shopping centers or construction sites that I have done. They are proud to see what dad did in real life.
Steve: What is the hardest part of your job?
Helder: Outdoor work and especially the level of safety. This sometimes prevents us from working quickly in the field and it annoys the workers a lot, but we have to. And then there are the difficulties with suppliers, the delivery delays that create enormous stress with the customer.
Steve: Do you have a model that impressed you?
Helder: My first boss, at 14. He took the time to teach me well, with patience and pedagogy. He wasn't yelling at people.
Steve: Did you do any major projects?
Helder: The Senate, the Poissy Hospital, the Ministry of the Interior. The most striking is the Senate. We find ourselves in the “big courtyard” that we only see on TV.
Steve: And right now, are you on a mission?
Helder: Yes, at Fort d'Issy with asap.work.
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