Company: AECOM
Job title: Group Director Buildings and Places
About Chris
A strategic and focused leader, I bring more than 20 years’ experience in the construction and engineering industry, with deep expertise across the infrastructure and building sectors. I have led the delivery of large-scale projects across Australia and New Zealand, building a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing our industry.
Since joining AECOM in 2014, I have held multiple senior leadership roles, including national team leadership roles, South Island Area Manager and now Group Director Buildings and Places. In this role I am a member of AECOM’s Aotearoa Leadership Team contributing to the strategic direction and performance of the business.
As Group Director Buildings and Places, I lead a team of 150 designers, engineers, project and cost managers across four offices specialising in the buildings sector while supporting integrated delivery across transport, energy and our environment and water business lines. This role requires close collaboration with our Australian and global teams to deliver outcomes for our clients.
I relocated to New Zealand from Australia to support the Christchurch rebuild, bringing experience from leadership roles across both consultancy and construction. This breadth of experience enables me to bring a balanced, commercially grounded perspective to leadership, stakeholder engagement and decision-making.
Pepeha or whakapapa/family history
Nō Ingarangi
Nō Kotirana ōku tupuna
I whānau mai ahau ki Mornington Peninsula
He hāpori taha moana ki te tonga o Melbourne
He whānau manaaki whenua, he ringa raupa
Ko te taiao, te moana e rū nei te ngākau
Toko whā ngā Tamariki a māua ko taku hoa Rangatira
Neke atu i te tekau tau mātou e noho nei ki Aotearoa
Ko te uri o te whānau (Hemphill) tēnei e mihi nei
My grandparents are from England and Scotland
I was born and raised in the coastal town of Mornington Peninsula found south of Melbourne
I come from a hardworking family, farmers, and carers of the land
It is the ocean that grounds me and keeps me connected to who I am
My wife and I have four children
We have lived in New Zealand for over ten years now
I respectfully greet you all as a proud descendant of the Hemphill family
What strengths would you bring to the ACE Board?
In my role leading a large, multi-disciplinary consultancy business, I bring broad exposure to industry sectors, clients and projects, as well as relationships across the industry. This provides me with valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities facing our industry, which I would bring to the ACE New Zealand board.
Having held leadership roles in both construction and consultancy in Australia and New Zealand, I offer a well-rounded, practical perspective, enabling me to contribute balanced, commercially grounded views and to consider issues from multiple perspectives. I am comfortable navigating complexity and supporting informed, evidence-based decision-making at a governance level.
I am committed to fostering diversity and inclusion, with hands-on experience in leading teams through meaningful change in this area. I see this as critical to strengthening our industry and ensuring it reflects the communities we serve.
I also bring the backing of a global organisation, with the ability to connect ACE to international expertise and share leading practice, supporting capability growth and knowledge sharing.
I bring a collaborative and pragmatic approach to governance, focused on strengthening sector leadership, supporting member value, and contributing to the long-term sustainability and resilience of the industry.
What is your strategic vision for ACE New Zealand?
My strategic vision is to harness the extensive leadership and operational experience I bring from the construction and engineering industry to strengthen ACE New Zealand’s voice and influence across the sector. With over 20 years’ experience across Australia and New Zealand, leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering complex infrastructure and building projects, I bring a strong understanding of the industry’s challenges and opportunities.
Working across Aotearoa’s regional markets has given me valuable insights into a diverse range of clients and sectors, enabling me to contribute a broad, multi-perspective lens to board level where one size does not fit all. I would leverage the strength of a global organisation to connect ACE with international expertise, sharing best practices that enable greater value for our members.
I am committed to supporting strong, effective governance and ensuring continuity of leadership in critical areas such as financial stewardship. Sustainable growth, sound governance, and a resilient industry are essential to ACE’s success, and I bring proven expertise in these areas.
Diversity and inclusion are central to my leadership approach. This is both personal and professional, to champion equitable opportunities, embed inclusive thinking into decision-making, and support ACE to lead the sector in this space.
What does diversity and inclusion mean to you?
For me, diversity and inclusion is deeply personal. It represents a personal and professional responsibility that I am committed to championing, particularly within the engineering community. I see this as about using my position to advocate for equitable opportunities, challenge biases and foster an inclusive culture in everything we do.
Diversity and inclusion is more than corporate initiatives or metrics. While targets are important, fundamentally this is about creating an environment where everyone feels able to bring their full selves to work and be valued for who they are and what they contribute.
It remains confronting that, even today, we continue to see inequality globally, where minority groups are not consistently included and valued, where women are still working to secure a voice at the table, and where the LGBTQIA+ community does not always feel safe or free to express themselves in society. Addressing this is critical and it is a responsibility that sits with all leaders.
Diversity and inclusion must be embedded in every decision we make, improving performance, and delivering better outcomes for our industry. For me, this is ultimately about action – ensuring that my leadership has real and lasting impact.