Life at OCA
Arianna Sawyer
Senior Consultant USA
What did you do before working at OCA?
OCA is my first full time job post graduating! Before OCA I was an undergraduate student at the University of Rhode Island where I received bachelor’s degrees in Ocean Engineering and Spanish. While I was completing my degrees, I completed an internship with the company during the spring of 2021. Additionally, I did have some previous experience surrounding renewables, including an internship involving commercial solar power sites, research about harnessing tidal power and a senior capstone project surrounding the development of an ECO-PAM system to aid in environmental compliance during foundation installation.
What is it like to work at OCA?
OCA promotes a very collaborative work environment. As we are currently a relatively small company, everybody knows each other, and we can communicate effectively even though we are located internationally. From working on projects together to supporting knowledge sharing, learning and development are cultivated at all levels of your career. Not only have I learned new information about the industry from the various projects I have assisted on, but internally, there’s an emphasis on sharing personal experience and knowledge and advancing personal and group skills. I feel grateful to be a part of a company that is rapidly growing alongside the expanding offshore wind industry.
What training and development opportunities have you had?
OCA supports personal development; everyone is encouraged to continue to grow their skills and knowledge. I have had many interesting and exciting experiences with the company, including my most recent opportunity to take a three-month secondment in our office in the Netherlands. This experience will give me the chance to learn more about the company’s business development activities and the European market. I also have been given the opportunity to attend the IPF conference in New Orleans this year with the team.
What have you learnt about the Offshore Wind industry so far?
Over the last 2 years I have learned that the industry is full of endless opportunities and avenues. There are so many puzzle pieces that come together to complete a fully commissioned wind farm that you see once it is constructed (and then additional opportunities for the operation and maintenance). From the initial planning phases to the actual development and construction, and then to the operation, there are so many people working on the technical, contractual, logistical, permitting (the list goes on and on) side of things, and by working with OCA I have the ability to get experience within these different stages and learn from lots of different people along the way.
