The Hands-On Approach at Ampd Energy
Meet Richard Kwan, Ampd Energy’s Field Engineering Manager
Richard Kwan, Ampd Energy’s Field Engineering Manager, was always a hands-on guy. During his Chemical Engineering major at university, to get some real experience, he took a gap year to work for GE Water and Process Technologies as a field engineering intern.
The internship was his first experience in environmental and field engineering and helped him understand what kind of work he wanted to be doing in the future. “I am driven by one main thing,” Richard said, “environmental impact. I want to build a career in making a big positive change on the environment.”
After university, Richard worked at a small family-owned company, where he was given the challenge to start a new business stream in an industry he knew about only from his internship: water treatment. He put his head down, familiarized himself with what he needed to know, got close to his customers, and built a successful business.
After two years, Richard decided to move to Hong Kong having long felt a cultural pull from the city but not having lived there before. Two months later, Brandon Ng, the CEO of Ampd Energy, contacted Richard to invite him to work for the company. After learning about Ampd, Richard realized that it fitted what he wanted to do. Ampd Energy was a start-up company with a small but fast-paced team, which would allow him to do the hands-on work that he craved. In addition, Ampd’s mission statement — “an emission free future for construction” — really resonated with Richard and his desire to create a positive impact on the environment.
Richard joined the sales team, where he demonstrated his strength in building customer relationships. This earned him an offer to head the Field Engineering department, a role in which he works directly with the systems and with the customers in the field. “As fun as it was closing deals with customers,” Richard said, “I still felt like I needed to do something more hands on. When the opportunity came to start the field engineering department, I jumped on it.”
Now, Richard is looking toward the future. “I have watched Ampd grow in many stages since I joined the team, first working with the Silo and then transitioning to the Enertainer. It gives me confidence that we are heading in a direction that is both attractive to customers and sustainable for the environment. Now, seeing its potential to expand globally, I am excited, knowing that I get to be part of such an impactful company.”
Richard is equally active outside of his job — literally. He is devoted to physical fitness, training in Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting for up to three hours a day, five days a week. He aims to compete internationally one day. He plays many other sports including basketball, volleyball, and badminton, and moonlights as a part-time personal trainer for his clients.
“If I could have any one superpower, I would choose teleportation, because then I could travel to work sites much more quickly without the need for commuting or navigating traffic.”
