Tasos, a leader at GHD, was appointed Consult Australia's 37th President in October 2023. Since then, he has steered a dedicated and determined board of directors, working tirelessly to expand Consult Australia’s influence, amplify its advocacy and strengthen members’ international connections.
“Engagement has been our primary focus this year. We’ve welcomed new members and brought others back to the fold, like Beca and WSP,” Tasos says.
“It’s great to see so many people attending our events, which I think reflects a growing recognition that the best way to create change is to have a seat at the table. When I see colleagues reconnecting at our events, I feel the energy shift; it’s a testament to the like-minded community we are building among Consult Australia members.”
Nearly 59,000 design, advisory and engineering businesses operate across Australia “and only one association represents their interests,” Tasos adds.
“Issues like procurement, contracting and fair apportionment of risk are complex and challenging. I’ve been talking about unfair contracting my entire career, and I’ve seen how devasting it can be for businesses. We won’t solve this without elevating the voices of our members.”
The urgency of this advocacy is magnified as Australia’s infrastructure sector navigates shifting government priorities. “There is uncertainty, and our message to government is clear: business needs pipeline certainty to invest confidently in the future.”
In September, Tasos travelled to Geneva to represent Consult Australia members among more than 600 delegates at the FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference. FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, represents more than one million engineering professionals and 40,000 firms in around 100 countries worldwide.
“The conference theme, Transforming lives with infrastructure, underscored how infrastructure development can be the catalyst for us to build better communities, cities and countries.”
According to FIDIC’s report, Closing the sustainable infrastructure gap to achieve net zero, US$139 trillion in investment in sustainable infrastructure is needed to achieve net zero by 2050. This staggering figure highlights the scale of the task, and the vast opportunities available for innovators and entrepreneurs within the industry, Tasos says.
“Speaker after speaker reminded us that engineers have never had a more important role to play, nor has their work been more valued. Today is a tipping point to really demonstrate our worth to society. Engineers can be a driving force for transformative change.”
Tasos points to Consult Australia’s initiatives, such as Digital by Default and CollabX, as prime examples of how “collaboration in action” can drive this “transformative change”. Consult Australia is also amplifying members’ voices through the built environment’s “broad ecosystem” by strengthening affiliations with organisations like the Australian Constructors Association, Engineers Australia and Infrastructure Net Zero, he adds.
“These partnerships are proof that we are stronger together than we are apart. We must – and we can – move the whole value chain forward together.”