We recently had the privilege of interviewing Nivine Issa, Founder and Managing Director at Terra Nexus, an environmental expert, and a seasoned business leader with over 13 years of consulting experience. Previously recognized as the Construction Week Middle East’s Female Leader of the Year in 2022, Nivine’s wide expertise in environmental studies and sustainable development, she extensively worked in the built environment and infrastructure sectors and actively contributed to the region’s most prominent projects.
With her company, Terra Nexus, Nivine Issa is a pioneer in the environmental consultancy field, offering a variety of technical and advisory services, guided by the principle of – Building with Nature.
In this insightful session, Nivine Issa speaks about her diverse and talented team, and core pillars of her business, and shares a strong message for all the aspiring female entrepreneurs out there.
The Major Career Path
Could you elaborate on the inspiration behind starting your business and how you, as a woman entrepreneur, address market voids and consumer demands?
Terra Nexus launched late 2023 as a pioneering environmental consultancy firm based in Dubai serving projects across the GCC region. I have personally been working in the region for almost 15 years and have had the privilege of working on some of the most remarkable projects. Since all governments and leaderships in the region have announced their transformation plans a few years ago, the demand for environmental consultancy work has seen an unprecented growth. There really was never a better time for us to launch Terra Nexus with the mission to revolutionize and spearhead environmental protection on development projects. Equipped with the experience and expertise of our in-house team and a number of third-party partners, we have been able to offer a comprehensive suite of services and are currently working on a number of projects throughout the region including KSA gigaprojects.
Terra Nexus – An all-encompassing environmental consultancy
What expertise do you currently have and what type of projects can you offer your services to?
“Our expertise spans across 4 key areas: Environmental Planning and Assessment, Biodiversity and Ecology, Waste Management, and GIS. Our key people include Sara Rahme, a regional environmental expert leading our ESIA projects, Dr. Mark Tupper, a Fellow of the Marine Biological Association (FMBA), our Marine Biologist and Ecology Lead, Roshan Akther an environmental and GIS expert leading our geospatial planning work. Our team is also supported by a number of project scientists who we have recently brought on board to support our projects. The projects we work on are quite diverse, but with a focus on development projects in the built environment and infrastructure sectors.”
Fostering Diversity: A Healthy Workspace
In view of the current very competitive market, we asked: “Share your approaches to attracting and nurturing top-tier talent within your organization, with a focus on promoting diversity and inclusion.”
Nivine Issa shared, “Since the launch of Terra Nexus, we wanted to make sure that the culture and corporate infrastructure is formed with a strong dedication to the highest standards of integrity, ethics, and professionalism in every facet of our business operations. We are an equal opportunities employer with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion.
Through an inclusive workplace culture, we promote diversity, and respect for differences and ensure a safe working environment for all. As a young growing company in the UAE, we are in one of the most competitive markets in the world and we admit that it is not easy to attract and retain top talent.
We are fortunate to already have a diverse team of experts from several countries around the world and to continue to successfully grow our in-house expertise, we understand the importance of adopting and promoting hybrid work models, flexible working arrangements, and providing ample opportunity for training and development.”
Adaptability Amidst Adversities
As a woman entrepreneur, facing hurdles in a male-dominated field is not rare. We asked Nivine Issa, “In the face of significant industry shifts, how do you decide whether to adapt your strategy or maintain the current course, especially considering the unique challenges and opportunities faced by entrepreneurs nowadays?”
Nivine Issa shared, “I think in a time when the region is developing some of the biggest projects in the world, we need to make sure that in addition to the standard EIA, biodiversity studies, and waste management engineering services, we develop a unique service offering of environmental planning built on the concept of – Building with Nature.
We understand the challenging quest of sustainable development and we have formulated a bespoke approach for supporting our clients in planning environmentally-responsive projects, which was built on cumulative decades of experience working on master plan developments in the region. Stay tuned for a very exciting announcement on this very soon.”
The Core Pillars, we asked Nivine Issa
Eager to learn more about the offerings of Nivine Issa’s business, we inquired, “What unique offerings does your company bring to the table in the competitive industry? What future-proofing strategies do you have in place to ensure your business remains resilient and forward-looking?”
“We stand on three key pillars – Quality, Agility and Expertise. We pride ourselves on the work that we do and we are driven by our passion to make a difference on the projects we work on. We don’t just want to tick the box. We are small enough to be efficient and agile, meaning that every project we work on is important and every client we work with is looked after.
We value the importance of partnerships and the multi-faceted approach of environmental consulting. That’s why we rely on a network of trusted partners who bring in the much-needed expertise required on intricately challenging projects. We have partnered with HR Wallingford with world-renowned water expertise and Geosmart Decision (GSD) a UK-based consultancy specializing in geospatial planning and remote sensing expertise.” Nivine shared.
A Strong Message For Women Entrepreneurs
Lastly, addressing the aspiring entrepreneurs, we asked, “As a successful woman entrepreneur, what are your views on the state of women’s entrepreneurship today, and what message would you like to share with aspiring women entrepreneurs to inspire them on their journey?”
Nivine Issa replied, “I am very fortunate that setting up a business nowadays is easier than ever. The most challenging part is formulating your unique service offering and developing a successful and efficient business model. I don’t particularly feel challenged with this being a woman, I believe the same issues present themselves regardless of what gender or age you are.
Perhaps the message that I would like to put out there is for all women to follow their dreams and not be afraid of the stigma around working moms. Indeed, it is a challenging journey, but it is a much more rewarding one with your family by your side.”
Follow Nivine Issa on LinkedIn.
Find Terra Nexus on LinkedIn and visit their website www.terranexus.co
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