Employee Spotlight: Robin Wu

WhiteWater has a truly diverse and inclusive workforce, drawing talent from all corners of the world.  Colleagues across different time zones work together and stay in sync while delivering innovative and world-class solutions for parks. We wouldn’t deliver time and again without employees like our very own Robin Wu – a project manager based out of our Shanghai office. He was once a football fanatic, and now loves the simple pleasures of life, besides applying his meticulous and detail-oriented approach to the various WhiteWater projects, seeing them from the start to the finish.

How did you become a project manager?

I was born in Yancheng, China. As I grew up, I developed a hunger to see the world, experience different cultures, and improve my English. I was given this opportunity when I had the chance to finish my MSc in Civil Engineering at the University of Nottingham, in the United Kingdom. After graduating, I moved back to Shanghai and started off as a structural design engineer. I realized I didn’t want to work with computer software all the time, so I became a project engineer for consulting and general contracting companies. I started to develop an interest in water park projects and wanted to realign my career accordingly. I then discovered WhiteWater and was attracted by their colourful products and international projects. Previous work experience had allowed me to enhance my skills in construction and design management, bidding, procurement, and communication. When I joined WhiteWater as a Project Manager, these skills provided me with a solid foundation for success.

Describe what a typical workday looks like for you.

During a typical workday, I must stay on top of details, collect information, and come up with solutions to make sure projects run according to schedule. My day starts on the phone catching up with my colleagues at our headquarters in Richmond, Canada. I then reply to emails, review designs, update project schedules, and discuss installation with internal and external parties. Some days I work on the job site, where I coordinate with the client and installation company to ensure they understand our design and make sure the project is going according to plan.

What has been your favorite project?

Gui’an Wonderland Happy World Park in Fuzhou, China has been my favorite project, as it was both a challenging and rewarding experience at the same time. This project has the world’s first installation of No Boundaries 200 and Raft Battle. By working on the project from the beginning to the end, I was able to appreciate the process of creating, designing, and installing these new products from a different perspective. The knowledge I have gained from this project has become transferable to all the projects I work on today. Other than this, I continue to get inspired by the sheer beauty in the intricacy of these two attractions, which have etched their mark on my mind as well memory.

What’s your favorite part about working for WhiteWater?

My favorite part about working for WhiteWater is the passion and altruism of my colleagues. No one loves this industry like we do, which leads to professionalism and efficiency in problem-solving and project delivery. At the Shanghai Office, we are bound like a family by this passion, and it has earned us a great deal of respect in the industry. Our team members look after one another and work collaboratively to ensure we best serve our clients.

What are some things people might not know about you?

People might not know that I like to organize every aspect of my life. For example, when going on vacation with my wife, I must make a concrete plan. I will research travel websites, compare route times and costs, and then come up with a well-thought-out plan for the trip. I also love electronics and keeping up with the latest trends in technology. Besides this, I like to take photos on my mobile phone and learn about newest and latest apps.