It’s all about the chemistry

Theo Leung reflects on personal and professional growth.

Trained as a Materials Engineer, Theo Leung applies his understanding of the properties, structure, and behaviour of metals and other materials to ensure products are durable, efficient, and optimized for their intended use. This is a crucial skill when constructing pipelines to withstand often extreme conditions, but it’s also useful when designing and building a team that is built to last (and maybe a band, too, but you’ll have to wait to the end for that). In all cases, it all boils down to chemistry.

“We have a unique culture at Lauren, and we’ve managed to keep that through a pandemic and lots of growth. It hasn’t always been easy, but we work hard to stay connected to each other and make people the priority here,” Theo says.  

Now the Manager of the Pipeline Engineering group and a Project Manager, Theo recalls nearly eight years ago when he took a leap of faith and joined a group of up-and-coming engineers to help build Lauren’s business in Vancouver as a Project Engineer. Although just two years into starting up the company’s first office outside of Alberta, he says the small team was already developing a reputation for being “scrappy and really good.”   

“I had just gotten my P. Eng and was working for a competitor at the time. I hopped over to Lauren because I saw they were assembling a great team, and I knew there was a lot of potential here. I had already worked with Terry Brar (now Director of Client Development) and heard positive things about the other early builders like Fletcher Evans, Dustin Edgren, Christina Clark, Steve Bergen, and Graham Pavlik. They were good at what they do, but they also had a different attitude and approach, more like a start-up,” Theo recalls.

Through all the ups and downs of growing a business one project and one client at a time, Theo says the core team stuck together through thick and thin. There was an unspoken belief in the mission to differentiate in a crowded field by providing highly personalized service – often in a crunch. “There were some quiet days and long lunches back then,” Theo recalls jokingly, “but we believed in the vision and enjoyed each other’s company.”

“I think what sets us apart is our flexibility and being open to new ideas and ways of doing things. We really try to help our clients and make their lives easier,” he says. “And yes, we do have a bit of a reputation for being able to jump in and fix things, often under very tight deadlines.”

Speaking of reputation, Theo believes there is no higher compliment than receiving a referral from a client. This is how the group has grown to its current size and added a thriving new location in Kelowna—by delivering the goods, being dependable, “trustworthy and likeable”.  Theo points to Lauren’s deep relationship with Enbridge as an example of fostering genuine partnership, understanding the client’s business and where and how you can make life easier for their internal teams.    

“I’m proud of the relationships that we build with our clients, and I like hearing that our reputation is growing. I like to tell our clients their success is also our success. Success has to be mutual, and there is no need for a winner and a loser in a client-vendor relationship.”

Looking ahead to 2025, Theo feels the team is more energized and aligned than ever. 

“Engineering companies aren't ever really household names per se, but within the industry, I can see Lauren continuing to earn its place as a recognized brand. I think that’s pretty cool knowing how we got started in Vancouver,” he says.

And when he’s not busy investigating materials chemistry at work? Theo loves creating a different kind of chemistry as a guitar player and self-confessed ‘gear head’ in an alt-rock group.