Exceptional Leaders And Training Programmes Honoured At Industry Awards

Gifted young leaders and employers with a relentless dedication to staff development were recognised at the Z Energy People Awards and Connexis Civil Training Awards in Auckland this afternoon.

Held at the Due Drop Events Centre during the Civil Contractors Conference, the awards celebrated the stars of New Zealand’s civil infrastructure construction industry in front of a crowd of hundreds of their peers.

Ryan Thom of Utilities Infrastructure was crowned the Z Energy Emerging Leader, an award which recognises individuals making a mark in the industry with their leadership skills and personal attributes.

After joining Utilities Infrastructure three years ago as a junior project manager, Mr Thom is now a Christchurch-based project manager trusted with running the two largest projects the company has secured over the last year.

The judges, CCNZ President Bailey Gair and Z Energy’s Antony Chan commended Mr Thom’s efforts, saying he was an emerging leader with unlimited potential and a relentless work ethic.

“He is a standout nominee with a vast array of leadership qualities which have earned him the opportunity to lead complex, multi-million-dollar projects.”

Jacob Walmsley of Brian Perry Civil won the Z Energy Personal Improvement Award, which recognises outstanding devotion to personal professional development and the development of peers.

During his eight years at Brian Perry Civil, Mr Walmsley has gone from hammer hand to project engineer, completing a Diploma in Civil Engineering in the process, and is currently managing the $7m Taranaki Street Pump Station project in Wellington.

The judges were impressed by the way Mr Walmsley started at the bottom and worked his way up, completing over 30 training courses and finishing his Diploma a straight A student, all while working full time.

“Jacob’s success in his own personal journey has led to him being highly regarded amongst his peers… a much-deserved recipient of this year’s personal improvement award,” the judges noted.

The winners each walked away with a one-of-a-kind personalised trophy crafted by Bruce Winter and $1,000. Emerging Leader award recipient Mr Thom received the ‘Dr Dave Memorial Trophy’ – named to commemorate Dr Dave Hutchison, who served as Chief Engineer at Downer for many years and was renowned for his work developing young leaders.

The Z Energy People Awards also recognised highly commended individuals: Bariz Shah of Brian Perry Civil in the Emerging Leader category for his brave leadership style and amazing journey from refugee in Pakistan to emerging industry star, and Johnny Overend of HEB Construction in the Personal Improvement category for dedication to the quality of his work.

The conference also featured the presentation of the coveted Connexis Civil Training Awards, which recognise employers’ dedication increasing the capability of the civil workforce by growing the skills of their team members.

Nationwide employer HEB Construction was honoured with the award for companies with turnover over $100m and alliance projects for its commitment to growing its people’s capability and its comprehensive training programme to provide both work and life skills.

Auckland business Pipeline & Civil received the award for companies with turnover between $10m and $100m. Connexis judges Brian Dillon and Fiona Malloch noted the company’s genuine passion to create opportunities and help staff to meet their full potential; Every employee has a tailored personal development plan and the company has two dedicated trainers on staff with a focus on helping to upskill team members on a daily basis.

Hawke’s Bay civil construction company Topline Contracting won the award for companies with turnover up to $10m. The judges remarked the company had a genuine philosophy of social responsibility for people and the industry, and it was leading the way in cultural and community inclusion.

Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Alan Pollard said the award recipients were the cream of the industry’s crop and he was pleased their exceptional efforts and dedication were being recognised in such a prestigious way.

“The individuals and companies recognised in these awards have set benchmarks for the rest of the industry to aspire to. Congratulations to them all for raising the bar with their outstanding achievements.”

Z Energy Customer Manager for SME and Partner Relationships Antony Chan agreed and said the awards shone a spotlight on some of the future stars of the industry and their impressive talent.

“It’s fantastic to see young high achievers coming through the ranks and companies with the vision to equip their staff with the skills required to tackle the challenges of the future.”

Connexis Chief Executive Kaarin Gaukrodger said Connexis was proud to support the awards.

“We are delighted to celebrate all the nominees. By investing in their people they are growing the capability of our local workforce and investing in the future of our industry and New Zealand.”

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