THE FCSI INTERVIEW
graduation Jari worked as a draft person between 1998-1990. She had wanted to work in the oil sector, but a tough economy and soaring inflation meant that roles were prioritized to men. “I got my distinction. I got my degree, but my male colleagues got all the jobs,” she sighs. “I applied for a lot of jobs. Finally, I got one as a mechanical designer in a local consultancy, which did plumbing, electrical and ventilation engineering. My first boss taught me everything, from A to Z.” A fast learner, within three
months, Jari was assigned to work on a large mall project in Malaysia, doing the lighting, electrical, and mechanical designs. “My boss trusted me to handle this. He taught me how to work with the government officers to get approval of drawing submissions, and so on,” she says.
A TALENT WORTH WAITING FOR
Honing her craft, within two years the kitchen contractor NKR Continental approached her to join as designer, working on hotel and QSR restaurant projects. Collaborating with salespeople and the factory fabrication department in the team were new challenges for Jari, but she was eager to learn. “Tis was the best ‘university’ that I had while working, being exposed very early in those positions and handling different people,” she adds. Jari joined the now
highly renowned Singapore- headquartered CKP Hospitality Consultants in 1990, working for 16 years as a designer, a project executive, and then
Shahriffa Jari FCSI has worked on large-scale and high-end projects in Asia for many years
finally as a design manager. Te experience, says Jari, made her the designer she is today. But it was the kindness and consideration of boss Alburn William FCSI that she values the most from that period. Tree months pregnant, Jari was shocked that William accepted her joining the company at a later date. “He said to me, ‘Why not? I can see your talent. We will wait along the road.’” Helping CKP to open a new
office, Jari joined a company with big ambitions. “We were a small company during that time, but Alburn was passionately teaching me, showing me how to draw and read the drawings properly,” she recalls. “He was a very good boss. He would always bring me into the project meetings. He taught me how to select different equipment, to do the custom verification on designs, and how to handle meetings.” Adversity struck Jari in
2001. She and her husband
“I was angry and upset. But I looked at my youngest baby, and said, ‘I have to stop crying. I cannot be this way forever.’ So, I changed my perspective, and just got on with it. I was frustrated, but I was also very stubborn”
divorced, and she was left bringing up her four children, between the ages of three months and 11 years, alone – as well as caring for her sick mother. “I was angry and upset. But
I looked at my youngest baby, and said, ‘I have to stop crying. I cannot be this way forever.’ So,
I changed my perspective, and just got on with it. I would get up at 5am, send my children to school, take care of my mom, then go to work. My children would come back from school and look after their grandma. I would come home from work at 10pm, because the journey from my house to the office took two hours. I was frustrated, but I was also very stubborn.”
AGAINST THE ODDS
As if this wasn’t enough to deal with, Jari had an accident at home, spilling boiling water down “her whole body”. In extraordinary pain, she managed to drive herself to hospital before slipping into a coma. Tree weeks later, having to endure agonizing treatment on her skin, she came home and made the difficult decision that she needed to resign, and recuperate. She took on some freelance
marketing work (“it didn’t make me happy”) to pay the bills but a chance meeting with ex-CKP Singapore VP, Martin Kuratli FCSI, then working in Bangkok, Tailand, saw her take on freelance work with him as a designer. “I didn’t have to think long about that one. It meant I could take care of my children and my mom. But, after six months, Martin called me and asked if I wanted a permanent job. I hired someone to help look after my children and worked between Bangkok and my house in Kuala Lumpur.” Soon Jari was working
on huge projects in China, including designing the central kitchens in the China World Trade Center. “At this point, I
> 23
WORLDWIDE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
