“To build a sustainable world, climate change is a top priority, and as human beings, we must change the way we think and act towards our planet,” Sine says.
As the Director of Learning and Development (L&D) at NIRAS International Consulting (NIC), Sine is herself a curious individual, finding joy in navigating new and unexplored paths, whether in learning or life.
When Sine is in the forest, she is focussed on a goal — finding the next post. With a compass and a map to guide her, the orienteering enthusiast navigates vast, wooded terrains outside Copenhagen, Denmark. Her favourite part? Coming across areas she has not yet explored.
“I enjoy looking at maps, then going outside the big paths but still finding my way through,” says Sine, who likes taking detours to get to know the area beyond the trail.
This approach to orienteering is telling of her curiosity. And naturally, she exercises this desire to learn and explore in her everyday life as well − whether at work, identifying the best learning initiatives that will benefit NIRAS employees, or at home, trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle (which cannot be done on a workday evening due to her compulsion to complete it in one sitting).
Sine has collected a wealth of experiences from her willingness to try new things. Her travels, both personal and professional, became avenues for learning about the world and herself. “Travel changed my perspective of the world, and I think that's why I ended up in development aid with NIRAS,” she shares.
Within the organisation, Sine’s career path also took a few turns before she ended up where she is today. But like in orienteering, where one passes through unfamiliar territory, Sine was never really lost, always guided by a compass leading to her purpose.
“I love to take small trails that are a little out of the way because something new might pop up that I wouldn’t otherwise know of,” she says. “As long as I know where I, taking a few detours isn’t bad and can lead to new discoveries.” Now, she inspires the same curiosity among colleagues, leading them on a path of continuous learning and growth.
Over 20 years ago, Sine backpacked across Tanzania and Malawi with a friend. The pair went on a three-month excursion that involved the usual travel activities: getting to know people, learning about their culture and touring around the region. But Sine wanted to do more.
“We just decided to drop by the office of the NGO ‘Actionaid Denmark’ in Arusha and asked if it was possible to be connected to a project while we were there. They directed us to the ‘Kuleana Centre for Children's Rights’ in Mwanza where we taught street children math and English for two weeks.” she shares.
While this happened some time ago, the parallels between that experience and her work now as L&D Director are clear. Sine thrives on empowering individuals with the knowledge they need to grow.
Sine coordinates project management courses across the company, as well as larger L&D initiatives in NIRAS. Along with her team and content experts among colleagues, she develops and leads courses ranging from effective project delivery to recruitment tools. Because NIRAS's offices are located throughout the globe, these sessions are mainly accessed online, making learning possible for anyone, anywhere in the organisation.
“It’s quite deep within me to help others. That's another reason why I ended up in learning and development; I just genuinely enjoy helping other people,” says Sine.
Alongside HR Coordinator in Africa, Judy Kimani, Sine is also currently leading a successful annual mentoring programme that gives colleagues in NIRAS opportunities to share their knowledge with one another. Mentoring is done in a systematised, time-bound approach. Mentees are matched with mentors who have expertise in a specific field and regular meetings are held until the programme is completed. Both mentors and mentees have already found this initiative to be beneficial to their professional growth.
“It’s invaluable to have access to and be able to leverage a mentor’s observed and learned experiences, contributing not only to my immediate performance but also preparing me for long-time career success,” a mentee shared.
The annual Expert Satisfaction Survey also falls under Sine’s department. Experts who have worked with NIRAS’ project managers provide feedback that helps professionals in the company grow. As the L&D Director, Sine has also been involved in the management team of two graduate programmes, namely the NIRAS Young Professional Academy (2015-2020) and the organisation’s Scandinavian graduate programme.
A bulk of Sine's work also deals with managing and being a training and facilitator for international projects. Just last year, she and Chief Sustainability & Environmental, Social and Governance Consultant Andreas Brogaard Buhl conducted a two-week training in Cairo, Egypt (covering topics such as decarbonisation of industries, and environmental sustainability policies and regulations) as part of a GIZ project that supports greening Egyptian industries to meet international market requirements. Projects like these — that mainly tackle environmental issues and climate change — are close to her heart.
“To build a sustainable world, climate change is a top priority. As human beings, we must change the way we think and act towards our planet,” notes Sine, who graduated with a master’s in geography. “It’s really important work what trainers do, sharing knowledge and influencing the way people approach development.”
Before she became the L&D Director, Sine took on many training roles at NIRAS and she has been a course manager and training facilitator for multiple Danida Fellowship Centre (DFC) projects focussing on climate change, green energy and disaster risk reduction.
Transitioning into training and facilitation, however, was not without its challenges. Building this confidence — to stand in front of people and facilitate their learning — had to be developed over time, Sine says.
Within the broader NIRAS group, Sine also regularly facilitates online project tools courses for colleagues across all NIRAS sectors.
“When I started teaching, even at NIRAS, I was very nervous many, many times. Even though I liked conducting training, I had to hone my skill. Once you get used to it though, you feel more comfortable.”
She shared the secret of her success: “To enjoy what I do and be relaxed, I had to be well-prepared. It’s not just about avoiding failure in front of people; it’s a matter of respecting their valuable time which has been allocated to listen and learn from you or from the process you facilitate.”
For Sine, learning goes far beyond mere knowledge exchange. To truly know the value of a course or learning initiative — and to make things stick — this knowledge must translate into action.
She was reassured of this recently when she had the opportunity to meet up again with participants from a DFC training. They were change agents from previous courses on climate change, and they were there for a refresher course.
“At some point, I wondered how much people had really changed when they got home and went on with their lives. We were thrilled to hear they had implemented a lot of changes and initiatives in their organisations with the help of the original course,” she shares.
At NIRAS, Sine replicates this level of engagement and transformation. Whether it is through the mentoring programme, the practical courses or when fellow colleagues simply reach out to her department, she is ready to offer a helping hand to ensure employees are primed for the valuable work they do.
“Sine is one of the most collaborative colleagues at NIRAS,” says International Consulting Communications Director Lisa O’Donoghue-Lindy. “She is always open to working together, is the first one to raise her hand when you need help, and never fails to deliver great suggestions and ideas. I appreciate her enthusiasm a lot.”
That positivity shines through in Sine's words of wisdom to readers of her profile and especially young and aspiring professionals in development: “When you get an opportunity you think you might enjoy, follow that path. If you feel called to go somewhere else, navigate it wisely and see where it goes. You never know where your curiosity might lead you.”
