Beca announces our 2021 Technical Fellows

Beca welcomes eight new technical specialists to its esteemed group of Technical Fellows at the 2021 Delivery and Technical Connect Conference which was held on Thursday, 11 November.

The newly appointed Beca Technical Fellows join the ranks of 47 Technical Fellows, who now make up the specialist group of 55 technical experts who have been recognised since the inaugural appointments were made in 2013.

Beca’s Technical Fellows recognises the exceptional talent of our people acknowledged for their expertise in their field within our business. In appointing these leaders, we celebrate the importance that Beca places on technical and delivery excellence in delivering exceptional client  experience. 

Beca Chief Technical Officer, Craig Price, said at the 2021 Technical and Delivery Connect conference, “Technical Excellence is at the heart of what we do. We have many very capable and highly performing people who work  for Beca delivering on a range of challenging projects for our clients very successfully. I am inspired by the merit of our people and how they bring our purpose to life to “Make Everyday Better”.

Hear from our newly appointed 2021 Beca Technical Fellows on the key issues and biggest opportunities facing their sector by clicking on the video below:




Congratulations to our 2021 Beca Technical Fellows!

Quintin Blackburn: Specialty: Major Project Delivery
Quintin Blackburn is a leader in project delivery at Beca and has set organisational and industrywide standards for delivering design in the PPP environment, acknowledged by our clients, consultant and contractor partners alike.  He creates high performance teams with clear responsibilities and expectations and shows commitment to developing others. Quintin is a Practice Area Assessor for Engineering NZ, lectures at AUT on construction contract administration and is an active member of the TDG since its inception.  He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Canterbury and is a Chartered Engineer.

Hamish Denize: Specialty: Fire Engineering
Hamish Denize is the Global Fire Discipline Technical Lead at Beca and specialises in fire safety engineering design and fire protection services, he is seen as a trusted advisor by his clients.  Hamish holds a Masters degree in Fire Engineering, Chartered Engineer accreditation in both New Zealand and Australia, and engages actively in professional bodies. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Society for Fire Protection Engineering, and the Engineering NZ Competency Assessment Board.

Lesley Hopkins: Specialty: Planning
Lesley Hopkins is asked sought out in the market for her expertise as Planning & Consents manager on key projects. One such example is Waka Kotahi, who specifically requested Lesley lead Te Ara Tupua through the new COVID legislation RMA process. Lesley is a Member of the NZ Planning Institute and participates in the NZPI mentoring programme for young planners. She has contributed to and presented conference papers at international conferences. Lesley holds a Bachelor of Planning (Honours) and Post Graduate Diploma in Development Studies.

Chris Ivory: Specialty: Structural Engineering
Chris Ivory is a specialist in structural design and delivery in the Industrial, Water and Power markets, and is often sought out to rethink design and / or construction approaches to help reduce complexity and cost. Chris’s work has extended throughout Asia Pacific and he is often sought for input and verification on projects in Australia, Indonesia, New Caledonia and other pacific locations, due to his extensive knowledge of the codes and standards in those jurisdictions, as well as New Zealand. His larger projects have included: Holcim Cement storage domes, Waikato River-to-Redoubt; and Waikato Water Emergency Treatment. Chris is a Chartered Engineer and an active member of ENZ, SESOC and NZSEE.

Dr John Marsh: Specialty: Airports Engineering
John Marsh has spent the last 25 years working in the aviation sector and has specific expertise in planning, designing and delivering complex airfield projects and related aviation studies.  John has been involved in the majority of Beca’s airside design and construction works since the mid-1990s and brings extensive knowledge of both concrete and asphalt surfacing projects. John holds a PhD in Geomechanics from the University of Auckland and a Masters of Engineering Science from Oxford.  He is a Chartered Member of Engineering NZ.

Paul Robilliard: Specialty: Pulp and Paper
Paul Robilliard is considered the top technical person to turn to for technical assistance, leadership and contacts in his field. A past President of the Australasian Pulp and Paper Technical Association, his roles in industry and his technical background mean that he is highly regarded by our largest client OJI. Paul is sought after nationally for his expertise in pulp and paper process, is recognised by his peers in APPITA and Wood Beca and is referred to by his assessors as "indisputably worthy of the title Beca Technical Fellow". Paul holds a Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry) from the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada.

Gavin Shaw: Specialty: Major Project Delivery
Gavin Shaw  is a recognised professionally at a national level in project delivery leadership. He is an active participant in the Society of Construction Law and a presenter at the Project Management Institute NZ conferences on the topic of Procurement. He also participates in the Industry Review of NZS3910. He has recently been appointment as Business Director – Construction Sector Advisory at Beca. Gavin has built long-term relationships with a range of key clients including SKYCITY and Precinct Properties. He has been a strong, ongoing contributor to the Project & Cost Management TDG for over a decade. Most recently he has been a primary member of the TDG's COVID Taskforce.

Michael Warne: Specialty: Industrial Architecture
Michael Warne has over 30 years' experience, including specialist complex buildings such as flight catering facilities, data centres, cold storage, water facilities, power substations, rail station and maintenance facilities. He is well known for his expertise in architecture relevant to Hygienic Food production facilities. Under Michael’s leadership, the Australian architecture  team has grown its influence in all relevant areas of the Australian business. Michael was our key leader in the adoption of Revit as our Base platform. More recently he has done the same with adopting BIM360 as our cloud-based platform for architectural design projects. His Brunswick Terminal Station project was shortlisted for a World Architectural Award. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science (Architecture) and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Sydney and is a Registered Architect in many jurisdictions across Australia.