By Staff Writer
The Ministry of Works and Infrastructure new Chief Executive Officer, Tupa’i Mr. Mau Simanu, is looking forward to his new job challenge as he transitioned from Chief Engineer of the Electric Power Corporation.
His pathway into the highly selective management role at the top of the ladder in the public service started 22 years ago in an on and off relationship with the EPC.
While most of the time was spent with the Corporation, there were educational study breaks and career changes as well, teaching at the Samoa Polytechnic before it later merged into the NUS Institute of Technology.
Tupa’i worked from the bottom up as an engineer with the EPC on his return from New Zealand with an electrical engineering certificate.
He left his job in pursuit firstly of a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering in Australia and later on a Master’s in Engineering Management after a second work break.
He was teaching at the NUS when the EPC enticed him back to be involved in a major power sector expansion project in 2008 and have since remained to climb as high as Chief Engineer.
“My job was to do mostly with managing projects and resources rather than engineering work which I was not involved in very much,” Tupa’i explained to Newsline Samoa.
His management role sit well with his Master’s degree in engineering and makes it easier for him to transition into top management responsibilities as the Ministry of Works new CEO.
“This is a regulatory body responsible for aviation, land transport, maritime as well as looking after Government assets where regulations are enforced, so it’s basically management.
“Managing human and financial resources are the bottom line and I’ve admitted already to a few people about what I know and what I don’t know and have to rely on someone who does.”
Tupa’i admitted that there are no textbooks to learn how to look after your staff, customers and your political superiors better but they are responsibilities a CEO must learn to handle.
“There are goals to be met both on the inside and the outside, they are all part and parcels of your work and the pressures of doing so are stressful.
“One of my challenges is to bring value to my new responsibilities as CEO for the Ministry.”
Tupa’i was the only newcomer in the Cabinet confirmation of three CEOs during the week that included the Samoa Land Corporation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Peseta Ms. Noumea Simi stays on for another 3-year contract term as head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
This would be her third 3-year contract as CEO for the Ministry since her first appointment back in 2015 for an on going career of 40 years with the public service.
Samoa Land Corporation CEO Ulugia Petelo Kavesi is also serving a third consecutive 3-year contract term.
Ulugia has been in the public service for 30 years working with the Samoa Tourism Authority and the Accident Compensation Corporation.
He is the holder of two Master’s Degrees, one in Development Studies and the other in Business Administration.