Getting to know Mark Albertella

Navigating Leadership, Industry Shifts, and a Collaborative Future: An Interview with Mark Albertella

After eight years at erbas™, Mark has seen his fair share of changes in the building services industry, from regulatory updates to global challenges like the pandemic. Mark speaks about his experiences, his new leadership role, and what clients can expect from erbas™ as they move forward in an ever-evolving landscape.

A Journey with erbas™: Eight Years and Counting
Reflecting on his time at erbas™, Mark shared how his journey has been filled with rewarding moments and challenges. “Throughout numerous industry challenges, not to mention a pandemic thrown in for good measure, I always found my time at erbas™ rewarding, fulfilling, and enjoyable,” he said. It's clear that his commitment to the company and the industry continues to grow, as he looks forward to many more years at erbas™.

Stepping into Leadership: The Drive to Influence and Inspire
When asked about his decision to take on a leadership role within the company, Mark explained that it was a natural progression, driven by a desire to contribute to the company’s culture. “It was important for me to play a greater role in influencing the company’s direction and help my colleagues foster a collaborative environment we can all be proud of,” he noted.

Leadership, for him, is not just about managing but inspiring others and setting a course for the company’s future. He emphasised the importance of collaboration, creating an environment where team members can thrive and work toward common goals.

Client Engagement: A Hands-On Approach
Despite taking on more responsibilities, Mark reassured clients that his commitment to project delivery remains unchanged. “I’m still keen to maintain a hands-on focus on project delivery and interact with clients from fee proposal stage all the way to handover,” he explained. This approach, where leadership meets hands-on engagement, is key to maintaining strong client relationships and delivering results that meet their expectations.

Adapting to Industry Changes
The building services industry has undergone significant shifts in recent years, particularly with new regulations introduced by Fair Trading NSW for class 2 projects. These changes have raised the level of detail and responsibility required in design, up to and including construction.

“erbas™ has been at the forefront of training and obtaining the required certification for our engineers across all disciplines,” said Mark, underlining the company’s proactive stance in staying up to date with industry changes. This readiness to adapt has positioned erbas™ as a leader in navigating new regulations and ensuring that their projects meet and exceed these evolving standards.

The Unique Value at erbas™: An Integrated Approach
Mark highlighted the company’s integrated building services and ESD (Environmentally Sustainable Design) offering as unique to erbas™. “The close working relationship between our services engineers and ESD team is leading to pragmatic adaptations of ESD initiatives only where feasible payback periods are obtainable,” he explained. This project-specific approach ensures that ESD solutions are not just a checkbox, but a valuable addition to the project, tailored to deliver real benefits to clients.

Beyond Work: Personal Achievements
Outside of his professional life, Mark shared a personal milestone, expressing pride in his wife’s recent achievement. “My wife will finish her registered nurse degree this year with distinction grades, despite being the oldest student in her class (and maybe even older than some of the teachers),” he said with admiration. Her determination and success have clearly been an inspiration in his life, reminding us that it’s never too late to pursue a new challenge.

Looking Ahead
As Mark continues to play a pivotal role in the future of erbas™, both in leadership and in direct project involvement, it’s clear that his focus remains on collaboration, client satisfaction and staying at the forefront of industry changes. With an eye on both the bigger picture and the finer details, the future at erbas™ looks promising, full of innovation and continued excellence in service.