November 2025

Learning to stargaze

Natalie Ambroso, winner of Consult Australia’s 2025 Future Leader Award, is designing for a future she’ll never see – and asking her industry to stargaze too.

“Change has never been faster. But it will never be this slow again,” says Natalie, GHD’s  Market Leader of Property and Buildings for South Queensland.

How do built environment leaders – working with assets that may be around for a century or more – wrap their heads around exponential change? Human brains aren’t wired that way. We can picture steady progress, but struggle to grasp compounding change. 

The world will supposedly generate 181 zettabytes of data this year – an almost meaningless figure to most of us. AI’s computational demands are growing more than twice as fast as Moore’s Law. These numbers feel abstract. 

Perhaps a better way to understand accelerated change is through people. In 2025, for the first time in history, seven generations of Australians are alive at once. Change isn’t only speeding up in our technology; it’s multiplying within us.

Engineers, architects, designers and consultants must do a lot of “star gazing”, Natalie says.

“We have to think differently about the future, and about the change ahead when we’re solving challenges – whether that’s supporting the energy transition, building defence infrastructure, or designing for communities that aren’t even alive yet.”

Successful leaders embrace exponential change by taking the long view – thinking about legacy, endurance and responsibility. But they also know how to take that view: with curiosity, imagination and a sense of wonder at the infinite sky full of stars.

An engineer’s evolution
This mindset has shaped Natalie Ambroso’s own journey – from structural engineer to forward-looking leader, with a career arc as stellar as the projects she’s helped bring to life.

Eighteen years in consulting have taught Natalie that an engineering career is anything but linear. Trained as a structural engineer, she spent her first 15 years designing buildings. For the past nine she’s held senior roles at GHD, most recently as Building Engineering Group Leader and Regional Defence Leader before recently being promoted into her current role.

“One of the real benefits of being an engineer is the range of career pathways on offer. You can be technical, undertake research and publish, lead teams and projects, or move into business development. There are so many turns you can take through your career to keep developing yourself and contributing to the industry.”

What keeps Natalie inspired is the problem-solving itself.

“I love the thrill of achieving an outcome that might not be obvious at first. Seeing an idea come to life – sketching a drawing and then, a few years later, watching children walk into a new school. That’s what it’s all about for me.”

How do we lead teams through this era of accelerated change?

“Start with diverse teams. We won't be well positioned to include different needs – now or in the future – if our teams don’t reflect the communities we live in.”

Gender balance remains a challenge in engineering (the proportion of female engineers working in engineering roles is 11%, according to Engineers Australia). “We must continue to drive better gender equity. There are also great opportunities for us to boost the cultural diversity of our teams to supercharge our collective knowledge and experience. That’s the baseline for creating things that last.”

Recognition and reach
Natalie was chosen from a long list of outstanding finalists for the Consult Australia Awards for Excellence Future Leader Award, and was recognised for fresh thinking in sustainability, innovation and diversity. 

“Alongside her technical excellence, the award judges were impressed with Natalie’s work to integrate sustainability into every project and her advocacy for diversity and inclusion,” says Consult Australia Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Cartledge. 

“Natalie spearheaded the creation of a dedicated built environment sustainability team within GHD’s Victorian Building Engineering division which achieved a 45/55 gender split – well above industry norms.”

The award honour, Natalie says, was “incredible”. 

“You can be a ‘legend in your own lunchbox’, but being part of that finalist cohort – alongside others doing great things in their own organisations – was inspiring.”

Since the awards, Natalie has leaned into every new opportunity by participating in leaders’ exchanges and speaking at industry forums to encourage greater collaboration between consultant, client, constructor and government entities.

“We know the challenges ahead. The pace of change isn’t going to slow down, and we have decades of work to do. We need to bring the next generation forward because they’re relevant now. All we have to do is give them a seat at the table.”

And as the pace quickens, Natalie Ambroso will keep doing what she does best – looking up and thinking far ahead, to a future we can’t yet see.

About the Consult Australia’s Emerging Leader Award
The Consult Australia Awards for Excellence Emerging Leader Award recognises professionals aged 38 and under who have made a significant contribution to their firm and added demonstrable value across leadership, innovation and professional growth. Judges look for individuals who have stepped up, shaken things up, and shown they’re not just the future of the industry – they’re leading it now. 

Download submission guidelines. Submissions close Friday 19 December 2025.