When Richard Rakovics first arrived in New Zealand, he quickly decided that it wasn't for him and headed home to Europe. But then he found himself homesick … for Aotearoa.

"I missed the openness, the greenery, being on the beach, the weather. I had to go away from New Zealand to appreciate it fully," he says.

A few months later the Fletcher Construction Project Manager was back on our shores, and hasn’t looked back.
 
It's not just the Kiwi lifestyle he's loving, it's the work opportunities he's had here. Richard believes he's getting opportunities at Fletcher Construction that he wouldn't get elsewhere. "In New Zealand, you can achieve your goals much faster than in other countries. Fletcher Construction in particular gives you the opportunity to progress. If the company sees your potential, they'll give you opportunities to prove yourself. Europe is more traditional - you have to do your time to reach certain positions."
 
But that being said, Richard says the scale of Fletcher Construction means it still feels world class. "Working here, you get the feeling you're working for an organisation that could operate anywhere in the world."