Meet the Team
Jacinta Alexander
In this month’s Meet the Team interview, we spoke to Jacinta Alexander. At the time of our conversation, the New Zealander was preparing for a long journey home to a much colder climate, escaping what was another relentless week of summer heat in the UK.
We discussed her love of complex bid management, her experience delivering projects around the world, and the role that attracted her to Crescar.
Interviewer: How long have you been with Crescar?
Jacinta: I joined on April 8, 2024.
Interviewer: I love the specificity of the date!
Jacinta: I joined because Crescar was working on a high-profile rail project that I wanted to be a part of, and by day two, I was in the client’s offices working on the bid!
Interviewer: Talk about moving fast.
Jacinta: Yes, it was fast! It was a wild and crazy start.
Interviewer: What was it about this project, in particular, that you really wanted to be involved with?
Jacinta: I’ve worked on multiple high-profile projects in the past, and it was a project I was genuinely interested in and wanted to help deliver in some way.
Interviewer: Is your bid management experience concentrated in rail?
Jacinta: I’ve worked on the first High Speed Rail project and also a substantial project in Kazakhstan. I enjoy working in rail, but really, getting my feet under any major bid, making sense of the documentation, and breaking everything down into deadlines and deliverables, that’s my happy place.
You could say, the bigger the project and the higher the stakes, the happier I am.
Interviewer: What does managing a project of that complexity involve?
Jacinta: When a major bid lands, there can easily be more than 1,000 documents to review and make sense of. My role is to break everything down into manageable actions and create a bid book that sets out the project timeline, the bid requirements and the responsibilities of each person involved.
Leading the team towards a compliant, compelling and commercially sound submission is my responsibility. The focus is always on ensuring every element of the bid strengthens our client’s chances of winning the contract.
Interviewer: And what does that look like day to day?
Jacinta: I work alongside subject matter experts (SMEs) to understand the nuances of a project and bring together input from specialists across areas such as finance and legal. That information is then reviewed through multiple stage gates, allowing us to refine and strengthen the submission at every stage.
For example, one of the earliest actions is storyboarding the solution with the SMEs. That gives me direct insight into what’s most important to the bid, and from there I can develop the master bid book, bringing together insight, action and accountability.
Each stage gate is challenged and refined through external review boards, so by the end of the process we’ve developed a well-considered, comprehensive submission for the client.
Interviewer: Are there any standout projects you can talk about?
Jacinta: We’re under NDAs for many of our projects, unfortunately, but I can say that since joining Crescar, I’ve worked on a wide variety of projects across the world, from transport solutions supporting the milestone rail project in London to a major entertainment venue in the Middle East.
Interviewer: Does geography or local politics affect the bid-writing process?
Jacinta: It can, but normally it doesn’t as before progressing with any bid, we can provide clients with an extensive prequalification service that considers geography, politics, resources and other key factors to assess the opportunity and likelihood of success before deciding whether to proceed. This process creates a strong framework for success before the bid even begins.
Interviewer: Looking ahead, what are your ambitions for yourself and Crescar?
Jacinta: To continue contributing to global projects. It’s as simple as that. I love the complexity, the challenge and the opportunity to work with great people, so I’m looking forward to seeing where the next projects take us.
Interviewer: Moving away from bids, I hear you’re heading to New Zealand in a few days?
Jacinta: Yes, I’m heading back for a family celebration, in New Zealand’s winter. But to be honest, I’ll be thankful to escape the oppressive British heatwaves.
Interviewer: I always like to end on a lighter note with film recommendations or favourite destinations; would New Zealand feature on yours?
Jacinta: 100%. The people are warm, open, authentic and humorous and know how to make you feel welcome. My family is there, so of course that’s a big part of it, but the scenery and climate are simply incredible. I’m biased, but it really is beautiful.
Interviewer: Some very long flights though?
Jacinta: Yes, 26 hours of flights in total. It’s brutal, but worth it.
Interviewer: I hope you have a lovely trip, Jacinta!
Jacinta: Thank you!
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