Employee of the Year 2016: Glenn Cross

Hi Glenn! Congratulations once again for being Verz Design’s incredible Employee of the Year! As a Project Manager, can you tell us more about how you approach your work?

Thank you! Well, I try to follow the right mix of planning, monitoring, and controlling which helps to complete a project on time, on budget, and with high quality results. For me, being detailed is very important – and that is where you can make a big difference!

On the other hand, I put my trust in my fellow co-workers as you can’t really manage a project on your own. As Project Managers, our primary concern should be in striving towards a common goal rather than fussing about how we achieve that. It’s about giving your teammates the flexibility to figure out the “how” in their own way.

What are the main responsibilities of your job position?

As a Project Manager, my key duties are to plan, organize, lead, and control projects. I do this by making sure that the different variables, such as the cost, schedule, scope, and deliverables, are all on track. I also coordinate directly with the staff involved in the project, as well as establish an effective working relationship with the clients.

In addition, I manage the team members, needs and expectations of the clients, offer valuable suggestions, all while maintaining the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) laid down by the company.

How has the company contributed to your personal and career growth?

Verz understands the need to encourage our personal goals by allowing us to have a fun work environment with flexible work schedules. I am encouraged to pursue my goals, whether professional or personal, and I am often challenged to come up with new ideas to contribute to the company. This freedom and encouragement from Verz makes me passionate about what I do and how I do it. Knowing that I am allowed to grow at work gives me the confidence that I can achieve beyond what is expected from me. That’s what I love here in Verz Design.

If you weren’t a Project Manager, what would you be?

I would probably have been a film director or a radio disc jockey! Those were my dreams since childhood. Even now, I still enjoy my fantasy world of photography, art, and scriptwriting. I strive to pursue my passions in other fields from time to time.

Can you recall any embarrassing or hilarious moment at work that you can share with us?

Although I consider myself a foodie, the variety of food that I can consume in Singapore is limited since I’m not allowed to eat pork and beef. That is where my crazy colleagues will always come in and tease me about how everything is made up of pork oil, and the exchanged jokes can sometimes be hilarious!

I even get nicknames like Muthu, from an Indian comedy drama and we would often chant the famous line from the movie, “You die! I die! Everybody die!”, whenever we’re feeling stressed at work. Verz knows how to balance work and fun, that’s why it’s a great working environment for everyone.

What do you enjoy doing the most during your free time?

Time flies by quickly when we’re having fun, especially in Singapore where I have to balance work and quality bonding with my family. However, I still find time for myself to do some photography and even taking random selfies – I’ve also been hailed as the ‘Verz Selfie King’! I also love to cook my favorite Kolkata (Bengali) dishes and scribble down my dreams and madness using a simple pen and paper. It’s really the simplest things that make me happy.

Here are some of Glenn’s photos from his own personal portfolio.

Can you share with us a random fact about yourself that not many people know of?

I hate lizards. They are so terrible.

Random question: If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?

“Saudade” – A Feeling of Nostalgia

What is your daily mantra or the philosophy that you live by?

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting their own battle that you know nothing about.

Every year, we honor our beloved employees by recognizing the hard work, talent and outstanding service that they have contributed to the company. Here in Verz Design, we value teamwork and the perseverance to success, and we have our industrious staff to thank for that. Cheers to a fruitful 2017!