Jan Villa would like to be connected with you

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Who is this Jan? In short, I am fascinated by building in the stock and the success of my team. However, like all of us, there is a little story behind it.

It's summer vacation in 2002 and I would like nothing more than to play soccer outside with my friends. But once again I have to work in my father's office cutting, folding and delivering plans to earn my vacation money. Back then, it was common practice to plot building plans in what I considered huge formats and deliver them to the architects in town by bicycle. Those were my first contacts in the construction industry and I can honestly say - I didn't like it at all.

After that I applied for an apprenticeship as a draftsman. But my interest was, to put it nicely, very low. It didn't mean anything to me and I didn't really want it. I think it is also very good I decided against it. And it went for a few years in the catering and hotel business for me.

Those years were very formative for me. I learned so much that helps me today. At the reception I learned to meet guest needs and to manage administrative processes efficiently. In the kitchen I learned to struggle through, it was hard working at the lowest level in a Michelin restaurant, "Oui Chef" were my only allowed words for several weeks. However, I learned to pay attention to details and control large amounts of tasks at the same time and execute them to perfection. Working in a variety of countries and cultures has helped me perform in a team of diverse people and weld them together. What few would guess, but I am a trained hotelier, not an architect, not an engineer and not a geomatician.

I realized, however, that the hotel industry was not right for me in the long term when I was not allowed to live out my urge for more several times. I wanted more responsibility, to lead more, to achieve more and make more of a difference.

Fate then brought me back to my first work experiences. During my childhood and my education at the hotel management school, I had always helped my father and my brother with building surveys to earn some extra money. I always enjoyed working with you.

And as if in one fell swoop, I realized that the solution to my urge was right in front of me. Since that day me and my brother Livio are the VDE. And it was one of the best decisions of my life, I love my vocation. Nobody had thought that after my disinterest as a child, that this is exactly my passion.

But enough about the past - I'm happy to tell you about the now. Strengthened by hundreds of building surveys and the exchange with many great personalities from the construction industry became from "Fake it till you make it - you become it". I am proud of what we have achieved over the past years. We deliver a service shaped by my life as a host.

Projects are delivered on time virtually 100% of the time (there can be one or two projects a year that cause unexpected problems). The customer is a guest with us and lived every day not just as a vision on a dusty Word document. We have so many regular customers who are happy to pay 20% more for our high quality 3D models than an alternative offer because they know what they are getting. We always deliver precise and high quality data, there are no deviations or exceptions. We offer planning reliability.

When it comes to expertise in surveying with 3D laser scanners, I like to say without hesitating a bit that my brother Livio is the absolute professional without equal. I don't know if there is anyone in Switzerland who has recorded as many scan positions as Livio. Thousands of scans all over Switzerland.

What gives me pleasure every day is working in our young team. With my 33 years, I am quite a bit above the average age of 27 of our team. The young generation is often generalized, but they prove every day that they have an absolute desire to work and learn, and do so with incredible motivation and an enormous identification with us as a company. At VDE, we don't even have to philosophize or discuss modern, flexible working; this is a natural result of our young team spirit.

Now it's time to come to an end. I could go on and on about my life and work in Vietnam, but I think that is material for a future article if anyone is actually interested in this kind of stories.