Consult Australia

Chief Executive Officer | Tonkin Consulting | Consult Australia President

Gerry Doyle is the Chief Executive Officer for Tonkin Consulting, a South Australian firm with 60 years’ experience providing engineering solutions for local government, state government and private clients.  Under Gerry’s leadership, Tonkin Consulting has expanded its geographic reach from four offices to six around Australia.  Gerry is a Civil Engineer with broad and practical experience in the design and project management of water supply and wastewater projects in South Australia.  A number of these involved the planning, consultation and development of negotiated solutions to successfully meet key stakeholder and business needs in complex and challenging environments.

Managing Director - NSW/ACT | Aurecon | Consult Australia Vice President

Rowenna Walker is the Managing Director for NSW and ACT at Aurecon. As a member of Aurecon’s ANZ Executive Leadership Team, she is responsible for the leadership and performance of the New South Wales & ACT business including health & safety, client engagement, staff engagement, project and financial performance.

With a background as a Chartered Civil Engineer, Rowenna’s career has spanned two decades and three continents, bringing a range of international corporate experience in leading teams, managing P&L, development of market growth strategies, negotiating contracts and understanding clients.

Rowenna has recently been acknowledged for her business leadership in the construction industry be being awarded the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) NSW Business Woman of the Year Award. She is passionate about the diversity and inclusion agenda and in 2017 received a Highly Commended award for Champions of Change, Female Leadership by Consult Australia. A Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Rowenna is a Director on the Board of Consult Australia as well as a Non Executive Director for Bendigo Bank, Lindfield & Turramurra branch.

Buildings Regional Business Leader ANZ | Stantec

Brett Davis is responsible for all aspects of the buildings business line for Stantec across the Australia and New Zealand region.

Prior to the appointment he was Executive Director and the Perth Office Manager for Wood & Grieve Engineers, which he held for 9 years. Brett has worked at Wood & Grieve Engineers (now Stantec) for over 20 years and is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Western Australia with Honours. Brett is a Fellow of Engineers Australia and is a Chartered Professional Engineer in the college of Leadership and Management.

Brett is passionate about the built environment and is particularly focussed on continuously pushing for fair terms and conditions for the engagement of consultants. Brett has also been involved for the past three years as a mentor for the WA division of NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction) in order to assist young females progress their careers in the built environment industry.

Market Director Urban Communities | SMEC

Kate Drews is a senior executive with more than 25 years experience in the property, construction and infrastructure sectors. Kate has successfully lead programs of significant organisational change both for clients and previous employers. She has experience in business planning, mergers and acquisitions, organisational restructuring and risk management.

Kate commenced her career in the Australian Regular Army and rose to the rank of Major before transferring to the Army Reserve. After 12 years’ full time service she became a management consultant and has since held senior leadership roles at a number of firms in fields of architecture and engineering.
 
Kate is passionate about technical excellence, client service and gender diversity within our industry. A Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Kate is also the Vice President of the Queensland Military History Society.

General Counsel | Douglas Partners

Michelle Golafshan is the General Counsel for Douglas Partners (DP), a national specialist engineering consultancy firm with almost 60 years’ experience in providing geotechnical, environmental and groundwater solutions. Michelle leads the Legal and Risk functions at Douglas Partners and advises Board members and senior management on a wide range of legal and strategic issues. Having a strong in-house legal and top-tier law firm background, Michelle is commercially-focused with a diverse set of skills and insights gained from various dynamic industries, including energy, financial services and the start-up sector.

Michelle is also a member of Consult Australia’s Liability & Contracts Roundtable, which advocates for a fair allocation of risks between contracting parties in the industry, improved procurement practices, and more collaborative relationships between consulting firms and clients across jurisdictions.

Manager Sydney Region | GHD

Tasos currently leads GHD's global transformation initiatives. This is a strategic role reporting to the Executive Management Group of GHD, with a focus to develop a contemporary and leading approach to professional services delivery in the digital age. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and also an EPA appointed Environmental Auditor for Contaminated Land in Victoria with more than 25 years' experience in project direction, project management and senior line management / executive roles.

Vice President Project Delivery, Asia Pacific | Jacobs

Stuart leads the Project Delivery and Governance function of Jacobs Group Australia across the Asia Pacific region. He is an experienced senior executive, having delivered complex multi-disciplinary projects in excess of $5B. He has a background in major infrastructure project delivery. His 30+ years in the industry means he is a highly sort after as a mentor, leader and strategic advisor. Stuart is a collaborative and engaging leader with deep industry experience across Risk Management, Procurement, Strategy Development and Industry Advocacy.

Head of Corporate Services | Civil Geotechnical Consultants (CGC)

Holly Carson is the Head of Corporate Services for Civil Geotechnical Consultants (CGC), a geotechnical engineering consultancy based in Brisbane. Holly has responsibility for the finance, strategy, marketing, HR and social impact of the business.

Holly’s background is in Corporate Finance and Treasury, primarily across the property and engineering sectors. Her experience in managing financial risk, governance and strategy has extended from large corporates to a start-up business.

Holly is passionate about businesses playing a role in tackling social issues and has recently led the transformation of CGC to become Australia’s first certified engineering social enterprise.