SARAH NARJES
GENERAL MANAGER | MORTENSON
SALT LAKE CITY
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE A CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION?
I majored in civil engineering in college, and it didn’t take me long to realize that I had a different skill set than many of my peers. I thought a more dynamic and interactive job might be a better fit than a strictly engineering role. Then, one of my college professors made an impression on me. The content in his classes got me interested in the construction career path and its tangible influence on the built w
orld. He often shared his personal stories of building the World Trade Center in New York City, and that experience always stuck with me.
WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB?
Early on, I focused on the more micro: helping trade partners be successful by ensuring that things were installed completely and correctly and coordinated seamlessly the first time. Later, I became more inspired by the macro: nurturing the spark of creativity and success in my team.
WHAT IS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?
In March, Mortenson hosted a women’s event with Laura Huang as the keynote speaker. I have been listening to her book, “Edge: Turning Adversity Into Advantage,” and have enjoyed it. Huang makes incredible points and challenges the reader, and though I wouldn’t say that I have mastered her approach yet, I appreciate the concepts and hope to incorporate them into my journey moving forward.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE?
In leadership, I love to come alongside my team and help them get to the finish line, whether that is by helping to execute or to remove obstacles to execution. I enjoy finding what inspires and motivates people to think big and shoot for the moon.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUILD THAT YOU HAVEN’T YET?
Salt Lake City is experiencing rapid growth across several sectors. There is so much opportunity here to build out our presence and put Mortenson’s full vertical-integration capabilities to work. I am especially intrigued by design for manufacturing and assembly methodology and look forward to our first Salt Lake City DFMA project.
DO YOU HAVE A MENTOR?
My mentor in the construction industry is Senior Vice President Krista Twesme, who I have been able to connect with through Mortenson’s amazing mentorship program. I have learned so much from Krista’s transparency, approachability and willingness to give me constructive criticism. I appreciate how much she truly does care and advocates for me personally.
WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE?
I’d like to master the superpower of aligning talent and need with underlying context—representing the best side of myself, our company and people to the right stakeholder at the right time to ensure that we are indispensable.
