Beca announces Amelia Linzey as new Group Chief Executive

Beca announces the appointment of Amelia Linzey as Beca’s next Group Chief Executive. Amelia will step into the role on 1 October 2023.

Amelia will be the eighth Chief Executive at Beca since its establishment in 1920. A geographer and planner by profession, Amelia has directed numerous strategic and community shaping, policy and infrastructure planning, and consultation projects across New Zealand, Samoa, Belize and the Pacific.  

"It is a huge privilege to help make an impact on the next decade of Beca," Amelia says. "I’m excited about the opportunity to shift our business to set ourselves up for growth and to strengthen our offerings across all our geographies."

She is currently Beca’s Group Director – Advisory, Chief Planner, Chair of the business’ Sustainability Steering Group and a Director of both the Beca Group and Beca NZ boards.

Having worked across the whole spectrum of disciplines to deliver projects during her 25 years at Beca, Amelia says: "It is the exceptional people at Beca who come together to make cities, communities and economies work better that make this such a great place to work."

"As an employee-owned business, we take immense pride in the unique value we bring to our clients through our wide breadth of expertise, our relationship-focused culture, and our commitment to finding innovative solutions to the complex challenges facing our clients in today’s world.

"Sustainability is something I’m passionate about. It is central to our mission in supporting transformation of the worlds we touch. Key to this is a focus on how we decarbonise our economy and nurture prosperous, resilient, and enduring communities – both now and for future generations. Progressing our digital transformation is a key enabler of this change and will redefine our organisation's future by elevating capabilities and delivering excellent value to clients.

"While we are proudly founded in New Zealand, Beca is now spread across nine different countries with long-term operations in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Together, our teams eagerly embrace the opportunities to explore, adapt, and innovate with a passion for growth. “I look forward to growing our business, both by strengthening our service offerings, building our great local and international partnerships and leveraging our skills."

Amelia will formally assume her new role in two months’ time, working closely with Beca’s current Group Chief Executive Greg Lowe over that period to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Earlier this year, Greg Lowe signalled his intention to step down on 30 September 2023.

"We have a long history of stable leadership at Beca,” Greg says. “I had been thinking about timing for succession and believe that with our business now more globally unified and emerging strongly from the pandemic years, the time is right for another leader to take the helm and guide us through our next growth chapter."

"As an employee-owned business, leadership succession is approached differently at Beca. Amelia and I are currently working together through a well-planned and carefully thought-through process to maintain momentum and ensure a seamless transition."

Greg plans to stay with Beca after September, supporting growth in our priority investments in both the Australian market and in targeted service offerings locally and overseas.

"I think our employee-ownership model is part of what makes our culture so special," says Greg, "When we invest in new directions, the entire business gets behind it and so we are successful together."