News & insights

News and insights from ACE New Zealand. 

 

Staring down the barrel of burnout - with Gareth Beck

Studies show that investment in mental health and wellbeing at work can increase return six times over. We talk to health and safety advisor and 2020 Emerging Practitioner of the Year Gareth Beck about why employers should care about staff..... Continue Reading

Six things we're reading for Mental Health Awareness Week

The consulting and engineering sector is under increasing pressure. Workloads are high, we are connected far longer than 9-5, and clients are expecting more for less. We know that mental health is a key issue..... Continue Reading

Mental health isn’t about preventing sickness – it's about flourishing

Employers need to provide more than a fruit bowl and a yoga class to create a mentally healthy workplace. We talk to John Fitzgerald at WorkSafe NZ.  .. Continue Reading

Embracing te reo Māori in the consulting sector - with Emily Afoa

We talk to Tektus Pou Whakarae/Director and ACE New Zealand board member Emily Afoa (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Maniapoto) about why it’s important to embrace te reo Māori in the consulting sector and how firms can show leadership... Continue Reading

Speaking te reo at the top table can cause a ripple effect – with Brett Ogilvie

We talk to Tonkin + Taylor Executive Leader and ACE New Zealand board member Brett Ogilvie (Ngāti Whakahemo, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Pākeha) about his journey with te reo and how firms across the sector can show leadership... Continue Reading

What we've learned from a remote working model – with Tony Harrison

A lot of us are working from home at the moment, and for some businesses it’s a permanent set-up as they choose not to have an office base. We talk to Urban Connection director Tony Harrison who shares some insights on how..... Continue Reading

Six ways we’re celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Here at ACE New Zealand we all use Māori words here and there, but for Māori Language Week 2021 it’s time to push ourselves a bit further. We’ve gathered some links below that relate to our mahi, and we’ll be joining the..... Continue Reading

Meet Otago/Southland Regional Chair Geoff Wigley

Geoff Wigley is a Structural Engineer for Stantec in Dunedin and the new ACE New Zealand Regional Chair for the Otago/Southland region. He talks to us about the engineering industry’s responsibility to help address inequalities in society..... Continue Reading

We're all in it together - with Chief Executive Colin Crampton

We’re hearing from all corners that the latest lockdown has been the most gruelling yet. Working from home is affecting our productivity, and we’re trying to balance managing client expectations with staff wellbeing. We spoke to Wellington Water..... Continue Reading

Five reasons young professionals should attend the Future-Fit Aotearoa conference – and how to convince your boss

Want to go to the Future-Fit Aotearoa conference in February but don’t know how to get it across the line with your manager? We talk to ACE New Zealand Young Professionals Committee members Danielle Gatland, Akshat Malhotra and John..... Continue Reading

Stay connected with workmates during lockdown

Leaders and teams who intentionally focus on relationship-building activities positively impact employee engagement, retention, and productivity. How are you staying connected with your workmates during lockdown? We spoke to communication..... Continue Reading

Business development and marketing during lockdown

How do you stay top-of-mind for your clients and build relationships when you’re unable to meet face-to-face? We get some top tips from business development coach Ben Paul, founder of The BD Ladder... Continue Reading

Leading in lockdown with Ceinwen McNeil

How do you lead during a lockdown? How do you keep your staff engaged and still deliver to your client's expectations? It's tough, but there is a right way to do it. We spoke to..... Continue Reading

Why ACE New Zealand joined the Construction Sector Accord Network

The Construction Sector Accord Network was formally launched at Parliament on 5 August and ACE New Zealand is one of 130 members so far. Our Chief Executive Helen Davidson provides some insight into why we joined the network..... Continue Reading

Meet our Nelson/Blenheim Regional Chair Marcus Grierson

Marcus Grierson is now a Structural Engineer at Stantec in Nelson after gaining valuable experience in Shanghai and Hong Kong. He’s the new ACE New Zealand Regional Chair for the Nelson/Blenheim region and is keen to hear..... Continue Reading

Resilience and burnout during COVID-19 lockdowns

Level 4 lockdown is here again and this time around we know what to expect – but it doesn't make it any easier, especially when juggling home life. Leadership coach..... Continue Reading

Meet our Canterbury/West Coast Regional Chair Andrew Davidson

Andrew Davidson is Work Group Manager – Structures for WSP in Christchurch and a previous finalist for the Engineering New Zealand Young Engineer of the Year. He's the new ACE New Zealand Regional Chair for the Canterbury/West Coast region..... Continue Reading

Meet our Manawatu Regional Chair Campbell Ogilvie

Campbell Ogilvie is an experienced project manager who leads the WSP Infrastructure team in Palmerston North. He’s the new ACE New Zealand Regional Chair for the Manawatu region and is keen to hear from..... Continue Reading

COVID-19 lockdown and NZS 3910:2013 – the Role of the Engineer to the Contract

With a fresh Level 4 lockdown, a new raft of COVID claims will inevitably follow. It is important that Engineers to the Contract are aware of, and prepared for, these..... Continue Reading

Meet the 2021 Student Award winners

Meet the 2021 ACE New Zealand Student Award winners. .. Continue Reading

Emerging Leader Award 2021 finalists announced

Meet the 2021 ACE New Zealand Emerging Leader Award finalists. .. Continue Reading

Courtney Chapman 2021 Emerging Leader finalist

Meet 2021 Emerging Leader Award finalist, Courtney Chapman, Associate Structural Engineer at Beca. .. Continue Reading

Glenn Jowett 2021 Emerging Leader finalist

Meet Glenn Jowett, Technical Director & Digital Engineering Advisory at Beca and 2021 Emerging Leader Award finalist. .. Continue Reading

Ryan Orr 2021 Emerging Leader finalist

Meet Ryan Orr, Regional Leader Bay of Plenty and Waikato at GHD and 2021 Emerging Leader Award finalist. .. Continue Reading

Problem solving and passion drive Student Award winner Sabrina Wong

Sabrina Wong is one of three winners of the ACE New Zealand Student Award for 2021. She is in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce conjoint degree at..... Continue Reading

From learning quadratics to surveying in Rarotonga - with Student Award winner Matt Payne

Matt Payne is one of three winners of the ACE New Zealand Student Award for 2021. He is in his final year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) majoring in civil and environmental engineering at..... Continue Reading

Engineering with a higher purpose - with Student Award winner Xiaowei Lin

Xiaowei (Lisa) Lin is one of three winners of the ACE New Zealand Student Award for 2021. She is in her final year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at the University of..... Continue Reading

COVID-19 in 2021

Now that all of Aotearoa is in Alert Level 2 and Auckland in Alert Level 3, what does this mean for our sector? .. Continue Reading

Moving to NZ during a pandemic in four steps – with Harriet Glen

Moving from London to Auckland is not as easy as it used to be – but it is possible, says Harriet Glen. She recently landed in New Zealand to take up a programme director role with Auckland..... Continue Reading

How design-led thinking puts communities first - with Mieszko Iwaskow

How can consulting firms ensure people and communities are the main focus throughout the whole design and construction process? We talk to Mieszko Iwaskow, Portfolio Delivery Director (Strategic Programmes) at Auckland Transport, about the benefits..... Continue Reading

Immigration changes needed for vital infrastructure projects, says construction sector

The construction sector is urging the Government to ease immigration criteria so struggling companies can recruit overseas workers for key vacancies to complete vital New Zealand infrastructure projects... Continue Reading

Why design-led thinking is good for business – with Gary Choromanski

What is design-led thinking and how can it shape the outcome of a project, ultimately saving time and money? We talk to MBIE Senior Commercial Leader Gary Choromanski ahead of our three Design-Led Thinking workshops in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch...... Continue Reading

The real challenge is turning research into practice - with seismic expert, Helen Ferner

A lot of our members are geotechnical and seismic engineers. Chances are you've heard of Helen Ferner, the president of the New Zealand Society of Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE) and, until recently, technical director at Beca. With more than 35 years of..... Continue Reading

Paying the piper - consultant liability for contribution claims

Complex, multi-party construction projects breed complex, multi-party disputes, often involving cross-claims and claims for contribution. For the last 15 years, the High Court has generally held that contribution claims, like..... Continue Reading

Deltek Clarity Report finds projects aren't on track and technology adaption is low

The latest Deltek Clarity A&E Industry Report found a small number of architectural and engineering projects are on track and technology adoption was low. We caught up with product director,..... Continue Reading

From design to innovation with Claire Lyons

We've all been there. A project that's not clearly defined, a lot of unknowns, and a lack of data. Messy, complex problems and a group of stakeholders who don't fully..... Continue Reading

Getting the most from your SME

Richard Cuthbert is a director of Management Response Ltd (MRL), specialising in supporting SMEs as they strive to enhance their business operation. Richard explores how SMEs can improve their performance,..... Continue Reading

Budget 2021 includes investment in infrastructure

Finance Minister Grant Robertson has delivered his Wellbeing Budget 2021: Securing our Recovery. The focus of spending was on improving the well-being of the lowest income New Zealanders and the..... Continue Reading

We can bring engineering to life by reimagining what we do - with Tracey Ryan

Managing director for Aurecon, Infrastructure NZ board member and chair of the FIDIC sustainability committee, Tracey Ryan, believes innovation should be at the heart of what we do as consultants..... Continue Reading

Our future is inextricably connected to our ability to work with our Asia-Pacific neighbours – with James Koudounis

James Koudounis is AECOM Client Account Manager to Waka Kotahi and is part of the Asia New Zealand Foundation's Leadership Network. The Foundation provides experience and resources to help Kiwis..... Continue Reading

Occupational regulation of engineers

Yesterday, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) opened consultation on its proposals for the occupational regulation of engineers. This follows previous consultations in 2014 and 2019... Continue Reading

Atiqa Rashid finalist in design awards

Structural design engineer for Manktelow Consulting Engineers, Atiqa Rashid, is a finalist in this year's National Association of Women in Construction Excellence Awards for her design work on two workshops... Continue Reading

Litigation when dealing with Australian consultants and engineers - with Kiri Parr

Construction lawyer Kiri Parr knows litigation plays a significant part in Australia's engineering sector. As immediate past president of Consult Australia (the Australian version of ACE) and ex-Regional Legal Counsel..... Continue Reading

Leave a place better than you found it - with Alyce Lysaght

It's no secret Māori and Pasifika are underrepresented across the engineering industry. Despite being aware of this, it can be difficult to know where to learn more about the issue..... Continue Reading

Shaping our future - call for abstracts extended

Are you a thought leader in climate change, sustainability, social responsibility, people and culture, digital and infrastructure innovations or risk? We're on the hunt for inspiring presenters to our national..... Continue Reading

It's essential to push ourselves outside of our envelope of comfort - with Amy Patterson-Horner

2020 ACE New Zealand Emerging Leader finalist, Amy Patterson-Horner is the Business Group Manager for GHD Hawke’s Bay. We caught up with her to get her thoughts on leadership and in her role as..... Continue Reading

Contract risks in consulting and engineering – with Hannah Bryce

A current critical challenge for the consulting and engineering sector is risk allocation. Clients see many of our industry-standard contracts as outdated and modify them because of increasing insurance costs,..... Continue Reading

Challenge and encouragement with Dr Paul Wood

On Wednesday 7 April we held the first of our Future-Fit Forums, a suite of ACE New Zealand workshops designed to help you develop and explore new ideas that will..... Continue Reading

Women event a 'wakeup call' for men

On Tuesday night 50 people gathered in the Beca auditorium to discuss how we can encourage more women into STEM. As consultants and engineers, we build and design things for everyone..... Continue Reading

Improve your business writing – with Shelly Davies

Shelly Davies is a business writer, trainer, and keynote speaker who gets her kicks from helping businesses turn corporate jargon into plain language. Last year you told us through our training..... Continue Reading

Stress is not a threat to avoid but a challenge to embrace - with Dr Paul Wood

Paul Wood reevaluated his life when he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. By the time he was released, he'd attained a degree in psychology and philosophy, a master's in..... Continue Reading

The translator - with Rebecca Jackson

Environmental engineer for Tonkin + Taylor and professional coach and mentor Rebecca Jackson is an ACE Awards judge and, this year, co-convenor. Find out more about what she's looking for..... Continue Reading

Auckland Council urged to show financial leadership

On 10 March, our former Chief Executive, Paul Evans, delivered a presentation to Auckland Council focussing on the need for more significant infrastructure investment in its ten-year plan. Here's his..... Continue Reading

Be comfortable being uncomfortable - with Annette Sweeney

Annette Sweeney enjoys being uncomfortable. Whether it's cycling 1,100km across the North Island or challenging herself professionally, you won't see her sitting comfortably for too long. Managing Director and Principal Environmental Engineer..... Continue Reading

Are you the best in consulting and engineering in Aotearoa?

The Oscars of the consulting and engineering community, the ACE Awards are a chance to showcase the best of the best - the work you do to create vibrant and sustainable outcomes for Aotearoa. So what..... Continue Reading

Kiwis in outer space - with Julian Ramsay

Julian Ramsay is your classic, unassuming Kiwi. You'd never have guessed that he helped design an international space radar to track space debris for Silicon Valley clients. We talked to..... Continue Reading

New report identifies industry personnel challenges

We've released our latest report that looks at the personnel challenges currently affecting the consulting and engineering sector. ACE Chief Executive Helen Davidson examines the report's findings on how the..... Continue Reading

Making a difference to people and places is what's important to me - with Mayurie Gunatilaka

Mayurie Gunatilaka travelled the world with her parents before settling in New Zealand in the nineties when there was a strong recruitment drive for engineers outside of the country. She's..... Continue Reading

Choose to challenge this International Women's Day - with Helen Davidson

The theme of this year's International Women's Day is "Choose to Challenge". ''A challenged world is an alert world, and from challenge comes change. So let's all choose to challenge''. New..... Continue Reading

Improve business performance with our ACE Future-Fit Forums

ACE will deliver four new Future-Fit Forums during 2021. Our Chief Executive, Paul Evans, looks at how the forums will help improve business performance and what individuals can expect from..... Continue Reading

Calling all men

In late March, ACE will host an event focused on women in STEM, headlined by acclaimed speaker Alexia Hilbertidou, Girlboss NZ CEO. Outgoing ACE Chief Executive Paul Evans tells us..... Continue Reading

Talk of wage pressure doesn’t show in data

There’s been much talk of increased wage inflation in the consulting sector, with staff requesting hefty increases based on anecdotal market pressures... Continue Reading

Diversity and inclusion - learn with us

ACE New Zealand has developed a diversity and inclusion (D&I) policy that members can use as a springboard to create their own policy. Chief Executive Paul Evans talks about the value..... Continue Reading

A diverse group of people is much more likely to develop an innovative solution – with Alice Chaplin

New Zealand GM for Coffey and global chair for diversity and inclusion for Tetra Tech, Alice Chaplin is a strong champion for diversity and inclusion in our sector. Find out how Alice..... Continue Reading

Business development plans - client-centric thinking and action - with Ben Paul

Writing a business development plan can be challenging. We teamed up with Ben Paul, founder of The BD Ladder, to help step us through what makes a good plan. Take..... Continue Reading

Engineer by day, rock 'n roller by night - with Kezia Lloyd

An engineer by day, musician by night, Kezia Lloyd was a 2020 ACE Emerging Leader finalist. Head of Specialist Services at WSP, she leads up a team of consultants responsible for acoustics, fire, facades,..... Continue Reading

Facing challenges together - with Helen Davidson

Helen Davidson is the newly appointed CE of ACE New Zealand taking up the role in March. Currently, a general manager at Engineering New Zealand, Helen is looking forward to..... Continue Reading

Balancing the trade-offs in infrastructure in New Zealand - with Ross Copland

Ross Copland has a background in design, procurement, financing, and the delivery of infrastructure as an engineer and an asset manager... Continue Reading

Management starts with people - with Simon Fenton

Construction Phase Services Lead on the Auckland City Rail Link, Simon Fenton won the 2020 ACE New Zealand Emerging Leader Award. We sat down and chatted to him about the..... Continue Reading

Kāinga Ora Professional Services Agreement

In November this year, we advised members of the significant concerns we had with an updated version of the Conditions of Contract for Consultancy Services (CCCS) proposed by Kāinga Ora... Continue Reading

Auckland Young Professionals – meet Kate Fursova

The ACE New Zealand Young Professionals Committee represent people aged 35 years of age and younger in the consulting and engineering industry. We recently caught up with Young Professional Champion,..... Continue Reading

Don't focus on the 'what', but on the 'how'

At the last event for 2020, professional speaker Greg Ward talked to a room of young professionals on how best to present online versus in person. Our newest Auckland Young..... Continue Reading

An authentically inclusive workspace promotes and celebrates all forms of diversity – with David McDonald

David McDonald is a project manager with the water team at Stantec in Wellington. He's also a member of the Asia Pacific Inclusion and Diversity Council and co-coordinates their office..... Continue Reading

The future of our industry is inextricably tied to the development of the next group of leaders

The ACE New Zealand Emerging Leader Award winner will be announced at the ACE Awards, on Wednesday 25 November. We caught up with Doug Johnson, MD of Tonkin + Taylor who sponsors..... Continue Reading

Auckland City Centre project wins major sustainability award

The Access for Everyone (A4E) project received a sustainability award at the 55th ACE Awards held in Auckland on 25 November 2020. .. Continue Reading

Major award for Canterbury flood protection project

The Waimakariri Flood Protection project has claimed GOLD at the 55th ACE Awards held in Auckland on 25 November 2020... Continue Reading

A further accolade for the Nelson Airport Terminal

The highly acclaimed Nelson Airport Terminal has been awarded GOLD at the 55th ACE Awards held in Auckland on 25 November 2020. .. Continue Reading

Nelson Airport building project wins major sustainability award

The Nelson Airport Terminal project received a sustainability award at the 55th ACE Awards held in Auckland on 25 November 2020. .. Continue Reading

World-leading Kiwi space radar structure wins major award

The world-leading LeoLabs Kiwi Space radar structure in Naseby, Central Otago has picked up GOLD at the 55th ACE Awards held in Auckland on 25 November 2020. .. Continue Reading

Many of us seem good at hiding our pain – with journalist, Jehan Casinader

Jehan Casinader harboured a secret during his celebrated TV career. He was struggling with depression. In his new book, "This Is Not How It Ends", he explains how he found a way through...... Continue Reading

People have different passions and desires, and we must learn to accept these differences – with Sulo Shanmuganathan

Sulo Shanmuganathan is a structural engineer and Technical Director at Holmes Consulting. We caught up with her to find out what drove her to choose engineering as a career and how..... Continue Reading

Designing projects with social value at the forefront of our thinking

Jacobs recently released a thought leadership paper Before & Beyond the Build. We caught up with Sarah Alexander – Principal Consultant, Social Investment and Innovation and co-author of the report, as..... Continue Reading

We have to build more diverse role models – with Emily Afoa

Emily Afoa (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Maniapoto) is an environmental engineer who became a partner at Tektus Consultants Limited in 2018. We talked to Emily about her career and her experience being a Māori woman in the sector... Continue Reading

There's no point in turning up with a hammer looking for a nail when a client wants to bake a cake – with Steve Abley

Steve Abley is the founding director of Abley, a firm who designs, develops and implements transportation plans and infrastructure. We caught up with him to discuss how technology has always played a big..... Continue Reading

Successful infrastructure delivery is inextricably tied to community engagement and understanding of expectations

Amelia Linzey is Beca's Chief Planner and a moderator at this month's ReBuilding Nations conference. We caught up with her to look at how the engineering industry is coping as we move..... Continue Reading

The industry works better if we plan ahead – with Van Tang

Van Tang is GHD's general manager, New Zealand and Pacific. We caught up with her to look at how the New Zealand consulting sector is performing and what we can learn from Australia. ..... Continue Reading

Our building code allows us to build unhealthy houses, legally - with Katheren Leitner

Katheren Leitner is the CE of Asthma New Zealand. The standard of homes is a subject that's close to her heart as nearly 600,000 people in New Zealand use asthma..... Continue Reading

New Zealand is an innovative country when it comes to health and safety – with Daniel Hummerdal

Daniel Hummerdal is WorkSafe New Zealand’s Chief Advisor Health and Safety Innovation. He has vast experience in the development of new approaches to improving health and safety performance in a work environment. We caught..... Continue Reading

COVID-19 was a 'real-life trial' of what it's like to work from home - with Matt Harris

Matt Harris is the Associate Principal – South Island Business Manager for Babbage Consultants based in Christchurch. He is also the ACE Regional Chair for Otago and Southland and a Board member of Engineering..... Continue Reading

It’s not just about the money - there are other ways consultants can support our engineering students – with Rosalind Archer

Professor Rosalind Archer is the Acting Deputy Dean of Engineering at the University of Auckland. She is also Deputy President of Engineering New Zealand. We caught up with her to look at..... Continue Reading

The product often hidden - with Sheet Pile New Zealand director, David Broad

As consultants and engineers, you'll probably know that sheet piling was used in the City Rail Link project in Auckland to line a vertical hole for the boring machine to..... Continue Reading

Returning to the workforce after parental leave – with Rebekah Fraser

Returning to work after taking care of a baby is fraught with a range of emotions like feeling daunted, exhausted, overwhelmed and even excited. We spoke with Rebekah Fraser, founder..... Continue Reading

You can't sit back and wait for things to happen - with Maryam Razz

Maryam Razz moved to New Zealand from Iran seven years ago after feeling curious about other cultures and wanting to live somewhere different. She now works for Pedersen Read in Christchurch..... Continue Reading

How the consulting and engineering sector in Australia is weathering the COVID storm

Nicola Grayson is the Chief Executive of Consult Australia (ACE’s equivalent in Australia). We caught up with her to look at how the consulting and engineering sectors in Australia are weathering the..... Continue Reading

Client Choice Awards are a chance to convert clients from critical to being a fan

Dr George Beaton is the Executive Chairman of Beaton Research + Consulting (beaton) with offices in Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland and Sydney. The company organises and presents the annual Client Choice Awards, which attract entries..... Continue Reading

Mental health in the consulting & engineering industry - with Calibre's Bruce Vincent

The John Kirwan Foundation provides young people with the skills and knowledge to recognise and respond to mental health issues. By supporting school-aged children, they're building a more resilient workforce for the future. It..... Continue Reading

We can't go on doing things in the same manner that we always have and expect the result to be different - with Adrienne Miller

Adrienne Miller is the New Zealand General Manager for Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA). We caught up with her to discuss ISCA’s work and sustainability in our sector. .. Continue Reading

Construction industry's high suicide rate

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we spoke with Victoria McArthur, CEO of Mates in Construction about the high suicide rates amongst construction workers in Aotearoa and how the suicide prevention programme is..... Continue Reading

Without fear, there can be no courage - with Tony Matthews

Tony Matthews lives life to the fullest. A successful project manager for AECOM, an aspiring triathlete, football player and father of three, Tony was recently diagnosed with type 2 bipolar...... Continue Reading

Become an ACE New Zealand Regional Chair

Do you want to develop your leadership skills? Do you want to get exposure to upper and senior management?  .. Continue Reading

Health and safety needs to be a constant focus of the conversation - with Francois Barton

Francois Barton is the Executive Director of the Business Leaders' Health and Safety Forum. We spoke to Francois about the Forum and how health and safety leadership is impacting the..... Continue Reading

Kathryn Musgrave - dealing with burnout

Kathryn Musgrave was moving positively along her engineering pathway until she realised something wasn't right. She had become mentally exhausted and wasn't functioning in her usual manner. Kathryn talked to us about how she suffered burnout and the..... Continue Reading

The unconventional engineer – with Chad Williams

Chad Williams didn't embark on a career in engineering the conventional way. He started on the tools and proved he's a natural leader and engineer. Find out more about Chad's..... Continue Reading

Calling all Auckland young professionals

We're looking for someone to join the ACE New Zealand Auckland Young Professional Committee. Could this be you? .. Continue Reading

10 Māori words every consultant or engineer should know

Troy Brockbank (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) is a Kaitohutohu Matua Taiao/Senior Environmental Consultant with WSP. We caught up with him during Māori Language Week to learn how easy it is to incorporate Te Reo into our working life. .. Continue Reading

Transparency and certainty needed to close $75B infrastructure deficit

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to one of the biggest economic shocks in modern history. Our government is unleashing massive fiscal stimulus to soften the blow, which will lead to..... Continue Reading

My digital transformation job didn't exist five years ago - with Rekha Kharbanda

Rekha Kharbanda is Digital Transformation Leader at Tonkin + Taylor. She has a background in software development and a broad understanding of digital, innovation, transformation and technology. We caught up..... Continue Reading

Being a regional chair exposes you to commercial activity outside of your 9-5 role – with Hugo Bosman

Self-professed cycling fanatic, Hugo Bosman, uses and designs cycling and walking tracks all over Aotearoa. A civil engineer and project manager, Hugo talked to us about his new gig at..... Continue Reading

What lays beneath Commercial Bay – with Chris Mackenzie

The new 39-storey Commercial Bay development in downtown Auckland opened to the public in June 2020. It includes a 39,000-square-metre office tower and 18,000 sqm of retail space. We caught up with..... Continue Reading

Designers have to step up when it comes to warmer, drier and healthier homes – with Peter Raimondo

Peter Raimondo is a senior Building Enclosure Engineer and podcaster at Oculus Architectural Engineering. We caught up with him to discuss his passion for developing warm, dry, and healthy buildings. .. Continue Reading

Working with iwi – with John Blyth

John Blyth is the Māori  Business Advisory Lead for Beca, helping them to take the next steps in building iwi relationships and collaboration. We spoke to John about his role and how..... Continue Reading

Farewell to Harold White (ACENZ Director 1982 – 1993)

Harold White passed away at Sprott House on August 31st 2020, aged 91... Continue Reading

ACE New Zealand has a role to play across the full range of challenges - with Ian Fraser

Ian Fraser is the Executive General Manager - Asia Pacific for GHD and was recently elected President of ACE New Zealand. He gave us his thoughts on how he would..... Continue Reading

A love of Lego led Alice to engineering – with Alice Ying

Hanyu (Alice) Ying is one of three 2020 ACE New Zealand Student Award recipients. Alice sat down and talked to us about her love of Lego, Denmark and Geotechnical Engineering.  .. Continue Reading

University can only prepare you for so much - with Githmi Amarasekera

Civil engineering student Githmi Amarasekera is a 2020 ACE New Zealand Student Award winner. We caught up with her to see how her study and career is progressing and why she chose to work as..... Continue Reading

Forensics in engineering - with Devina Shedde

Devina Shedde fell in love with art history and old monuments from a young age. So much so that she studied engineering and art history at the University of Auckland. Devina is one of our 2020..... Continue Reading

Student Awards 2020 finalists announced

The AECOM Student Award winners for 2020 have been decided. The award recognises engineering students who've completed a practical work requirement with an ACE New Zealand member firm and submit an outstanding Practical Work..... Continue Reading

We've launched our new website

We're proud to announce that our new website is now live and features a modern design, improved functionality and easy to access information to help you with your consulting and engineering..... Continue Reading

Deltek Clarity Report findings - with Megan Miller

Megan Miller is the Senior Product Manager for Deltek – a global provider of software and solutions for project-based business. We caught up with her to delve into the background and results of..... Continue Reading

COVID Alert Levels 2 and 3 – What they mean for consulting and engineering businesses

Businesses should be complying with the relevant restrictions as Auckland continues life under COVID Alert Level 3 and the rest of the country is at Alert Level 2 until at..... Continue Reading

Smart Seeds empowers emerging leaders

Luke Krieg is Digital Innovation Manager at GHD and also oversees the operation of the Smart Seeds innovation programme. We caught up with him to find out how the programme is empowering emerging leaders. .. Continue Reading

The prime minister's approach as we recover from COVID-19

ACE New Zealand's Finance Manager, Janet Ziegler, shares her outtake of the Prime Minister's speech on the government's approach as we recover from COVID-19. .. Continue Reading

How to win government work – with George Hulbert

George Hulbert is a director of The Clarity Business. We talked to him about why businesses should place a greater focus on improving your procurement outcomes. .. Continue Reading

Taking a research and evidence-based approach – The Helen Clark Foundation, with Ian Blair

The Helen Clark Foundation is an independent, non-partisan think tank taking an evidence-based approach to stimulate public policy debate and action on issues facing our society. WSP New Zealand is..... Continue Reading

Artificial intelligence in engineering – with Matt Ensor

Matt Ensor is Beca's Business Director for Beca.ai engagement, a service that uses the latest Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist in public consultation and engagement. Matt talks about what this product..... Continue Reading

Australia versus New Zealand - with Kiri Parr

Kiri Parr is the immediate past president of Consult Australia, the founder and owner of her Kiri Parr Pty Ltd in Brisbane and is a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne..... Continue Reading

We are all the same people trying to do the best we can – coming out, with Frank MacDonald

Frank MacDonald is the Workgroup Manager-Occupational Hygiene for WSP New Zealand. Recently he realised that being someone different (but still the same as everyone else) was causing him anxiety and fear at..... Continue Reading

Develop a more sustainable business - DETA Carbon Roadmap to 2050

One of the most pressing concerns for businesses is sustainability and how it fits into their current operations. Companies all around the world are seeking opportunities that will allow them..... Continue Reading

Emerging Leader Award 2020 finalists announced

We've selected our three finalists for the 2020 Emerging Leader Award... Continue Reading

The new normal - with Ceinwen McNeil

CEO of BVT Engineering, Ceinwen McNeil, looks at how the business is changing post COVID-19. .. Continue Reading

There's real power in the collective voice - with Susan Freeman-Greene

In the five years that Susan Freeman-Greene has been Chief Executive of Engineering New Zealand, a lot has changed. She has seen real value in the collective voice when organisations pull together for the betterment..... Continue Reading

It's time for change - with Sina Cotter Tait

Director of Collective Success in Christchurch, Sina Cotter Tait would like to see more equity in our sector for Maori and Pasifika. When she's not championing diversity, she's studying for her PhD and sitting on several boards...... Continue Reading

Cities need to change to cater for people with disabilities - with Bridget Burdett

Chartered engineer and researcher with MRCagney, Bridget Burdett is a leading thinker in inclusiveness and human-centred planning in transport. We caught up with her to talk about inclusiveness in the workplace and how..... Continue Reading

Building your personal brand

Ben Paul helps professionals create and grow their personal brand. He says who you are, what you do and what you stand for is essential for any successful consultant. We sat..... Continue Reading

We must ensure we're inclusive during the decision-making process - with Troy Brockbank

Troy Brockbank (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) is a Kaitohutohu Matua Taiao / Senior Environmental Consultant with WSP. We caught up with him to get his views on diversity and inclusion in the consulting sector. .. Continue Reading

Headscarves and hard hats - with structural engineer Atiqa Rashid

New Zealand welcomed Atiqa Rashid with 'open hands' when she and her family moved from Pakistan five years ago. As the first female civil engineer in the 61-year history of Pakistan Railways,..... Continue Reading

We need to continue to be vigilant with health and safety on the worksite post COVID-19

CHASNZ GM of Health and Safety Innovation, Jon Harper-Slade says we must continue to be vigilant in adhering to health and safety on the worksite. We can't only focus on COVID-19. .. Continue Reading

Encouragement is vital for women working in the engineering and consulting sector says Ida Dowling

When Ida Dowling was elected President of ACE New Zealand, she became the first woman to hold the position. We caught up with her to find out what makes her tick and..... Continue Reading

Flexi-time makes staff more engaged, more motivated and have ownership of their role at Harrison Grierson - with Glen Cornelius

Staff at engineering and design consultancy Harrison Grierson are encouraged to negotiate their working arrangements with management. We caught up with Managing Director Glen Cornelius to see how the system..... Continue Reading

Who is the ACE New Zealand Board?

Our Board provides governance for ACE New Zealand as well as monitoring our performance. They also set our strategic direction, and importantly, protect the integrity of the organisation by ensuring..... Continue Reading

We're proposing changes to the way we appoint our board - here's why

Based on member feedback, ACE New Zealand has been placing a strong focus on ensuring greater transparency around the nomination and election process for our Board. .. Continue Reading

Director at 28 years old after showing an interest in the business of engineering – with Marlo Bromley

Marlo Bromley became the director of DTCE Structural Engineering at the age of 28 after showing an interest in the business side of engineering.  .. Continue Reading

The effect of COVID-19 on HEB Construction with CEO Derrick Adams

Derrick Adams became the CEO of HEB Construction in 2007. We got his take on how COVID-19 has affected the construction industry and how things are likely to change as..... Continue Reading

The challenge of transitioning from student to the working world - with Theodore Carlos

Theodore Carlos is a structural engineer for AECOM in Auckland. In 2016 he was a winner in the student category at the ACE Awards and last year was part of..... Continue Reading

3D Visualisation helps communities, clients and the consultant with Callum Smith

Callum Smith is a Geospatial and Digital Delivery Consultant with Aurecon. We caught up with him to look at his work in the digital and geospatial area, and how he..... Continue Reading

We're rebranding!

Exciting news. Just as people and companies evolve, so do brands. We’ve grown ours over many years and we’re now taking a bold step forward with a new name. The Association..... Continue Reading

We've lost the art of engineering - with Shawn McIssac

Shawn McIssac is one of two directors at Oculus Architectural Engineering Ltd. He spoke to us about some of the biggest challenges facing our sector. .. Continue Reading

The power of stories - with Jehan Casinder webinar

New Zealand journalist, Jehan Casinader explored an unlikely contributor to wellbeing: storytelling in this one-hour ACE New Zealand member webinar The Power of Storytelling. .. Continue Reading

Design our cities for all with Emma McInnes

Emma McInnes is an Urban Designer at Resilio Studio and co-founder of Women in Urbanism Aotearoa. We spoke to her about what we can do to improve the design of our streets..... Continue Reading

Professional Indemnity Insurance - Market Challenges

We've worked with CEAS to develop a report on the professional indemnity (PI) insurance market, the challenges ahead and the things we must urgently address to ensure that PI insurance..... Continue Reading

Looking after your mental health as we return to work after the COVID-19 lockdown

COVID-19 is having a significant impact on how we interact with others and how we go about our lives and work. A combination of stress and uncertainty can have a..... Continue Reading

COVID-19 Alert Level 2 - returning to work and the office

Aotearoa will move to COVID-19 Alert Level 2 at 11.59 pm on Wednesday 13 May... Continue Reading

COVID-19 has created temporary urbanism on New Zealand streets - with Ellie Craft

Ellie Craft is a keen cyclist, which is fortunate as she designs cycleways for a living at MRCagney - amongst other things! We caught up with Ellie to find out which Auckland..... Continue Reading

What COVID-19 Alert Level 2 means for you

On Monday 11 May, the Prime Minister will announce when Aotearoa moves to Alert Level 2. Until then, we remain in Alert Level 3 and must comply with all relevant..... Continue Reading

Protecting your data with Paul Ramsbottom

Data breaches cause a massive impact on businesses. We caught up with Paul Ramsbottom, the Managing Director of Advanced Solutions International (Asia Pacific) in Melbourne to find out how companies..... Continue Reading

16 April e-News

Our economy is already struggling under COVID-19. So, it's a massive concern to me that some local government entities are taking an austerity-based approach, by slashing projects and spending.  ..... Continue Reading

Don't be afraid. Take the first step of a thousand miles and embrace it - with Quin Henderson

Tūranga is the five-storey central library located in the heart of Christchurch's Cathedral Square and is now the most important public library in the South Island. The project was the..... Continue Reading

What makes the ACE Awards different - with the convenor of judges David Bridges

The ACE Awards are one of our most important events of the year. We spoke to the convenor of judges, David Bridges, as he begins the awards deliberation process. .. Continue Reading

Returning to work with COVID-19 level 3 protocols

Many businesses in our sector have been able to return to work this week after the government lowered the COVID-19 Alert Level from four to three. However, returning to the..... Continue Reading

30 April e-News

In April we surveyed ACE New Zealand members to understand: the immediate impacts of COVID-19, what is driving these impacts, as well as member attitudes regarding the future of our..... Continue Reading

COVID-19 Alert Level 3: What travel is permitted

One of the consistent questions I have been getting is what travel is and isn’t allowed under Alert Level 3... Continue Reading

Monday to Friday, 8 - 5 doesn't get the best out of employees with Tony Harrison

Urban Connection Director Tony Harrison joined us to look at how a good work-life balance for staff and managers contributes to improved business outcomes. .. Continue Reading

How to return to work in the construction industry during COVID-19 with Jon Harper-Slade

We caught up with Jon Harper-Slade, GM Health and Safety Innovation for CHASNZ to look at the implications of the new COVID-19 protocols on the construction industry... Continue Reading

COVID-19 Alert Level 3 - what it means for consulting and engineering businesses

We now know the exact date that we will reduce to COVID-19 Alert Level 3... Continue Reading

An online quiz led Mathew Waghorn to engineering

ACE New Zealand 2018 Student Award winner Mathew Waghorn talks to us about the benefits of winning the award and what life's like as a recent engineering graduate. .. Continue Reading

Raye Powell believes we now have a more sophisticated understanding of the value of women in engineering

Waitangi Wharf on the Chatham Islands was near the end of its structural life and required a significant redevelopment. Raye Powell was part of the team which constructed a 163m..... Continue Reading

Fast track: a year’s worth of digital change in three months with Andrew Maher

We caught up with Aurecon's Chief Digital Officer, Andrew Maher about how COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation at an alarming pace. .. Continue Reading

Two key components for a new way of doing business - people and work, with Andrew Read

Many businesses are currently defining what "business as usual" means as New Zealand battles with COVID-19. Christchurch-based electrical engineering firm Pedersen Read director Andrew Read shares the lessons he learned..... Continue Reading

Making the best out of working from home during the COVID-19 lockdown - with Kathryn Jackson

Kathryn Jackson supported businesses as they returned to 'normal' after the Christchurch quakes. A performance coach at Careerbalance and author, Kathryn says, like the quakes, the COVID-19 lockdown means almost..... Continue Reading

Covid-19 wage subsides for businesses

Since moving to COVID-19 Alert Level 4 in Aotearoa, the government has changed the way employers apply for a wage subsidy. .. Continue Reading

Miguel Montalla loves engineering's unsolvable problems

We sat down and talked to recent graduate and 2018 Student Award winner Miguel Montalla about his new career at Beca. .. Continue Reading

University can’t teach you everything – with recent graduate Sheryl Wong

ACE New Zealand 2018 Student Award winner Sheryl Wong discusses her leap from university to the professional industry and what it meant to win the Student Award.  .. Continue Reading

2 April e-News

It is an unprecedented time for the construction and infrastructure sectors in Aotearoa. There's already much talk of construction and infrastructure playing a pivotal role in our economic recovery. .. Continue Reading

It’s physical distancing, not social isolation

While we move into the reality of the COVID-19 lockdown, we are hearing more stories about how social isolation is becoming a real burden for some teams... Continue Reading

Caring for your staff in times of stress

The longer the Covid-19 lockdown continues, the more critical staff care will become... Continue Reading

Chris Maguire takes nothing for granted

We caught up with Chris Maguire, winner of the Emerging Leader Award at the 2019 ACE Awards. At the time of winning the award, Chris was Stantec’s South Island Group..... Continue Reading

Strategic Masterclass with Alicia McKay

Eloise Angus is our Digital Communications Specialist at ACE New Zealand. She attended the one-day Strategic Leaders Masterclass with Alicia McKay. .. Continue Reading

Tips for managing a remote team

The way we manage a remote work team has never been so important as now as Aotearoa works through the early stages of Covid-19 lockdown... Continue Reading

26 March e-News

Last week the Government announced the COVID-19 Leave Payment Scheme and Wage Subsidy Scheme to support people who should self-isolate but might be deterred because of financial reasons.  .. Continue Reading

19 March e-News

On Tuesday the Government unveiled a $12.1 billion support package for the New Zealand economy, with almost half of the cash to be spent on a wage subsidy package for..... Continue Reading

How ACE New Zealand is preparing for Covid-19

It’s a time of considerable uncertainty. No one knows what the best way to respond is, but undoubtedly we must take this seriously. So, with that in mind, I am..... Continue Reading

Covid-19 for your workplace

Now that we're in Alert Level 1, the construction industry has published a revised standard and protocols for ongoing operations. View the Construction Health and Safety NZ (CHASNZ) standard and protocols..... Continue Reading

12 March e-News

Covid-19 is still a topic of much discussion, with cases and deaths rising worldwide. In times like this, it’s easy to panic. With that in mind, I’d recommend following articles..... Continue Reading

5 March e-News

The focus, both locally and globally on Covid-19 (AKA Coronavirus) has ramped up over the last week, particularly with the announcement of New Zealand's first confirmed case. In short, it's..... Continue Reading

27 February e-News

We are excited about the ACE New Zealand conference later this year. Here are a few of the details so you can diary the date: Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5..... Continue Reading

20 February e-News

Today, together with Engineering New Zealand and Te Kāhui Waihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, we launched the Diversity Agenda Accord at parliament. Thanks to Minister Julie Anne Genter for..... Continue Reading

13 February 2020 eNews

Diversity Agenda member Aurecon has launched an industry-first with their new parental leave scheme, Shared Care. The scheme provides financial incentives to support secondary carers who play a more active..... Continue Reading

7 February e-News

How much do we need to fill the infrastructure deficit? The Government’s infrastructure investment occupied the headlines last week. It has been billed the single most significant capital expenditure on..... Continue Reading

30 January 2020 e-News

Construction Sector Transformation Plan launched The Government has announced a new action plan to help lift the workforce and productivity to build houses, schools, roads, rail and hospitals throughout the..... Continue Reading

We've rebranded

Exciting news. Just as people and companies evolve, so do brands. We’ve grown ours over many years and we’re now taking a bold step forward with a new name. The Association..... Continue Reading

The Construction Sector Accord requires total commitment

This blog post is written by Paul Evans, ACENZ Chief Executive The Construction Sector Accord was launched earlier this year to transform the industry. The shared initiative between the government..... Continue Reading

Document Automation Pilot for Short Form Agreement

ACE New Zealand, Engineering New Zealand and LawHawk are working together to test automation of our common industry documents, such as the Short Form Agreement (SFA). Early indications are that..... Continue Reading

Heritage EQUIP announcement

Heritage EQUIP is a nationwide programme that provides funding and advice to the private owners of heritage buildings that require earthquake strengthening, and, as you may already know, the Government..... Continue Reading

Construction Directory open to new entrants

The Construction Directory is the Ministry of Education’s national panel of 100 pre-qualified main construction contractors for capital works projects over $500,000. The Directory was originally released to the market in mid..... Continue Reading

Temporary Works Procedural Control: Good Practice Guideline (GPG)

The newly established Temporary Works forum (TWf) have developed the following draft guidance document to the New Zealand Construction Industry, providing a consensus view on how to execute good procedural..... Continue Reading

ACE New Zealand elects first female president

ACE New Zealand has appointed Ida Dowling as its first female President at its Annual General Meeting in Hamilton on Friday 3 August. Ms Dowling replaces outgoing President Mike Kerr... Continue Reading