“There’s so much value in experience” with David Perrier

OGCS sits down with David Perrier, as he extends his role with the organization.

“As a child, my dream was to be a professional hockey player,” David begins, “growing up I played hockey as much as I could”.

“At junior high I took summer jobs on project sites, started working construction in the summers when I was still at school.”

He continues: “I was working really hard on my hockey, but eventually I knew I wasn’t good enough to go all the way. I had to find something else.”

“One of my summer jobs was with Fluor, so when an opportunity came up there, I jumped at it. I started off as a payroll clerk, doing time checks and field walks and progressed from there. The challenges of the different roles that I was in, project to project was exciting. I ended up staying almost 20 years, moving from project to project, taking my family with me.”

David’s early years were marked by in-the-field work and onsite learning.

“On one of my earliest projects, we drilled down, injected steam and that’s how the oil came up. It was a great introduction to mining, and the whole front end of oil. So I ended up specializing in the mining industry, and that took me all around the world, on different proposals and executing different projects. That’s how experience transforms into expertise and good judgment.”

David’s experience spans four decades and multiple countries, but his approach has always been grounded in the teamwork: “Projects are about people. If your people don’t know why they’re doing what they’re doing, you won’t get far.”

“And there are always challenges and issues,” he continues, “what matters is how you handle them. That’s when teamwork and leadership are essential.  I start with talking to the team – what do we know, what don’t we know, what do we need to find out to get to the best solution.”

When asked what has kept him engaged for so long in this career, David doesn’t hesitate: “It’s the complexity. I like solving problems. I like working with different people, and I like getting things done. There’s a lot of satisfaction in getting a good project to a great delivery and seeing it go on successfully long after I’ve moved on.”

David remarks that leadership doesn’t come from being given a title.

“You lead by example and through your commitment. You show up. You listen. You help others. You take responsibility when things go wrong, and you share credit when they go right. That’s how trust and respect are built.”

At this stage in his career, David has a keen eye on impact and mentorship.

“I’m not chasing contracts anymore. Having established a name for myself, I find the work comes to me. I look for opportunities where I can add value - where my experience can make a difference. And I enjoy helping those coming up behind me develop their own judgment.”

David has faced working environment and situations that would send most people running.  “I’ve worked in places where there’s no phone service, where you’re landing on gravel runways, where politics, culture, language, everything is very different from what you are familiar with.”

The secret to his success? 

“If you meet it with curiosity,” he says, “if you listen, and be adaptable, you will learn so much about other cultures and ways of doing things.  It’s essential to stay curious and pay attention.”

Reflecting on the core of his approach, David keeps it simple: “I believe in clarity. I believe in doing what you say you’re going to do. And I believe that people perform best when they understand the purpose of what they’re doing. That’s never changed.”

To learn how OGCS Global can support your project, connect directly with Ed Comiskey.