Meet our Nelson/Blenheim Regional Chair Steph McLeod

Steph McLeod is Project Management and Commercial Leader - Water NZ at Stantec and the new ACE New Zealand Regional Chair for the Nelson/Blenheim region. She has on-the-ground delivery and commercial experience, as well as people leadership and conflict resolution experience, and is passionate about promoting our industry to ensure diversity and inclusion. We asked Steph about her career and what she brings to the role.

Tell us about your career 

I have 16 years’ industry experience, starting out in Dunedin as an environmental scientist. With a background in geology and environmental science, I soon found myself operating in the project management space and have delivered projects across a variety of disciplines in NZ, the UK, Asia and Fiji.  

I have been working for Stantec in its Nelson office for 13 years now. For the last eight years, I have been the company’s project management and commercial leader for Water New Zealand.  

I still proudly claim to have been a finalist in the ACE New Zealand Emerging Leader Award a few years ago and would recommend to all up-and-coming future leaders in our region to put themselves forward for this opportunity! 

What are the consulting and engineering strengths of your region? 

We are a geographically large region with many competing challenges and priorities.  

I have had the honour of being part of several civil defence emergencies in our region and I am always impressed with how consulting experts come together to help communities and each other when weather events cause chaos to life and infrastructure. This was very evident in the August 2022 event when I experienced first-hand the coming together of several consultants from all over the region who worked tirelessly together for weeks to help restore access to homes, reinstate core infrastructure and lifelines, and get the city back on its feet. 

What strengths do you bring to the Regional Chair role? 

I am passionate about ensuring representation of all consulting disciplines at a national level regardless of location, size or discipline, and that the fantastic mahi of ACE New Zealand is shared throughout our region.  

I am looking forward to connecting with teams in our area and understanding the challenges we are facing now and in the future to ensure our local voice is represented.   

Tell us something interesting about yourself 

Most weekends I can be found in the hills or at the beach with my husband and 4-year-old daughter completing ‘nature treasure hunts’ and exploring our awesome region. 

What’s the best way for members to get in touch with you? 

You can contact me via the ACE New Zealand Our People page.