2024 ACE Awards winners

The ACE Awards celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s best consultants working in the built and natural environment and the exceptional mahi being done for communities here and overseas.  

The awards recognise the consultants who go above and beyond ‘business as usual’ to deliver projects and initiatives that make a difference to people's lives. Our award entrants are often up against really complex challenges, like remote locations, tight timeframes or small budgets. 

It’s the rigorous judging criteria that makes the ACE Awards stand out. Our judges are consultants at the top of their game, handpicked each year from the industry. As well as outstanding consulting services, they focus on technical expertise, sustainable value and client satisfaction. The key aspect this year was seeing how ACE members were making an impact - the difference the entry had made to the community, client or world in general.   

Projects are awarded gold, silver or merit based on the level of achievement, how much the project has exceeded expectations and whether it sets a new industry standard. Judges may also present special awards where there is a unique contribution to the industry or community.  

The 2024 ACE Awards were held on Thursday 24 October at the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. 

 

Gold Award winners

 

Auckland Zoo: South East Asia Jungle Track Project

Consultant: Jacobs 
Client: Auckland Zoo

Taking zoo experiences to the next level, the South East Asia Jungle Track covers approximately one-fifth of Auckland Zoo’s visitor area and provides immersive habitats and visitor amenities for young and old alike to experience and enjoy.  

The entire habitat design was driven by the science of animal care and was the product of consultation with international zoo specialists, curators, zookeepers and veterinarians. This collaboration was essential for the project team to understand animal behaviors and then develop innovative, bespoke engineering solutions to reflect the animals' natural habitat. 

Jacobs is recognised for the bespoke engineering solutions developed to respond to the behaviours of the animals in the habitat, with materials, structural strength and environmental conditions designed, specified and installed to reflect nature with animal welfare and visitor safety at the front and centre of the design. 

 

Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Projects - Pan Pac and Ravensdown

Consultant: Artifex Engineering
Client: Ravensdown and Pan Pac Forest Products

In February 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle hit Hawke’s Bay. Ravensdown’s Napier fertiliser plant and Pan Pac Forest Products’ Whirinaki site were inundated with floodwaters, silt, and debris. While damage was extensive, the real impact on both businesses and their stakeholders was the total loss of production until repairs could be affected. 

For Pan Pac, early indications were that the rebuild cost was going to exceed $100 million, and that there would be approximately 12 months of lost operation with 450 staff and contractors adversely affected. For Ravensdown, this was the second major blow to its Napier plant, having only become operational two weeks' prior due to a fire that took it out of operation for three months.  

Artifex is recognised for its leadership in bringing together disparate organisations of client personnel, consultants and contractors into coherent and unified teams, engaging with third parties using unique procurement processes, and leading health and safety for the recovery effort.  

 

Manganui Gorge Suspension Bridge

Consultant: DC Structures Studio
Client: Department of Conservation

The Department of Conservation (DOC), as part of the Taranaki Crossing Project, wanted consultants to design, consent and deliver a 1.2 metre-wide suspension bridge with an approximate span of 90 metres across the Manganui Gorge.  

DC Structures Studio responded to the challenge by combining in-house engineering and architectural expertise to show DOC what “the next level” of design looks like, and then left a legacy of methods and knowledge in place for it to use and elevate all of its projects into the future. 

In doing so, DC Structures successfully doubled the asset’s design life at no additional cost, and reduced live loading by 30 percent, eliminating the need for load restrictions while implementing state-of-the-art national and international design practices. 

DC Structures Studio is recognised for adding significant consulting value to DOC’s business, delivering exceptional value for money, and sharing its methods, innovations, and design developments with DOC.

 

Project Recharge

Consultant: Aurecon
Client: Mataura Valley Milk

Project Recharge is a partnership with Mataura Valley Milk (MVM) to realise the complete electrification of its dairy processing site in Southland. The project has made MVM the first dairy factory in New Zealand to have 100 percent steam generation through a high-pressure electric boiler – a significant milestone for the industrial energy transition. 

Aurecon was appointed to assist MVM to tackle the ambitious goal of converting 100 percent of its steam generation to electric. This will effectively displace coal from the site and achieve a reduction in GHG emissions of 22,000 tCO2e per year. Project Recharge plays directly into the New Zealand Emission Reduction plan, which aims to establish a sustainable, secure, and affordable energy system for a low-emissions economy. 

Aurecon is recognised for its excellence in identifying and de-risking the application of this technology, the development of the business case and the delivery of client-side project management and governance support during construction and commissioning. 

 

Project SH25A Taparahi Bridge

Consultant: Tonkin + Taylor and Beca
Client: McConnell Dowell and Fulton Hogan

Reconnecting communities safely and quickly following natural disasters is critical. Following the major weather events in 2023 that destroyed 120 metres of State Highway 25A in the Coromandel, the crucial road link became inaccessible.  

Coming up with a delivery solution that enabled the bridge spanning the slip area to be designed and safely constructed in just seven months, the SH25A Taparahi Slip remediation project has set a new benchmark for our industry. The response delighted the local community and holidaymakers, and contributed an estimated $69 million increase in tourism expenditure to the region. 

This project is a clear example of what can be achieved through having a clear purposeful goal, bringing together people with established trusted relationships, and a commitment to deliver because no one wanted to let the side down. 

Tonkin + Taylor and Beca are recognised for their design and investigation agility, collaborative solution focus expertise and innovation.

 

Wellington Rail Operations Centre: Preliminary Design and Advisory

Consultant: WSP
Client: KiwiRail Holdings

Imagine designing a space capable of housing a combined 100-plus strong network and access control team who, in a typical week, manage movement of 900 freight trains, 2,500 metro trains in Auckland, and 2,000 metro trains in Wellington. That’s the challenge WSP’s human factors and architecture teams found themselves in while working with KiwiRail in developing their new Wellington Rail Operations Centre (WROC). 

To address these challenges, WSP’s human factors' team joined forces with KiwiRail stakeholders in developing innovative ways to meet the brief. WSP’s team leveraged human-centered design and socio-technical systems, with the new design shaped around specific operators' requirements. 

WSP, in bringing human-centric design practices to the table have delivered an outstanding consulting experience through stakeholder-led design. The WROC is an example of a real-life user-informed, user-driven design, combining human factors, science, engineering, and architecture to deliver a space that exceeds every expectation. 

 

Silver Award winners

 

Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant

Consultant: GHD 
Client: Waipa District Council

The Waipa District Council sought to collaboratively develop and consent a long-term wastewater treatment solution for Cambridge. The council’s objective was to foster shared decision making, acknowledge kaitiakitanga (guardianship) principles, honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and implement co-management practices to uphold the best-for-river outcomes under Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato (the vision and strategy for the Waikato River). 

GHD was appointed to guide and assist the council to navigate its way through the consenting process to obtain a 35-year discharge consent for the project. 

The approach resulted in the successful co-design of the Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant consenting, seamless endorsement of resource consents, smooth approvals processes, establishment of a Mātauranga Matariki framework, and attainment of a 35-year resource consent without the need for a formal council hearing. This saved significant money for Waipa and enabled early commencement of construction activities.  

GHD is recognised for its delivery of an outstanding RMA consenting and engagement process within a co-design framework. 

 

Defence Estate and Infrastructure Alliance

Consultant: Beca and GHD
Client: Defence Estate and Infrastructure, New Zealand Defence Force

Stretching across more than 81,000 hectares, the Defence Estate includes everything from housing, barracks, gyms, libraries, maintenance workshops, medical facilities, roads, runways, and infrastructure such as water, power and fuel. Most importantly, the Defence Estate is where New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel work, live and train. 

What makes the Defence Estate and Infrastructure (DEI) alliance unique is the way the infrastructure is delivered. It is a nationwide portfolio alliance, and resources have been augmented at an organisational level into every business group within the DEI.   

The DEI alliance is an exemplar of strategic collaboration, working cohesively to manage an ambitious, nationwide portfolio with foresight and exceptional skill. This integrated approach has consistently delivered outcomes that surpass expectations, demonstrating a shared excellence in service.  

Beca and GHD are recognised for their role in the alliance, which has delivered value, transformed how NZDF manages its Defence Estate, seen multiple projects move into procurement and construction, and, ultimately, realised benefits for all NZDF personnel.

 

Marlborough Roads Recovery Programme

Consultant: Stantec
Client: Marlborough District Council

Maintaining community connections is challenging when areas are hit by multiple significant storm events. Since July 2021, Marlborough has been dramatically impacted by these events. Roads were impassable for months following each event and some are still under restrictions today. These events have impacted over 2,000 permanent residents, 2,600 property owners who live outside Marlborough, more than 150 businesses, and over 2,000 visitors to the area.   

The Sounds Recovery is one of the largest local roads recovery projects for Aotearoa New Zealand, and, prior to Cyclone Gabrielle, was second only to the Christchurch earthquake recovery. 

Appointed in 2021, Stantec is recognised for the support and assurance it provided, its stakeholder and community engagement, and its outstanding work developing the Marlborough Sounds Future Access Study Programme Business Case. This was the first business case developed for reinstatement of existing roading infrastructure.

 

Omāroro Reservoir

Consultant: Holmes
Client: Wellington Water

Enhancing the resilience of Wellington's water supply is challenging. A key resilience project has been the development of the 35 million-litre Omāroro reservoir to double the drinking water storage capacity of Wellington's CBD and eastern suburbs. This makes the Wellington water supply more resilient to potential interruption and disaster. The reservoir, situated within the inner Town Belt, supplies water to approximately 70,000 residents, including the regional hospital and other important community, commercial and industrial facilities. 

Holmes was engaged by HEB Construction to provide an innovative and cost-effective alternative design solution, which satisfied or exceeded Wellington Water’s resilience requirements. The key was the design decision to allow the reservoir to slide and move in a big earthquake, rather than take the traditional approach of locking the structure down.  

Holmes is recognised for its innovative approach, which resulted in the reservoir being in operation a year earlier than planned and delivered cost savings of $9 million.

 

Retail Quarter

Consultant: AECOM
Client: Dunedin City Council

Ōtepoti Dunedin’s historic retail precinct, George Street, has undergone its first makeover in over a generation to create a more people-friendly space, improving accessibility and transforming the experience of the inner city for visitors.  

A key driver for the project was to replace underground infrastructure at the end of its life. Dunedin’s three waters infrastructure within the Retail Quarter area, being up to 150 years old, had reached the end of its useful life. Being part of the city centre that has developed over time, the three waters assets are within a corridor that is extremely constricted with utilities. AECOM undertook a collaborative approach and designed innovative solutions to overcome the challenges and provide resilience for the community by renewing these assets. 

AECOM is recognised for its engagement and consultation processes, contribution to the development of the business case, and its technical innovation and excellence in developing and delivering value for money infrastructure solutions.

 

Sleepyhead Estate Geotechnical Engineering Services

Consultant: Initia
Client: The Comfort Group

Development of ‘Sleepyhead Estate’ has been a long-term goal for brothers Craig and Graeme Turner, third generation of The Comfort Group (Sleepyhead), who wish to give back to New Zealand alongside establishing a brand-new manufacturing plant for their operations. 

The project commenced in 2018 and involved the transformation of marginal land in Ohinewai, Waikato into a viable site for the construction of an industrial hub, quality housing stock, social services and facilities, along with a network of high-quality open spaces. 

Initia was engaged from day one during the due diligence phase for the land purchase. It shouldered the considerable responsibility of providing the geotechnical due diligence, discovering what the land consisted of in real terms, determining what risks it entailed, and outlining in broad terms the viability of construction. 

Initia is recognised for its innovation, technical expertise, and communication and engagement skills in delivering solutions, which have turned a marginal site into viable land for development.

 

Tairāwhiti Wairoa and Hawke's Bay Resilience Strategic Responses  

Consultant: Commute Transportation Consultants
Client: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle in 2023 resulted in loss of life and isolation of East Coast communities. Commute was engaged by the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to identify the rebuild response required to right size the scale and response to the rebuild of the State Highway network.   

Commute responded in an agile manner working alongside NZTA to ensure the response to the disaster was swift, effective and resilient. It developed and delivered the first application of NZTA’s national resilience framework to ensure the response to the disaster was appropriately scaled and prioritised, and pioneered a new option assessment approach at a programme level.   

This innovative approach resulted in the work being undertaken in three months, not the typical nine to 12 months of a business-as-usual approach. The approaches developed have now been applied in other areas, including the Coromandel and Northland.

Commute is recognised for its innovation and technical expertise used to accelerate the reconnection of people and communities. 

 

Temporary Decant Ward Wellington Hospital

Consultant: Aurecon
Client: Health New Zealand and Kensway Consultants

Wellington Hospital has an ongoing programme of works replacing copper piping within its wards. In November 2022, an unexpected change in the availability of spaces planned for decant wards in the Wellington Regional Hospital was advised.  

This left the hospital and project team with a problem. The reallocation of space to the high dependency unit occurred late in 2022, and the interlinked programmes of development required that decanting space was available from the start of 2024, for up to three years or longer.  

Dependent, sequential programmes meant an entire new 12-bed ward project had to be completed and commissioned within 12 months. Aurecon’s solution was a pre-fabricated ward installed on the top of an existing four-storey building. 

Aurecon is recognised for its innovative problem solving, collaboration and engagement with stakeholders and regulators, and its “make it happen” approach.

 

Vanuatu Energy Access Project

Consultant: Stantec
Client: Vanuatu Project Management

Located in the South Pacific ocean, the Republic of Vanuatu consists of approximately 80 islands stretching over 1,300km. Since 2000, access to electricity has increased from 20 percent to 70 percent. One of the islands without large areas electrified was the island of Malekula, specifically the northwest, including 11 village communities.  

In 2015, the Asian Development Bank commissioned a feasibility study that identified renewable energy opportunities on the island of Malekula and the Energy Access Project was initiated. Stantec was appointed as the advisor to develop and deliver the project. Construction started in 2021.

Over the past three years, the project has faced many challenges, including COVID-19’s impacts on New Zealand and Vanuatu, cyclones, land and social disputes, government cyber-attacks, airline strikes, shipping availability and cost increases, inflation, landowner challenges, and occasional earthquakes.  

Stantec is recognised for its commitment and effort to support the Vanuatu Project Management Unit, the contractor and the community through these challenges to get the project across the line, delivering significant community benefits. 

 

Wellington Rail Corridor: Slope & Structural Health Monitoring

Consultant: WSP
Client: KiwiRail Holdings

Safety and reliability of the commuter rail network in Wellington is paramount. After a night of heavy rainfall in August 2021, KiwiRail’s North Island main trunk suffered a slip south of Paekākāriki on the Kapiti Coast derailing two commuter carriages. These events, coupled with multiple slips over a stretch of 25 kilometres between Paekākāriki and Plimmerton in 2022, resulted in  KiwiRail imposing a 40kph restriction to mange safety and risk. 

WSP’s research and innovation centre was engaged to develop and implement a real-time monitoring system. The result is a comprehensive, integrated monitoring system that provides accurate, real-time data, which can operate in a hostile environment without mains power and limited WiFi. This required modifying sensoring, battery, and camera systems along with developing a back-end viewable in real-time by train control and nominated personnel. 

WSP is recognised for its innovation and technical excellence, which enables KiwiRail to maintain safe, efficient, and reliable railway services.

 

Merit Award winners

 

Invercargill Central

Consultant: Holmes
Client: Invercargill Central

Invercargill Central is a visionary new commercial hub for Invercargill in the city centre. It comprises 47 retail tenancies, a childcare centre, five restaurant tenancies, four office tenancies and four levels of parking. An integrated, nine-storey commercial office building is located on a prominent corner adding prime commercial space and creating a new landmark on the skyline. 

Holmes was appointed as the fire engineering consultant. Its role was to develop a fire engineering strategy for Building Code compliance, provide fire design input commensurate and to monitor and guide the implementation. A key challenge was the delivery of staged construction and progressive opening. This project was incredibly dynamic, with project design changing frequently and rapidly as land was acquired and tenants were secured or lost.  

Holmes is recognised for proactively developing, managing and delivering a fire engineering strategy in a collaborative manner, which was flexible and responsive to construction and development needs.

 

Project Kahikatea: Fonterra Waitoa Biomass Boiler

Consultant: Aurecon
Client: Fonterra Co-operative Group

As part of its journey to a low emission manufacturer, Fonterra initiated Project Kahikatea. This involved the construction of a new 30 MW bubbling fluid bed biomass boiler at its Waitoa site to replace an existing coal boiler due to asset condition. The new boiler has a significant impact on Fonterra’s annual emissions, reducing them by 48,000 tonnes of CO2e per annum. 

The project required delivery within a tight timeframe due to the condition of the existing coal-fired boiler plant, and to allow commissioned assets to be available for the new operational season.  

Aurecon supported this project from concept phase through project gating and lead roles in project execution. Its knowledge of Fonterra's site services and requirements allowed the consulting team to integrate the new biomass boiler into the site with minimal operational disruption. 

Aurecon is recognised for its innovative design and construction methodology, excellence in project delivery and collaboration.

 

The Power of Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery

Consultant: Abley
Client: Ballance Agri-Nutrients

Ballance Agri-Nutrients (Ballance) is a New Zealand farmer-owned co-operative. Its core business is supply and manufacture of fertilisers and nutrients to New Zealand farmers along with the delivery of a range of science-based nutrient products and services that are tailored to the needs of the specific farm and farmer. 

Ballance offers farmers access to its award-winning online farm systems software, which captures and analyses the information from farmers to enable informed farming and management decisions.  

In today's competitive market, releasing software with confidence, quality, and minimum downtime is crucial for businesses aiming to stay ahead. Practices such as Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) help to achieve these goals. 

Abley is recognised for its development of a CI/CD capability at Ballance that continues to grow with the needs of the business, protecting all the previous gains of the co-operative's platform, while giving it confidence to extend the platform in future with increased agility and lower release costs.

 

Sustainability Award winner

 

Project Recharge

Recognising: Mataura Valley Milk, Aurecon, and Thermal Chemistry 

Southland, where Mataura Valley Milk’s (MVM) plant is located, has a plentiful supply of hydropower, as well as a newly established wind farm, and is “ahead of the pack” in the adoption of new energy sources. This access to certified renewable electrical energy, combined with an extended 10-year electricity supply agreement, has ensured success for the MVM boiler electrification project.  

Aurecon supported MVM to install a 20 MW high pressure (45 bar g) electrode boiler at their dairy processing site in Gore. This allowed MVM to become the first dairy factory in New Zealand to have 100% steam generation via certified renewable electricity. It is also the first industrial-scale high pressure electrode boiler in New Zealand. 

This has resulted in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 22,000 tCO2e per year from the plant. The Sustainability Award is given to MVM, Aurecon and Thermal Chemistry in recognition of their commitment to a sustainable, secure, and affordable energy system for a low-emissions economy. 

 

Special Award winner

 

Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant

Recognising: Kaitiaki Group (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngati Haua, Waikato Tainui), Community Liaison Group, GHD, Waikato Regional Council and Waipā District Council

The Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant Project sought to obtain a 35-year term for the discharge of treated wastewater for Cambridge. Council sought to foster shared decision making, acknowledge kaitiakitanga (guardianship) principles, honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) and implement co-management practices to uphold the best-for-river outcomes under Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato (the vision and strategy for the Waikato River). 

Crucial to this was the partnership formed with local iwi, including Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngāti Hauā and Waikato Tainui, ensuring that decisions prioritised the river’s wellbeing. Waipā District Council established the Kaitiaki Group, integrating Western science with Mātauranga Māori for environmental assessments. The commitment of staff and mana whenua representatives facilitated the adoption of a Mātauranga Matariki framework, infusing decisions with cultural significance. The outcome was the attainment of a 35-year resource consent without the need for a formal council hearing - an outstanding achievement. 

This Special Award is given to the Kaitiaki Group (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngati Haua, Waikato Tainui), Community Liaison Group, GHD, Waikato Regional Council and Waipā District Council in recognition of their commitment and willingness to pursue a sustainable outcome within a collaborative framework that embraces indigenous knowledge and cultural perspectives, honours the principles of kaitiakitanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

 

Client Award winner

 

Defence Estate and Infrastructure Alliance

Recognising: Defence Estate and Infrastructure, New Zealand Defence Force 

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) provides security, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief both overseas and in New Zealand.  

Responsible for the property, infrastructure and facilities that support military skills and capabilities, the Defence Estate and Infrastructure (DEI) team is a critical enabler for the delivery of NZDF military capabilities and the support it provides to other Government agencies and the community.  

Historically the management of the estate has been very localised and fragmented. Establishing the DEI alliance was a very bold and transformative move by the NZDF requiring an organisation-wide cultural change. The outcome is a centralised, coordinated, and guiding team that integrates better project and programme management into operational business practices.   

The success of the DEI alliance lies beyond the functional delivery of the Defence Estate Regeneration Programme. The programme has and will continue to: 

  • Enable the transfer of knowledge so that when the DEI alliance is disestablished, it leaves a legacy of a capable and sustainable DEI workforce 
  • Provide the opportunity for all participants to upskill 
  • Facilitate the opportunity to learn and put into practice initiatives designed to evolve the effectiveness and efficiency of the DEI to ultimately drive sustained value for New Zealand 

The Client Award is given to Defence Estate and Infrastructure, New Zealand Defence Force for their visionary and transformative change process, which has sought to embrace and embed best practice in all aspects of estate and infrastructure management within the NZDF. 

 

Community Award winner

 

The Tāhekerua/Sharplin Falls Walkway Bridges 

Recognising: EDC / Mount Somers Walkways Society 

Tāhekerua/Sharplin Falls have long been a favoured day outing for the people of Mid Canterbury. A popular walkway had wound its way up the Bowyers Stream to the Tāhekerua/Sharplin Falls. However, rockfalls during the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 had forced a closure. A risk assessment by the Department of Conservation had deemed the walkway unsafe, resulting in a permanent closure.

Understanding the importance of the walkway to the local community, the Mount Somers Walkways Society began to investigate options for a new track to the falls. Its investigations determined that two bridge crossings would be required and initiated the project. Engineering Design Consultants (EDC) provided essential support in navigating the complexities of the project.   

As a community-funded project, the bridges needed to be durable but cost effective and fit into the landscape. EDC’s consulting practices, which focus on community-centric and sustainable solutions, helped align the engineering requirements with the community’s vision for a durable and aesthetically pleasing walkway. 

The result is an outstanding community asset. The people of Canterbury have swarmed to the track, with more than 1,000 users on some days. Society members have contributed more than 4,500 hours of voluntary hard labour and sweat into construction of the track and the bridge access. EDC’s business-as-usual consulting facilitated this incredible outcome by providing the engineering support to bring the community's vision to life.

This Community Award is given to EDC and the Mount Somers Walkways Society for their incredible efforts to see this project completed, including securing funding, managing the process and providing the hard labour and sweat that went into constructing the track.  

 

Emerging Leader Award winner


Sam MacKay, Aurecon New Zealand 

Sponsor: Tonkin + Taylor

Sam is a Technical Director and the Ground and Underground Engineering Practice Leader for Aurecon New Zealand. She specialises in engineering geology, ground risk management and site investigations delivery for infrastructure projects across transport and energy sectors.

Sam is passionate about supporting clients and communities through resilient design, and her goal is to make the complex simple and embed best-in-practice ground engineering services.

For most of her career, she has been based on construction and remote mining sites in Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. Throughout these experiences, she has worked to create positive health and safety cultures across projects and teams.

She is passionate about advocating for and engaging with emerging professionals and cultivating inclusive teams. Her focus is providing platforms for aspiring engineers to explore opportunities and develop meaningful careers across the engineering industry.

Sam's leadership impact is outstanding – she has invested significantly in face time and relationship development with her team. Under her leadership, the engagement, strategy and pathways survey scores have shown marked improvement, reflecting her effective approach and dedication to enhancing these areas.

Her versatility is showcased by her often intersecting roles in community and business leadership. Her experiences as a woman in mining, including the challenges she has faced, have only strengthened her confidence and growth.

The judges appreciated her comment that “ACE serves as the glue” providing cohesion within the industry and fostering a common language. Her commitment to this vision is both insightful and valuable.

Overall, Sam’s experience and journey are truly inspiring. Her willingness to contribute and celebrate leadership within the industry highlights her dedication and the diverse roles in leadership.

 

Diversity and Inclusion Award winner


Sarah Lang, Beca 

Sponsor: Stantec

Sarah Lang is a values-driven leader, who is passionate about using her knowledge and networks to contribute to structural change for a better New Zealand. A senior executive with more than 30 years’ experience in central and local government, private sector and not-for-profit management, Sarah’s legacies are exemplary.

Currently Business Director – Government Advisory at Beca, Sarah is responsible for elevating and extending the organisation’s relationships and business with Central Government agencies, and key stakeholders. Before joining Beca in 2021, she was the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Infrastructure New Zealand. 

The founder of the Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN) in New Zealand, and an advocate for the advancement of women in the infrastructure sector, Sarah led the growth of the WIN network to over 2000 members spread over seven chapters nationwide, was awarded the 2018 Women of Influence Diversity Award, and was a nominee for the 2019 New Zealander of the Year Award.

Sarah is well connected and highly respected in commercial, public and not-for-profit sectors, and also within Māori communities, having worked for and with a number of iwi authorities. Through her various government and not-for-profit roles, along with her own consulting company, Lang Consulting, Sarah has a proven track record in delivering transformational, long-lasting results across a raft of industries. Her ability to leverage from her well-established, senior and cross-cultural networks, combined with her diplomatic leadership and engagement skills, results in enduring positive outcomes for all partners and stakeholders.

 

Futurespace Award winner


Asem Zabin, GHD 

Sponsor: AECOM

Asem Zabin has extensive experience and leadership in the fields of mixed reality, AI, and digital engineering. As the Mixed Reality and Digital Engineering lead at GHD in Aotearoa, he has spearheaded numerous innovative digital engineering initiatives, significantly impacting critical infrastructure projects. His role as Programme Manager for GHD’s New Zealand Information Management Step-Up showcases his dedication to revolutionising data management and achieving ISO 19650 certification.

Asem’s contributions extend beyond technical expertise. He is also recognised for his strong interpersonal skills and effective communication. His participation in conferences and webinars, along with his leadership roles in industry groups like the New Zealand AI forum AEC working group and the New Zealand Digital Twin Working Group, underscores his commitment to advancing the field. Additionally, his pursuit of a PhD in AI and Digital Twins reflects his dedication to deepening his technical knowledge and contributing to the industry.

Asem is recognised for his strong leadership, innovative mindset, and significant contributions to the field of digital engineering. His commendable technical leadership is exemplified by his exceptional leadership in AI and digital transformation, with significant industry-wide impact. His work with Tauranga City Council and the RiverLink project are prime examples of his innovative and future-focused approach. Asem has also made an impressive contribution to the development of the wider community and industry groups through teaching and organising hackathons.

 

President's Award winner


Charlotte Downes, Diversity Agenda

The ACE New Zealand Board unanimously agreed to present the 2024 President’s Award to Charlotte Downes, Programme Director of the Diversity Agenda, an award-winning programme and movement that aims to help engineering and architecture firms become more diverse and inclusive through awareness, empowerment and action. 

Launched in early 2018, the Diversity Agenda is a joint initiative from Engineering New Zealand, the New Zealand Institute of Architects and ACE New Zealand. Since its inception, the campaign has expanded beyond its initial goal of seeing 20% more women engineers and architects in the industry to cover the full range of diversity and inclusion.  

Engineering and architectural firms, and those working within these industries, are encouraged to become Diversity Agenda members and make the ultimate commitment to diversity and inclusion by signing the Diversity Agenda Accord, with personal responsibility from chief executives and business owners to be held publicly accountable for achieving truly diverse industries. There are currently 53 Accord signatories. 

Since becoming Programme Director in 2022, Charlotte has been exceptional in her efforts to further the movement’s reach and tireless in her willingness to extend its boundaries beyond the initial target audience. Under her leadership, notable achievements include raising awareness and empowering members by creating industry networks, offering learning opportunities, and providing tools to help accelerate members’ DEI progress. 

An outstanding achievement announced at this year’s Summit at Parliament was the narrowing of the pay equity gap of Accord signatories to 0.4%, down from 5.6% in 2023. As well as this, 90% of Accord signatories have begun their Māori cultural competence journey and women now occupy 30% of senior leadership roles, with a 5% increase annually.  

Over the past 12 months alone, Charlotte has also secured commitments from Fonterra and Air New Zealand, activated DEI engagement at FIDIC (the International Federation of Consulting Engineers and a traditional and conservative organisation), and is progressing in Trans-Tasman discussions. Her boundless enthusiasm, tenaciousness and desire to deepen her personal knowledge for application to the wider sector is simply exceptional.  

Charlotte has given outstanding service to the professional services sector and the communities we serve and is a very worthy recipient of this award. 

 

Media 

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Sponsored by Beca    

A big thank you to Beca, the 2024 ACE Awards Gala sponsor. 

Contact

If you have any questions about the awards, contact us at [email protected].