Disruption not slowing down warns Aurecon CEO
21
February 2017
Aurecon: As the ‘speed’ of change
accelerates, the sheer velocity of disruption facing engineering,
property, construction and infrastructure organisations is only
increasing, according to Giam Swiegers, Aurecon’s Global CEO, as he
continues the firm’s investment focus on leadership, innovation and
change. And with the global engineering and infrastructure advisory
firm’s performance climbing year on year, the Aurecon Board is in full
agreement, extending Swiegers’ term as Global CEO until February 2019.
In announcing the extension, Global Chairman Teddy Daka stated: “We have
seen an incredible amount of change within the organisation over the
past two years while Giam has been helping us to build a strong and
sustainable business with a real focus on the future. Having Giam extend
his term will provide us with the stability we need to continue
embedding these changes and improvements into our business.”
Swiegers, a big fan of multidisciplinary
diversity, has made significant
changes to the leadership cohort at Aurecon and two recent
internationally recognised appointments will further boost Aurecon’s
leadership gene pool.
Starting on 30 January, Aurecon appointed energy guru Dr Alex Wonhas as
Aurecon’s new Managing Director, Energy & Resources. Dr Wonhas was
previously Executive Director for CSIRO’s environment,
energy and
resources sector where he oversaw research, development and
demonstration activities, as well as the commercialisation of a range of
fossil, renewable and demand side energy technologies. He was also a key
member of the Government’s Expert Panel for its Energy White Papers.
In a major boost to its
Advisory practice, Dr Abe Nezamian – a globally
recognised authority on
infrastructure rehabilitation, asset integrity
management and asset management in the
mining, infrastructure and
transport industries across Australia, the Middle East, UK, US, SE Asia
and West Africa – was recently appointed Aurecon’s Global Leader in
Asset Management, seen as a major growth area for Aurecon’s advisory
business.
“Smart businesses in the energy, property and infrastructure sectors
understand our world is changing and with it, the need to change
leadership priorities, capabilities and work practices,” says Swiegers.
“For Aurecon, this has meant focusing our workforce on quickly adapting
and using smart
technology or ‘infra tech’, exploring new ways of
delivering mega projects, better managing the life cycle of existing
major assets and of course upskilling our leadership and our talent
across the globe as we prepare for a very different future.
“The current wave of disruption is either a catalyst for a company’s
downfall, or a clear call to harness its greatest brains to solve some
of the biggest problems the world has ever seen. In future, those able
to mobilise the creativity of a cross-disciplinary and cross-culturally
diverse workforce in order to deliver competitive advantage will succeed
in building globally successful and sustainable businesses.
“Aurecon will continue to invest in strong leaders who provide not only
eminence in their space, but have the leadership style, global mind-set
and courage to lead amidst ongoing disruption,” says Swiegers. “These
experts bring subject matter expertise and advisory capability to major
growth markets for Aurecon and play an important role in developing our
global teams to meet clients’ most significant and changing challenges.”
A key adviser on energy security issues, Dr Wonhas, previously a member
of the executive team of CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, was
instrumental in expanding the Gas Industry Social and Environmental
Research Alliance nationally and bringing in AGL, Origin and Santos as
additional industry partners. He chaired the energy theme at the 2014
G20 Global Café in Brisbane, was a key member of the Federal
Government’s expert panel of the 2012 and 2015 Energy White Papers, and
also conceived the Future Grid Forum that brought together over 100
participants from across the whole electricity value chain to define its
possible future, focus technology developments and inform regulatory
processes.
Similarly, eminent Dr Abe Nezamian, who held the ASME International
Petroleum Technology Institute Award for global excellence consecutively
from 2011-2016, is renowned for helping companies navigate industry
change over the past decade, advising clients in mining, transport and
infrastructure across the globe on asset integrity management and asset
management. He is a widely published authority on asset condition
assessment/management and life extension, management strategy, decision
support tools, OPEX/CAPEX optimisation and best in practice asset
management programmes. He is also a task group (Strategy) Co-Chair for
development of OGP (ISO SIM Global Standard), a member of ISOPE
scientific and technical committees and Chairman of the Global FPSO
Integrity Management community.
Giam Swiegers believes these appointments reflect Aurecon’s commitment
to building the kind of cross-cultural, multidisciplinary and
gender-equal workforce that will see smart businesses like Aurecon
become future ready.
The success of this strategy was highlighted late last year, when the
firm was presented with the 2016 Australian Human Resources Institute
Inclusive Workplace Award less than a week after also winning Engineers
Australia’s highest honour possible: The Sir William Hudson Award for
its revolutionary Brisbane's Flood Recovery Ferry Terminals, clearly
linking the two achievements.
The Sir William Hudson Award recognises the most outstanding engineering
project and is the highest accolade for a project-based award that
Engineers Australia confers. The award follows further recognition for
Aurecon’s creativity at the Consult Australia Awards for Excellence,
where it won Gold in Design Innovation for 5 Martin Place, Sydney.
“Both projects include ground breaking innovations and can be linked to
an enhanced focus on cross-disciplinary collaboration, diversity of
ideas and inclusive work practices,” says Swiegers.
--ENDS--
Source: Aurecon - www.aurecongroup.com
Contact: Danielle Bond | +61 3 9975 3138
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