Company: Woods
Job title: Senior Associate Engineer
What Regional Champion position are you interested in? Canterbury/West Coast
About Mark
I’m a Chartered Civil Engineer with 15 years’ practice in Canterbury, specialising in land development and horizontal infrastructure. My work spans the full project lifecycle – from pre-purchase due diligence and plan change through to consenting, design, construction and operations. I am also a certified RMA Hearings Commissioner.
My practice is anchored in Canterbury but extends across New Zealand, which means I regularly contextualise local issues against the national picture. I work alongside clients from both the public and private sectors, and my day-to-day role requires constant liaison with a wide cross-section of the industry – from council staff and technical colleagues through to contractors and end users. Beginning my career as a contractor has given me a first-hand appreciation of how engineering theory translates at the coal face – a grounding I draw on constantly.
People matter to me. I’ve been actively involved in Engineering New Zealand’s MentorMe programme for several years – the perspectives young people bring are a timely reminder that the work we do, and the way we do it, will be inherited by others. I enjoy networking, find common ground easily, and use this to build relationships that are genuinely useful to both parties.
What strengths do you bring to the Regional Champion role?
My strongest asset is breadth of perspective.
Having worked across the full range of firm sizes in Canterbury, I understand what keeps an SME principal awake at night and what a large firm’s leadership team is managing. That dual lens matters – the risks and opportunities look very different depending on where you sit.
My practice spans public and private sector clients, interaction with multiple disciplines and every project stage. My daily interaction with a wide cross-section of our industry means I understand how a procurement policy change, a council funding decision, or a regulatory shift creates ripple effects across the whole consulting sector – not just one part of it. As a certified RMA Hearings Commissioner, I bring a working understanding of the planning environment that governs so much of what our members do daily.
My career pathway, combined with a practice that extends beyond Canterbury across New Zealand, means I can contextualise regional issues against the national picture and advocate for them with credibility.
I’m technically current, action-oriented, and enjoy liaising with and advocating for our members.
How would you support ACE’s mahi in your region?
Canterbury and West Coast members range from sole practitioners to global firms. My priority would be ensuring that all voices across this spectrum are genuinely heard.
ACE New Zealand’s advocacy pillars – pipeline certainty, fair procurement, future workforce and local government engagement – map directly onto what our region is navigating. I understand these issues from the inside: working across firm sizes, client types and every project stage means I see how procurement decisions, funding uncertainty and workforce pressures land differently depending on where you sit. I’d bring this practical grounding to Canterbury’s voice at the national level.
My track record reflects this intent. I’ve contributed to ACE’s national conversations on sector challenges, participated in technical review of the National Engineering Design Standards, and highlighted the implications of the Standards New Zealand funding shortfall for the sector.
One of ACE’s genuine strengths is that members are willing to take their company hat off and tackle shared problems collectively. I’d actively foster that culture regionally – facilitating conversations, connecting members across firm sizes and acting as a conduit to the national board. My relationships across local government, private clients, consultants and contractors place me well to do that.