Anil Singh Rana FRICS, Associate Director at Gardiner & Theobald, founder of Constructing Professional Development (CPD) and RICS Global Ambassador having mentored 151 MRICS and and 7 FRICS in 18 countries spanning 5 continents as a way of “Giving Back” to the profession. Let’s meet Anil Singh. You can keep up to date with all Anil's achievements and his giving back journey on his YouTube channel here
Being a counsellor for me is a way of “Giving Back” about what I have learned and what others have taught me directly or indirectly. I have always wanted to help people but never thought I will mentor RICS candidates on such a global scale but more importantly to “Give Back” to my very own country, Mauritius
Surveying offers a fascinating and diverse career path. What inspired you to focus on construction specifically?
Like many construction professionals, I stumbled into surveying and fell in love with the construction industry some 22 ½ years ago after meeting my friend Raymond in London. He introduced me to surveying and advised me to study Building Surveying on a part-time basis at London South Bank university whilst I was working as an Assistant Building Surveyor/Project Manager on residential projects. After years of hard work, sacrifice, highs and lows, passion and staying motivated, I graduated with a first class honours RICS accredited degree in Building Surveying - a degree which I was extremely passionate about and loved every minute of it. I have never looked back since, and I still consider myself very fortunate to be extremely passionate about construction and the built environment. I thoroughly enjoy the blend of technical, technological and the people interaction of the construction pathway, love every minute of it! This fueled my passion to undertake an RICS accredited master’s degree in construction project management at Westminster University for further developing my project management skills and was awarded a distinction which allowed me to leap into the next phase of my construction project management career. Being in construction allows me to think on my feet, adapt and deviate from traditional thinking where necessary and champion professional artistry to allow scope for digitisation, innovation and working together for a creative, collaborative, diverse, equitable and inclusive future to advance our profession both locally and internationally. I am lucky enough to have been part of some great construction projects alongside some great people underpinned with long-lasting positive and rich experiences, many of whom have become good friends.
What inspired you to step into the role of a counsellor?
Being a counsellor for me is a way of “Giving Back” about what I have learned and what others have taught me directly or indirectly. I have always wanted to help people but never thought I will mentor RICS candidates on such a global scale but more importantly to “Give Back” to my very own country, Mauritius. My late mother is my source of inspiration and wisdom as she would always go out of her way to assist people. Her selflessness and gratitude have always inspired me. I was raised in Mauritius by a single mother who did all she could to make ends meet, having lots of different jobs at the same time. My mother put me to work early at the young age of 8 years old, mainly because I was a troublemaker as I could not sit still at home. When she went to work, the only way she knew I was safe was to put me at work, that way she wouldn’t have to worry about my whereabouts. During school holidays, I worked for a couple of major companies in the textile industry and subsequently, joined the army. I worked everywhere and anywhere and this helped build my confidence growing up and laid the foundation for my career. Unfortunately, my mother passed away 16 years ago after being diagnosed with cancer, 7 weeks before I sat for my RICS APC final assessment interview. It was unimaginably devastating for me losing my mother but I decided to keep myself busy of coping with my grief and carry on with sitting my interview and passed at the 1st attempt. I attributed my APC success to her. I didn’t get much help or support when I needed it growing up, so I don’t want anyone to be left behind. Simply, I don’t want anyone else to go through what I went through. Nothing can beat helping and transforming people’s lives because when you get a “Thank You” phone call, it is simply the best and the most rewarding feeling in the world. I get the most joy when seeing fellow surveyors overcoming their personal challenges and thrive in their respective careers.
What has been the highlight of your counselling journey so far?
Being the youngest Fellow of RICS in Africa in 2014 and winning the RICS Mentor of the Year Award in 2016 was truly special, a watershed award that will stay with me forever. In the same vein, I am incredibly humbled and privileged to have delivered 205 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) talks for the construction industry attended by 19,200+ participants amounting to 448 hours of CPD since February 2014. I celebrated my 200th CPD in October 2024. Out of the 206 CPD Talks, 103 free webinars CPD Talks were delivered as part of my “Giving Back” campaign during the global Covid-19 pandemic attended by 12,000 + participants. I have also created a “Giving Back” YouTube Channel for colleagues in the industry to catch up on missed webinars. In addition, I am truly humbled to have mentored and been part of the chartership journey of 151 Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) and 7 Fellow Chartered Surveyors (FRICS) across 18 countries spanning 5 continents as part of my “giving back” journey to the profession for the past 17 years from 2008 till now. I have also delivered 43 RICS APC Workshops on “How to become a Chartered Surveyor” to students, graduates and practitioners in the industry. Moreover, I am privileged to have provided advice and general career mentoring to more than 1000+ built environment students, graduates, practitioners and RICS candidates.
You've done an amazing job supporting candidates for the APC in your home country of Mauritius, and it's truly inspiring! How rewarding is it for you to see these candidates achieve success and further their surveying careers and can you share any stories?
Mentoring is guiding by sharing knowledge, experience and wisdom. It is also an opportunity for mutual learning for both the mentor and mentees’ professional journeys, countries, cultures and business sensitivity. Imparting knowledge to industry colleagues is paramount and a passion of mine. I had the opportunity to mentor 102 Chartered Surveyors in Mauritius as a way of “Giving Back” and will always support my fellow colleagues in Mauritius time permitting. The satisfaction derived from mentoring and getting candidates through their chartership is an indescribable feeling and something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Seeing talented candidates reaching new heights after attaining their chartership is immensely blissful, hugely rewarding and incredibly heartwarming. I am genuinely happy to have been part of the mentoring, flourishing and transformational journeys of all the surveyors involved. I have way too many stories to share and it will be unfair to pick on just one or two. All I will say is that everyone’s story is unique and special, and I am privileged and humbled to have played a tiny part in their career progression. Through the hundreds of stories I have been a part of, I have had the opportunity to learn from the inspirational achievements of the past with the aspirations of the present and the opportunities that lie ahead for the profession. Mentoring and inspiring the next generation of built environment professionals is a genuine commitment of mine and laying the foundation for future global mentors of the profession.
How can we inspire more surveyors to take on counselling and mentor roles?
Personally, I think we need to raise more awareness about the various benefits, joy and self-satisfaction of being a counsellor and a mentor as it transforms people’s lives. Now that we live in a “technology-based internet society”, despite the time differences, communication through various technological applications such as Linkedin, Facebook, WhatsApp, Zoom, Google Meet, Skype and Teams has never been easier. RICS APC support can now be provided to struggling RICS APC candidates worldwide via instant communication, thanks to the social media phenomena. Undoubtedly, for me, social media is the way forward to reach out to needy RICS APC candidates around the globe so that they can be part of the highly sought after chartered surveying profession and pick up the RICS APC Mentoring baton to fuel inspiration and ultimately support the next generation of chartered surveyors in their respective countries. Time permitting, I would love to raise more awareness about mentoring and counselling internationally where support is almost non-existent in some parts of the world and produce more global mentors and counsellors for the RICS. Ultimately, we have a duty to motivate, mentor and inspire the next generation of built environment professionals for shaping the environment around us and RICS being at the core of it. My webinar on Celebrating Chartered Surveyors in the Construction Industry on International Women’s Day 2021 with 7 speakers across 5 continents is on my YouTube channel as part of my raising awareness campaign.
You've hosted an impressive array of webinars and talks. What drives your passion, and do you ever feel anxious before speaking?
I care and love the profession and more importantly, absolutely enjoy sharing knowledge with everyone, particularly, with fellow colleagues in the construction industry which drives my passion to organise world class cross discipline in-person talks and webinars. Another factor that drives my passion for CPD talks is to ensure that the next generation of professionals entering the industry is kept abreast of the latest developments and new ways of working such as the integration of AI technologies and the likes in our daily activities. Undoubtedly, there is always going to be an element of nervousness before delivering a CPD talk but once I start, my passion kicks in and subsequently, am all in and ensures that all the participants have an enjoyable, interactive, informative, insightful and a passionate delivery. My advice to anyone hosting and presenting is to be yourself, know your subject, be passionate, be consistent, be open to feedback and last but not least, be inquisitive. Essentially, the more you are exposed to hosting and presenting, the better you are likely to get at it. I am thankful to all the participants who have been part of my CPD talks and hosting journey over the years.
And finally in what ways can the myRICS Community assist surveyors?
The myRICS Community is designed by surveyors for surveyors. It is a collaborative platform where surveyors can connect, network and collaborate with passionate fellow surveyors on a local and global level with access to key resources. The myRICS Community enables surveyors from various countries, different cultures and from all corners of the profession to engage and share their journeys and experiences but more importantly on how fellow surveyors are shaping the built environment in and around them in terms of good practices, collaborative digital platforms and international standards. The myRICS Community also provides an interactive platform where key topics and questions can be raised and discussed in a professional environment. For me, being part of the myRICS Community has been all about staying relevant, connecting, sharing and learning about the latest developments in the surveying industry, ultimately providing me with additional nuggets of wisdom to share in my next talk to students and practitioners alike. I would strongly urge fellow surveyors to join myRICS Community for advice, support and networking across different sectors and specialism in the profession. Last but by no means least, the myRICS Community equips you to become a knowledgeable, exemplar and inspirational RICS ambassador representing the institution at the highest level worldwide. Ultimately, the myRICS Community is all about elevating the present and inspiring the future generations.