Syed Raza

Manager, Electrical
“I’m more passionate about what I do because I took the longer road: becoming a certified engineer first in Pakistan, and then again in Canada. Now, as manager of electrical, I feel that the sky really is the limit – for me and for my team.”
Syed Raza

Bio

Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Syed understood the importance of electricity as a necessity of life from a young age during periods of rolling brownouts and blackouts. With his natural talents for math and science, Syed decided to pursue both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering from the NED University of Engineering and Technology. After graduation, he went on to work for the local branch of the largest manufacturing company in Europe, where he became the head of the engineering department. His education, work, and studies took Syed all over Europe, including Germany and Czech Republic, where he sharpened his skillsets in new worlds of design methods and technologies, and working with industrial and commercial projects and manufacturing facilities.

Shortly after moving to Canada, Syed joined RVA in 2009 as a senior electrical engineer, where his diverse global experience was a natural fit for our firm’s interdisciplinary approach. In the interceding years, Syed has expanded his professional horizons to become a jack-of-all trades in a plethora of electrical assets, equipment, and technologies in the projects he has been a part of, including water and wastewater treatment plants, sewage and booster pumping stations, institutional and commercial facilities. In a short time, he has quickly ascended the ranks to become the manager of our electrical group, earned his LEED AP BD+C certification from the US Green Building Council, and added several award-winning projects to his extensive body of work; however, his proudest moment will always be sealing his first drawing as a fully accredited engineer in Canada in the winter of 2010.

As an electrical expert, Syed is focused on a simple goal: to deliver great work. As a team leader, he believes in bringing together the right team for the right challenge, and under his guidance, our electrical group has grown its reputation for world-class design leadership working at various scales in the private and public sector. Looking ahead, Syed has his sights set on expanding the firm’s electrical practice to the Maritimes, with feet-on-the-ground support and an established core group of designers that is backed by the capabilities of our wider firm.

A father of three beautiful daughters, Syed puts most of his weekend energy into family outings, including hiking, camping, kayaking, and scuba diving. He also keeps a steady pulse on the industry as an active member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario Scarborough Chapter. Syed finds renewed passion in the diverse perspectives of new generations of students, and enjoys helping young engineers-to-be learn the tips and tricks of the trade by organizing Mathletics competitions, contributing to newsletters and magazines, and hosting popsicle stick bridge building contests.