Steph McLeod
Company: Stantec
Job title: Project Management and Commercial Leader - Water NZ
What Regional Chair position are you interested in? Nelson – Blenheim
About Steph
I have 16 years’ industry experience as a project manager with a background in geology and environmental science. I have project managed water, transport, dams and waste to energy projects in New Zealand, Asia, the UK and Fiji. For the past eight years I have held a national leadership role in Stantec’s water business centre as the Project Management and Commercial Leader. I am responsible for the commercial and delivery acumen among our project delivery teams ensuring a best for team, project, client and community outcome. I have been responsible for supporting and leading aspects of the company acquisitions and mergers into the Stantec business across New Zealand and Australia.
I am passionate about fair and collaborative project delivery across our motu that enhances and supports our industry and communities. I love working with teams to find solutions and remove hurdles, and apply the lessons learned to future project opportunities to ensure our industry continues to mature, evolve and do better where we can. I strongly believe that as consulting engineers, we have a massive responsibility in ensuring the work that we do ensures a healthy, sustainable and protected whenua for our mokopuna.
Pepeha or whakapapa/family history
Tēnā koutou katoa
Ko Ingarangi te whakapaparanga mai
Ko Dorset te whenua tupu, engari
Ko Whakatū te kāinga
Ko Mount Arthur (Wharepapa) te maunga
Ko Tāhunanui te moana
Ko Steph tōku ingoa
Greetings to all. My ancestors are English, and I grew up in Dorset, England. However, Nelson is my home and I have connection to Tāhunanui ocean and Mt Arthur in the Wharepapa range. My name is Steph McLeod. I am married with a young daughter.
What strengths do you bring to the Regional Chair role?
I have been fortunate to work with Avik Halder, Chris Maguire and Louisa Bloomer who have all served on the ACE Board, and so I feel I have fantastic connections to help me bring the best of my skill set to the Regional Chair role. The strengths that I bring include a focus on ensuring fairness in the commercial delivery of industry projects, ensuring best practice and advocating for change where it is necessary to keep apace of industry, plus client and consultant environments.
I am passionate about promoting our industry to ensure diversity and inclusion; we are better together when we can bring our true authentic selves to our industry, and we are all better people and professionals for these relationships. I have on-the-ground delivery experience, commercial experience, people leadership and conflict resolution experience. I love sharing ideas and lessons learned as I believe experience is our best teacher, and paying forward the great mentoring and learnings I have received within my region would be an honour.
How would you support ACE's mahi in your region?
The Nelson/Tasman/Blenheim region is a geographically large area with many smaller consultancies that offer specialised expertise. With so many smaller consultancies, it can be hard for them to feel represented and that they have a voice among the bigger consultancies in their field. I intend to support ACE's mahi by being inclusive of all consultancies regardless of location, size or discipline, and making sure they are represented, heard and have information shared with them. Often smaller consultancies may not believe they can be supported and represented by a national organisation, and I will work to make sure that narrative is addressed at every opportunity. I intend to listen to the needs and ideas from the local ACE members to better understand how I can support and connect the work that ACE does at a local level so members are receiving relevant information and support where it is needed.
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