(OTTAWA) October 19, 2023 - The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada (ACEC) is pleased to announce that the 2024 Allen D. Williams Scholarship has awarded to Rahim Ahmad, P.Eng., of Associated Engineering in Saskatoon. Mr. Ahmad was announced as the scholarship winner during the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards gala which took place on the evening of October 19th.
A great communicator, Rahim Ahmad is well-known to be generous, compassionate, and a person of high integrity. Currently serving as a Project Manager and Project Engineer at Associated Engineering, Rahim designs and manages infrastructure and water engineering projects for municipal and industrial clients in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. He is passionate about making projects more sustainable and climate-resilient, and consistently helps clients complete projects on schedule and on budget. His clients and colleagues alike appreciate his winning combination of professionalism, technical excellence, and genuine desire to help.
The son of a former refugee, Rahim grew up in BC’s Lower-Mainland, then moved to small-town Saskatchewan as a teen. He credits this upbringing with helping him develop his strong people skills.
That has certainly translated to the workplace – Rahim is known for demonstrating a sincere interest in getting to know his colleagues, staff, and clients. He is an exceptional relationship builder, which colleagues note is often only seen at the most senior levels of consulting engineering firms.
Throughout his career, Rahim has worked on a range of diverse projects, including the Husky Direct River Intake Project, the Westside Irrigation Project, the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant Renewal, and multiple projects in the Town of Maple Creek. A particular highlight for Rahim was when he was called on to manage a team that delivered the annual Fort Chipewyan Winter Road, an important link that connects rural and Indigenous communities to Fort McMurray.
Noted for his selfless nature, Rahim is said to be unsurpassed in his volunteer efforts in the community. Within the consulting engineering industry, he is the past Saskatoon Representative for the ACEC-Saskatchewan Future Leaders Network, as well as an industry mentor for engineering students in the University of Saskatchewan’s engineering co-op program. In the broader community, Rahim is a past Board Director of the Saskatoon Open Door Society, where he lent his business acumen to help newcomers build their lives in Canada. He serves in the External Affairs Department for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at in Saskatoon and as a local leader for their youth association.
Rahim is also a founding member of the Sunflower Network, an organization of Saskatchewan industry leaders that helps Ukrainians fleeing the war to find safety and a new home in the province. He has received many accolades for his professional and community contributions, including the 2022 ACEC-Saskatchewan Young Professional Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal Saskatchewan.
When it comes to the future of the industry, Rahim is optimistic. He has stated that his vision is for consulting engineering to represent the diversity of Canada, so that it can better understand and address the needs of all people and design infrastructure to better our communities today, and for generations to come.
Given his dedication to a strong consulting engineering industry, as well as his technical expertise and exemplary service-based leadership, Rahim Ahmad was a clear choice for the 2024 Allen D. Williams Scholarship.
Every year, ACEC awards a rising engineer with a scholarship to recognize their leadership within the industry and to commemorate Allen D. Williams, past ACEC Chair and founder of Williams Engineering Inc. The scholarship provides the recipient with funding to cover registration for the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Future Leaders Management Certificate program and attendance at the FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference.