As Australia’s infrastructure priorities pivot, Consult Australia’s newest board member, WSP’s Sam McWilliam, is focused on a constant challenge: solving complex problems through collaboration.

Sam, WSP’s Managing Director of Transport, was appointed to Consult Australia’s Board of Directors at the October 2024 Annual General Meeting. She’s held a variety of roles during her career, the last 21 years with WSP, and had led large teams on major projects like Sydney Metro to spectacular success.

Sam joins a diverse cohort of leaders on Consult Australia’s board and values the opportunity to take a seat at the table among peers with similar challenges and goals. “It’s refreshing to be in a space where everyone’s facing the same issues and pushing for the same outcomes,” she says.

She’s also excited to be joining four other women on the board. “Being the only woman in the room creates one kind of dynamic, but having diversity – and not just in terms of gender – creates a different type of conversation. As consultants, we design infrastructure for society, so it makes sense that our teams should reflect the diversity of that society.”

From tracks to turbines

Australia’s infrastructure sector is changing. While the five-year $690 billion pipeline for building and transport currently dwarfs the $53 billion for utilities, Infrastructure Australia expects a four-fold increase in energy investments over the next four years, creating competition for resources.

“We are seeing a shift in how and where funding is allocated. The focus for many years was on transport infrastructure, but as we move into the next few decades, energy and water projects will be where the demand is greatest. It’s a big change in the market, and we need to prepare,” Sam says.

Skills honed from delivering linear infrastructure like roads and rail can be leveraged for large-scale energy and water projects, Sam adds. Many core skills – civil engineering, project management, design, procurement and stakeholder engagement to name a few – are transferrable. 

“The problems may change but solving them with a team remains the same. It's all about transferring skills and adapting to new demands.”

Skills for the new frontier

The transition to new project types isn’t just about applying old skills to new challenges. It’s also about embracing versatility. “I think we will need engineers with a broader skill set than we’ve needed in the past.”

This changing landscape will also require new approaches to contracting. Traditional design-and-construct models and risk allocation methods must evolve. “Collaborative contracts, focused on shared risk and teamwork, are increasingly important,” she says. 

“The question now is how to adopt innovative contracting approaches to best manage risk in a way that benefits all stakeholders. Clients are collectively starting to talk about collaborative contracts – and that’s a good sign.”

Skills in sustainability, honed through work on linear infrastructure, can also be applied to energy and water projects. “It’s encouraging to see sustainability being baked in from the very start of projects and being embedded into business cases. Reducing carbon was once seen through the lens of cost-saving, but now we’re looking at it from a whole-system perspective – and that’s leading to positive outcomes.”

Sam is also committed to Consult Australia’s digital by default agenda. WSP’s digital engineering approach, including the innovative Customer Connectivity tool and Development Application (DA Bot) were developed for Sydney Metro City and Southwest and recognised at the 2017 Consult Australia Awards.

“WSP is committed to digital delivery. Digital approaches improve productivity and consistency, not just in delivery but in pricing too. The shift to streamlined digital solutions makes it easier to predict, price and deliver.” 

The best teams make tangible impact

Sam began her career underground as a geotechnical engineer and has spent the last 10 years working on the Sydney Metro project. 

Sydney Metro. Credit WSP

What is it like to see a project – once just a plan on a page – become a high-speed train cutting through Sydney’s CBD and under Sydney Harbour at 100 kilometres an hour? “No one takes their kids to show them a spreadsheet, but I’ve dragged mine to ride a lot of trains,” she laughs.

“When we think about how people are more connected to hospitals, schools and their city in new ways, it’s pretty amazing.”

The tangible outcomes of social infrastructure motivate WSP’s team, Sam adds. “Our people are smart problem-solvers who could work anywhere, but they choose to work in engineering because of the impact they can make.”

For Sam, solving these complex challenges by uniting diverse teams is what makes her role so rewarding. “It’s incredible to reach the finish line and think, ‘I was part of that’. Our work is really all about people – and bringing together diverse perspectives is how we get there.”