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Greetings from Ghana. I am Wing Commander Karim Abdul Razak, the Deputy Director Engineering, Ghana Air Force. I am a flight engineer with over 15 years of experience in overseeing aircraft maintenance projects. Occasionally, I also serve as a project officer, managing military construction and renovation activities within my organization.

I was born and raised in Kumasi, Ghana, under the mentorship of my father, who was a footballer. While I initially aspired to pursue a career in football, my father encouraged me to become an engineer. He provided me with the necessary resources, including engineering books, and guided me toward an engineering-related education. His dedication sparked my interest in the field, which I pursued through tertiary education, ultimately becoming an aeronautical engineer with the military.

In my current role, I am a member of the Ghana Air Force Contract Team. Over the years, I have supervised numerous aircraft maintenance projects and have been involved in negotiating aircraft-related contracts on behalf of the Government of Ghana. Additionally, I am a member of the Ghana Institution of Engineers.

Although my professional background is in aeronautical engineering, my organization does not have specialized engineering departments, such as civil or chemical engineering. As a result, I am responsible for handling all engineering-related activities, which often requires me to apply myself across various disciplines to ensure the desired outcomes.

I have also been involved in projects with external partners, including Project DEFEND with the EU and an ongoing Super Tucano aircraft acquisition project with the OSC, US Embassy in Ghana. My engineering expertise has been crucial in these endeavors, and this experience has driven me to seek a more scientific approach to project management. Consequently, I decided to pursue the PMP program and join the PMI, where I hope to connect with subject matter experts and enhance best practices within my organization.

My name is Zakaria Botros, and I currently work as a project manager. When I was a kid, I was always tinkering with gadgets and dreaming of becoming an engineer. That curiosity led me to pursue an engineering degree, which set the stage for my career.

In my work, I love using tools like Microsoft Project for scheduling, Trello for keeping track of tasks, and JIRA for managing agile projects. Lately, I've been really interested in exploring AI-driven project management tools and IoT technologies—they seem like the future!

What really drew me to project management was the chance to use my engineering skills on a bigger scale, managing projects that bring new ideas to life. The constant challenges and need for strategic thinking keep me on my toes and excited about my work.

One of my proudest moments was leading a team to complete a critical project ahead of schedule and under budget. It was a huge win for us and set a new standard for how we work together.

In summary, my journey from engineering to project management has been all about solving problems and making a real impact. The tools and technologies I use are key to my success, and I'm always eager to learn more. Seeing the direct results of my efforts and knowing I've helped my team succeed is incredibly rewarding.