Personality Profile Sponsored by :
THINKING BEYOND THE CONVENTIONAL :
MISCHA TESSENDORF
By Benjamin Brits
With her focus on energy-efficient solutions for commercial and industrial applications in the HVAC & R sector , this enthusiastic young engineer also has a great passion for sustainability .
Currently business development manager at Klaus Engineering Group , Mischa Tessendorf , a mechanical engineer ( B . Tech . Mech . Eng .) also holds a masters in business administration from the Gordon Institute of Business Science ( GIBS ) – University of Pretoria , submitting her dissertation : Assessing Sustainability Strategy Implications in an Organisation .
Tessendorf started her career in Bloemfontein as a consulting engineer at a mechanical engineering firm where she chose to specialise in HVAC & R . Moving to Gauteng , she held other positions before joining her current employer where she notes quality is of utmost importance .
With already over eight years in the engineering manufacturing industry , Tessendorf loves every opportunity she gets to be challenged – especially where a lot of innovation is required thus driving a continued thinking beyond the conventional .
Tessendorf believes that even though women make up only a small portion in the industry , they are actually essential as they provide advantageous diversity to any organisation .
Further , a member of the South African Institute of Refrigeration and Airconditioning ( SAIRAC ) and the American Society of Heating , Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers ( ASHRAE ), Tessendorf is currently serving as the diversity chair for the South African Chapter of ASHRAE .
In her spare time , Tessendorf loves to travel ( pre-covid of course ), being outdoors and spending time with her family and friends . She has a particular passion in her life – sport . “ I love playing golf and tennis when I have free time . I actually played golf full-time after school which taught me a lot about having grit and putting in the hours to master a skill . Unfortunately , I don ' t get much time to play anymore , but still enjoy it very much when I do !” she says .
M Tessendorf
Over an above the fact that it ' s not very common for women to be in the mechanical engineering field and pursue a successful career in the industry , what finds its way onto Tessendorf ’ s list is that she considers her most significant achievement to be completing her MBA in 2018 , which she notes “ was a considerable mind-opening learning experience ”. She has also worked on some major industrial projects with large organisations that have offered many learning opportunities through implementing cutting-edge ideas , new technologies and processes , allowing the customer the most efficient solution and product .
Fast-forwarding her career visions , Tessendorf sees herself in a more senior role , having a greater impact on sustainability within an organisation and leading a group of people . She also rightly sees herself making a meaningful impact and contribution to the HVAC & R industry as a whole over her career . RACA
Mischa Tessendorf – sports lover and driver of sustainability .
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I March 2021 27