Brice Puget was originally from DHI’s France office but seizing a staff transfer opportunity, he embarked on an adventure in February – by relocating to Malaysia! We caught up with Brice to learn about his new chapter as he discovers different cultures and takes on new professional challenges.

Hi Brice, it’s nice to see you on DHI People. Please tell us about yourself!

Hi, I am a Water Resource Engineer. I have a Master’s degree in Hydraulics and Mechanics of Fluids Engineering obtained in Toulouse, France. I started as an intern at DHI in 2020 and became a full-time staff after that. I now work in the Kuala Lumpur office.

In my spare time, I like to do sports (padel, badminton, football…), go hiking and try new food.

You were originally from the France office and are now based in Malaysia. How did that happen and what new ideas or perspectives have you gained from this experience so far?

First, I asked my line manager about the possibility of moving across DHI. We advertised my interest and the Malaysia office responded to it. Last year, I spent three months in Malaysia so I could discover the country and the team while still being in the France team. I liked the experience, so I went through the staff transfer procedure to be employed locally by DHI Malaysia.

What I have learnt so far is to adapt to a very different culture because this is my first time working outside of Europe and lots of things are very different from France. In Malaysia, there are many cultures living together with different habits, traditions etc.

I needed a bit of time at the beginning to adapt to the hot weather here and to speak English every day. The food is also very diverse (Malay, Chinese, Indian…) and usually spicy so you have to be careful when ordering food. I used to think that French food was the best but now I’m not so sure (we still have the best pastries in the world though).

As a Project Engineer from our Water Authorities team, what motivates you to do what you do?

What motivates me is the various scopes and projects we work in, from river flooding, runoff studies to modelling drainage systems. Through our work, we aim to advise and protect people from inundations and natural disasters, and it’s incredibly rewarding to participate in these efforts.

What’s a fun fact about you that people would be surprised to know?

I did a 3-month internship in Ireland during my school years and not so many people know about it in the France office. I really liked Ireland, so I still watch Gaelic Sports (Hurling, Gaelic Football…), follow the daily news about the country etc.

If you could have any job in the world, what would it be and why?

I would like to be a football coach because I love the game, the tactics and I could help my hometown team win some games. Otherwise, maybe a journalist.