Moved away from a managerial role at my request to re-focus back on technical delivery and delivery team management activities, while continuing to assist management in an ad-hoc advisory type capacity. Involved with delivering a bewildering array of projects in this time. Ranging from providing high-level strategic advice to development agencies operating in Papua New Guinea (DfAT and Asia Development Bank), to strategic advice to the NSW Treasury on the sale of major government transport… Show more Moved away from a managerial role at my request to re-focus back on technical delivery and delivery team management activities, while continuing to assist management in an ad-hoc advisory type capacity. Involved with delivering a bewildering array of projects in this time. Ranging from providing high-level strategic advice to development agencies operating in Papua New Guinea (DfAT and Asia Development Bank), to strategic advice to the NSW Treasury on the sale of major government transport assets - to being up to my armpits in a saturated debris field undertaking direct site construction supervision on NSW disaster recovery sites. If this were not enough in itself I take on project technical and commercial director roles or verifier roles on a wide variety of transport (road, rail, metro, ports), utilities, renewable energy, general development and other challenging geotechnical projects. I have also provided expert witness services on a number of selected litigation cases within my time as a technical director at GHD. Show less

Service Group Manager of a geotechnical group with approx. forty civil-geotechnical designers, analysts, engineering geological, and laboratory staff at that time. Combined a heavy managerial commitment with ongoing project technical roles on overseas and local schemes, while looking after the group's day to day safety, work winning, marketing, commercial, HR, and longer term strategic decision making functions.

Dropped out of corporate life, which became deeply unpleasant in the aftermath of the 2008 GFC, and developed my own business from numerous contacts established in previous roles. Offered ground risk management, geotechnical design, site design input, claims and litigation assistance on a range of small and large projects. Input ranged from providing site supervision on a challenging landslide site in Scotland, to providing advice to a high-end architect on basement excavation options in… Show more Dropped out of corporate life, which became deeply unpleasant in the aftermath of the 2008 GFC, and developed my own business from numerous contacts established in previous roles. Offered ground risk management, geotechnical design, site design input, claims and litigation assistance on a range of small and large projects. Input ranged from providing site supervision on a challenging landslide site in Scotland, to providing advice to a high-end architect on basement excavation options in London, to assisting consultants with litigation issues. Being as comfortable in the boardroom, or in the office doing design as being with lawyers advising on claims, or getting my hands dirty on site helping a foreman, is a trademark of my highly diversified skill set. I closed the business only upon accepting a significant offer to move to Australia with my family. Show less

Quickly promoted from a Senior Design Engineer working on mostly rail design schemes to Associate and ultimately a Group Director responsible for overseeing geotechnical issues for all UK and Ireland geotech related operations at a large UK based consultancy. Provided technical and commercial direction for projects and bids and operations generally as a member of the geotechnical, environmental, and planning group operational board. I worked on numerous emergency works schemes on road and… Show more Quickly promoted from a Senior Design Engineer working on mostly rail design schemes to Associate and ultimately a Group Director responsible for overseeing geotechnical issues for all UK and Ireland geotech related operations at a large UK based consultancy. Provided technical and commercial direction for projects and bids and operations generally as a member of the geotechnical, environmental, and planning group operational board. I worked on numerous emergency works schemes on road and rail infrastructure in that time as one of the few 'Approved Engineers' on the permanent call-out list for such roles held by Network Rail and the Highways Agency. I also acted as the Asset Protection Engineer for Network Rail during the highly complex construction of the Kings Cross St Pancreas station in London. The scheme required several new levels and tunnels to be constructed below a large heritage structure with a glass and cast iron roof, with the whole area crossed by old services, London Underground tunnels, and (often) archaeological finds. Show less

Worked as a Contract Geotechnical Engineer while re-establishing back to the UK. Worked on the design and reporting requirements for numerous water related schemes under a framework agreement and also contributed to a challenging road project in Kingston Jamaica during that time.

Based initially in Townsville, I worked on a large military barracks re-development project (Lavarack Barracks) and several mining and infrastructure projects mostly in an assessment and design capacity before moving to Brisbane for a short period to work on the inner city bypass and several smaller routine design projects. My final project with Maunsel was based in India on the first stage of the Delhi Metro project. The assessments and methodologies established by the team at that time for… Show more Based initially in Townsville, I worked on a large military barracks re-development project (Lavarack Barracks) and several mining and infrastructure projects mostly in an assessment and design capacity before moving to Brisbane for a short period to work on the inner city bypass and several smaller routine design projects. My final project with Maunsel was based in India on the first stage of the Delhi Metro project. The assessments and methodologies established by the team at that time for the project went on to form the technical basis for all the metro systems that followed. Amazing to think how in a little over 20 years India has gone from needing significant technical support from overseas to complete such a scheme to exporting those skills overseas today. Show less

Dropped in at the deep end as a Deputy Project Manager (in reality I did almost everything) to manage a major programme of slope improvements as part of the government funded Landslip Preventative Measures programme taking the project from design through to construction. While still in my twenties I found myself chairing meetings and dealing with contract matters for a significant and complicated fairly high-profile scheme involving around fifty slope remediation sites spread all across Hong… Show more Dropped in at the deep end as a Deputy Project Manager (in reality I did almost everything) to manage a major programme of slope improvements as part of the government funded Landslip Preventative Measures programme taking the project from design through to construction. While still in my twenties I found myself chairing meetings and dealing with contract matters for a significant and complicated fairly high-profile scheme involving around fifty slope remediation sites spread all across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Show less

Hong Kong based working six days a week on ground investigation and construction phases of major infrastructure schemes including the Central Reclamation and the Kowloon Canton Railway scheme. Exposed to heavy civil engineering methods (major reclamations, extensive vibro-flotation treatment, deep excavations, diaphragm walls - and the like). Mostly involved with borehole logging and geotechnical monitoring activities.

Answered an ad in the Construction News in the UK, three weeks later I was working in Hong Kong prior to the handover to China in 1997. Amazing experience working for a local Hong Kong Chinese firm using local practices on some very tricky site formation works (high-rise buildings half way up unstable mountains), while a small army of other ex-pats were all working on the huge Chek Lap Kok airport scheme at that time.

Graduated into a nasty civil engineering recession, but fortunately for me, due to taking a gap year working in a soils and rock lab, I had 'real-world' experience to sell and managed to pick up a good amount of varied freelance work, mostly on old landfill sites i.e. work not many people wanted to do. With no practical experience, most of my Uni colleagues during those tough times could not get jobs. Most re-trained and dropped out of the industry and a few moved overseas in pursuit of… Show more Graduated into a nasty civil engineering recession, but fortunately for me, due to taking a gap year working in a soils and rock lab, I had 'real-world' experience to sell and managed to pick up a good amount of varied freelance work, mostly on old landfill sites i.e. work not many people wanted to do. With no practical experience, most of my Uni colleagues during those tough times could not get jobs. Most re-trained and dropped out of the industry and a few moved overseas in pursuit of opportunities. Show less

Laboratory Technician undertaking soils and rock preparation, testing, and results reporting in a busy lab during a gap year from my engineering degree.