Andrea Rickard
Company: Beca
Job title: General Manager – Transport & Infrastructure
About Andrea
I am General Manager Transport & Infrastructure at Beca and a planner / social scientist. I thrive on making a difference and shaping the environments and communities of the future is a big motivator.
Whakapapa pepeha
I am a fifth generation pakeha kiwi. I was born and grew up in Tāmaki Makaurau and currently live centrally in Ponsonby with my partner. My family live all around Aotearoa - in Auckland, Hawke's Bay, Wellington and Dunedin.
Strategic vision
Uniting to support sustainable business through times of great change, and storytelling. Celebrating the diverse and dynamic opportunities that make up the consulting and engineering professions.
Our industry has significant challenges and opportunities ahead, with digitalisation, decarbonisation, embedding Te Ao Māori into the culture of how we do things, plus the reform agenda front and centre. Being a diverse and inclusive industry that welcomes all people to play a part in shaping the future is critical to success. ACE New Zealand is a core part of leading a collaborative culture that is needed at the grassroots level to facilitate change.
I am passionate about telling the story of how our consulting professions shape the form and function of our natural and built environments, communities and underpin how our future generations will experience the world we leave them – we are too humble as an industry! I believe ACE New Zealand has an important role to play in shaping that story – in particular clarity in articulating the value our professions bring to Aotearoa. ACE New Zealand is in a great place to bring a united voice to advocate for, and celebrate, what we achieve.
If we look at the people who will make up the people in the ACE New Zealand companies of the future, we will need to attract the next generation of consultants to our industry. I am passionate about using stories and creating an environment that enables people to thrive and that is appealing to get involved in.
And secondly; collaboration. ACE New Zealand is uniquely placed to provide an independent and united voice in advocating for sustainable outcomes for the consulting industry as we navigate change. The ability to be a key lynchpin in creating a commercial environment that is fair and equitable, and enables risk-managed by those who are the best place to manage it, is a demonstrated strength of ACE New Zealand. As more voices come to the table through initiatives such as the Construction Sector Accord, ACE will be even more important as a united voice for consulting - in other words, what ACE can be really famous for.
Strengths
The strengths that I will bring to the ACE New Zealand board are flexibility, curiosity and great communication skills. Effectively communicating to diverse audiences is critical for my role as General Manager. My leadership style, which is strongly aligned with successful governance, is characterised by personal accountability, an inclusive and equitable approach and values-based, consensus decision-making.
From my major project delivery leadership across multiple market sectors, my corporate leadership and board roles, I have proven expertise in governance, diverse team leadership, and making meaningful organisational change. I am experienced in board reporting, decision-making, as well as providing strategic direction for teams to deliver on.
I have training in corporate governance principles and the duties and responsibilities of directors. As a director, I provide strategic governance and oversight of Beca’s international business operations in the Pacific and further afield.
I have held senior leadership roles in the optioneering, tendering and construction of some of Aotearoa’s largest transport, water and social infrastructure projects and programmes. I have advised iwi governance bodies on matters of significant cultural importance, including ownership of and access to water, resource use and the coastal environment.
As General Manager, I lead risk management processes for commercial contracts, risk allocation and commercial outcomes and therefore have good knowledge of the governance, procurement models, tools and contracts used in our industry, across New Zealand and the South Pacific. From the hands-on experience, I deeply understand the impact that different commercial models can have on project outcomes. In addition, health, safety and wellbeing is a key portfolio responsibility. Alongside accountability for commercial and delivery performance, I champion strategy for decarbonisation, climate risk and resilience.
I believe ACE New Zealand has an important role to play in articulating and championing the value that our professions bring to Aotearoa. My experience in communicating complex issues in simple terms is a key strength I bring to the Board.
What does diversity and inclusion mean to you?
To me, it is about belonging for everyone. Everyone deserves respect and to feel they belong. It means vibrancy, increasing innovation and ideas. I think we have a way to go as an industry to be a welcoming environment for everyone, and for our people to better represent the communities we serve. It is not enough anymore to treat everyone the same – we need to recognise that different people have different needs. And consulting is all about people.
Those who see diversity as a kind of tick-box exercise or a process are totally missing the point. Having an open mindset and re-looking at things in a different way will greatly benefit our industry, and that is what a diverse workforce brings. And this means making sure opportunities are provided to everyone regardless of race, gender, socio-economic background, sexuality, physical ability.
To me, enabling an inclusive culture where everyone feels they belong is more than having a corporate policy and ticking a box. It is about recognising the value of all views and enabling those views to be heard in the first place. On an individual or personal level, it is about an accumulation of day-to-day experiences that help people feel they belong, that their contribution is valued and that they are cared about by their colleagues and leaders at all levels of an organisation. On a personal note, I grew up with a physically disabled family member, and I would love to see us truly create environments that meet the access needs of everyone.
We are all human, which means we all share a need to be recognised and respected and included, for who we are and for the ideas we share. Consulting and engineering is all about people, and our organisations are nothing without our people. Individual experiences that include recognition, empathy and compassion is when we really create a culture of belonging that enables all people to thrive. Acknowledging the importance of that individual experience is a first step in widening the circle and making everyone feel welcome.
ACE has the ability and reach within our industry to continue to be part of growing a culture of belonging. In my role, I personally feel the significant responsibility I have in choosing and enabling the next generation of leaders. I am deeply committed to making sure we are challenging ourselves in this important legacy.
I enjoy learning and read widely. Books I recommend are White Fragility, The Loudest Duck, and Māori scholars at the research interface.