July 9, 2004
Cincinnati Business Courier
TO THE POINT: CEO
Evans Nwankwo
Megen Construction CoQuestion: What is the biggest career advice you ever got, and who did it come from?
Answer: My mother always taught me to cooperate and to treat other people the way you want to be treated and you'll get further. That's been key to Megen Construction's success.
Q: If you were not in your present field, what would you like to do?
A: I'd be a chef working in my own restaurant whose menu would include American as well as African cuisine. I worked as a cook on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico during semester and summer breaks while I attended Texas A&M University. I made fantastic suya, which is specially marinated beef on a wooden skewer. Please don’t ask me for the recipe because it it a family secret!
Q: Where do you think the economy is headed in the next six months?
A: While construction is not the leading economic indicator, it is still a good one. If organizations feel confident about the future, they will commit resources to build new or expand existing facilities. Based on our current activities, I would say that we have seen the worst of the slump, and we are on our way to recovery.
Q: What is the best summer vacation you ever took?
A: I recently returned from my best vacation. I had the opportunity to take my kids to Disney World. We stayed in the Animal Kingdom lodge and had the chance to visit the Animal Kingdom section of Disney World, which brought back a lot of memories of Africa, where I am originally from. I have not had the opportunity to travel back to Africa with my kids, so this was a chance to give them a little glimpse into African culture.
Q: What do you like best about your job?
A: The challenge of delivering beyond our customers’ expectations, while making a difference in the lives of the people who work with me.
Q: What’s the hardest part about your job?
A: Ensuring that we are perceived as a quality organization that happens to be minority-owned as opposed to the often negative pre-conceived image of a minority organization.
Q: What are you reading?
A: “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell; “Good to Great” by Jim Collins; and “Sacred Marriage” by Gary Thomas.
© 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.