Melina Davies is WSP’s Senior Lighting Engineer working on one of Qatar’s biggest projects. She is responsible for checking material compliance on site and working with lighting consultants on designs. She is greatly involved in giving the clients advice when it comes to lighting design standards, policies and updates to national standards.

Melina is of Greek origin, born in Athens and raised in Nigeria. She has always been hooked by the engineering of things, “Since childhood, I have always been interested in how things work. My dad is an engineer and I used to visit him at the factory where he worked. I guess being inspired by what I have observed at a young age contributed to my decision in taking a Manufacturing Engineering degree.”, she said.

She has worked in the Middle East region for over 11 years, previously based in Bahrain before moving to Qatar in 2013. She shared, “Growing up as an expat child, I’ve enjoyed experiencing different cultures and always wanted to work abroad. I believe that made me a well-rounded person, and that is something that I want my children to experience as well.”

Melina has worked on some of the biggest projects in Bahrain, KSA and Qatar.  She is passionate in delivering the most sustainable designs and providing the best advice to clients and colleagues. She worked with different government authorities to obtain acceptance of more sustainable and best practice lighting standards for Qatar. She shared, “It took a couple of years to finalise but I am proud of being a part of it. My overall aim is to continue pushing boundaries and making a difference in this industry.” 

Melina’s hard work was didn’t go unnoticed - she won two internal awards in 2017. She was recognised as Employee of the Year and was presented an award for her achievements, and for serving as the best representation of WSP’s guiding principle “We are locally dedicated with international scale” in Qatar.

Melina is a proud mother of 2 boys, aged 11 and 5. She said, “It is tough managing work pressure and being a single working mother. After a long day at work I tell people, ‘I’m excited to go home and do my first job - being a mom’. I love spending time with my kids and I wouldn’t change it for the world!”