JUDGES.
IT TAKES ONE
TO KNOW ONE.
Meet the judges faced with the challenge of deciding who will take home a 2025 ENVI Award. They know all about commitment to engineering and have given their time and experience to select the most deserving winners from the record number of entries.
Judging the ENVI Awards is a time-consuming task and is done on a voluntary basis. Thank you to our dedicated ENVIs judges – past, present and future.
Student Engineer Award
Young Engineer Award
Engineering Educator Award
Sustainability Champion Award
Te Toa Takitahi Te Ao Māori Engineering Impact Award
Transformational Leader Award
Innovative Engineer Award
Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award
Community Impact Award
Student Engineer Award
Alyce Lysaght
Alyce Lysaght (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Pākehā) is a passionate advocate for incorporating Te Ao and te reo Māori into engineering to better sustain te taiao for future generations. Alyce quickly emerged as a leader within the profession, having served on the Engineering New Zealand Board as an Emerging Professional Member.
Her groundbreaking Māori in Engineering podcast has increased the visibility of Māori engineers, celebrating their contributions and inspiring a more inclusive profession. Alyce’s commitment to diversity and her efforts to weave cultural understanding into engineering have set her apart.
In addition to her professional work, Alyce demonstrates her dedication to both the organisation and the engineering community through her volunteering efforts.
Matt Webb
Matt was appointed Executive General Manager Grid Development in August 2024. He joined Transpower from electricity distributor Ausgrid, where he held the role of Head of Connections and Planning, Transmission Development and Growth.
He has extensive experience in the electricity sector in Australia, having held a variety of roles at Endeavour Energy, Networks NSW, and consultancy Meritec. Matt holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) Honours from the University of Wollongong and a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration with Distinction from University of Technology Sydney.
Young Engineer Award
Cameron Chapman
Cameron is the Market Leader – Distribution, responsible for a team of design engineers delivering substation designs to Mitton ElectroNet’s electricity network customers.
He was named the Young Engineer of the Year by the Electricity Engineers Association in 2022 and represented New Zealand at the IEC Young Professionals workshop. He is the treasurer of the Canterbury Branch and has previously been chair of Canterbury and Waikato Branches.
Kishan Seger
Kishan received the 2023 ENVIs Young Engineer Award and is the incumbent Emerging Board member on the Engineering New Zealand Board. He is Technical Director – Sustainability & Design at Preformance, a project delivery and technology company he helped launch.
He’s committed to bettering the field of engineering, giving back to our community and striving for low carbon design drawing on his background as a chartered structural engineer. He was born in Malaysia and raised in Papua New Guinea before moving to New Zealand, which taught him to value diverse cultures.
Kishan is a voice for young and future engineers, encouraging innovation and ensuring sustainability is a key focus for our profession.
Annette Sweeney
Annette is a qualified and experienced Environmental Engineer and Resource Management Planner, specialising in the consenting and delivery of infrastructure projects for local authorities and industry. She is experienced in leading multidisciplinary teams, providing an integrated approach across the design, consenting and construction phases of projects.
Annette is a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand with over 20 years’ experience in consulting to local authority clients. Her experience includes detailed design of water and wastewater schemes, water conservation and management strategies, design and implementation of compliance monitoring programmes including reporting on environmental effects, resource consenting and community
Engineering Educator Award
Trudy Harris
Trudy is a Mechanical Engineer who has spent the last 28 years in the tertiary sector, in both the UK and New Zealand. Trudy has worked in both the University and industry training providers as a tutor, and for the last eight years was the Team Manager for Engineering at Wintec.
Trudy has been on the Executive Committee of the Australasian Association of Engineering Educators (AAEE) promoting vocational engineering in New Zealand and was instrumental in bring their conference to New Zealand in 2018. Trudy has published papers in both engineering and engineering education.
Trudy is a member of Engineering New Zealand and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in the UK. Trudy is now the Executive/Quality Officer for Vocational Engineering Education NZ.
Brett Williams
Brett has been a General Manager at Engineering New Zealand since 2005. Before this, he was Manager Quality Assurance at the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, where he oversaw quality assurance of private training providers.
His leadership role involves managing a team tasked with setting and maintaining standards for entry to the profession through a qualification accreditation programme and the operational support provided to the International Engineering Alliance and Vocational Engineering Education New Zealand.
He loves working with the passionate group of staff and members who maintain standards in a profession that makes such a huge difference to the safety and quality of life for New Zealanders and to our prosperity as a country.
Sustainability Champion Award
Bryony Lane
Bryony is the recently appointed General Manager of Rewiring Aotearoa, a non-partisan NGO focused on energy, climate and electrification research, advocacy and community support throughout New Zealand's energy transition.
She brings six years of experience from Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau, where she most recently managed the Engineering Climate Action and Te Ao Māori programmes, as well as the Engineering New Zealand Foundation. Prior to this, as Engineering New Zealand's Partnerships Manager, she successfully lead the team which developed and delivered both the inaugural and 2021 ENVI Awards.
Bryony is deeply committed to reducing Aotearoa's carbon emissions and recognizes engineers' crucial dual role in building resilience to changing climate conditions while working to mitigate extreme climate change through emissions reduction.
Katie Symons
Katie is Principal Advisor – Engineering in MBIE’s Building System Performance Branch. For the past five years she has been the technical lead for MBIE’s work on reducing whole-of-life embodied carbon emissions from the building and construction sector in New Zealand.
Katie is a chartered professional structural engineer in New Zealand and the UK, and has over 15 years’ experience designing building structures in both countries. She has particular expertise in assessing the embodied carbon of buildings and construction materials.
Working as a consultant engineer, she developed tools and methodologies to integrate carbon assessment into the building design process. She has also undertaken research work at Cambridge University on the application of environmental life cycle assessment in construction and is the author of a number of academic papers on the subject.
Jack Young
Jack has broad experience across the industrial and manufacturing sectors, leading teams to deliver strategic energy consulting, decarbonisation projects, energy auditing, feasibility studies, project development and design/construction projects.
He brings a practical, hands-on approach to understanding and solving complex problems for industrial energy systems, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions and improving productivity. His experience includes over 100 in-depth energy studies at a wide range of industrial facilities, across all industry sectors.
Te Toa Takitahi Te Ao Māori Engineering Impact Award
Warner Cowin
From scaling Māori and local SMEs through to training and Iwi economic development, Warner is passionate about generating social outcomes within the construction and infrastructure sectors. He has over 25 years of experience in construction project management, procurement and the practical application of social outcomes.
Warner has diverse local and international experience, including as the Downer New Zealand National Water Operations and Maintenance Manager. He’s also been involved in the 10-year Water Alliance for the Far North District Council, Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters and three waters infrastructure projects as part of the Christchurch rebuild.
Warner is a recognised industry leader in supplier diversity, social procurement and improving supplier diversity for Māori and Pasifika businesses. He is the founder and CEO of Height, a Technical Tendering and Social Procurement Consultancy of 40 staff that works across New Zealand and Australia.
Bub Konia
Bub worked at Te Ao Rangahau for 29 years across various roles, witnessing and adapting to great change in the organisational and regulatory landscapes. A constant in Bub’s mahi was her desire to embed Te Ao Māori in Te Ao Rangahau and the profession. Whether it was gathering kaimahi to practise waiata, hosting te reo lessons and encouraging its use in communications, or simply improving pronunciation to empower colleagues, Bub proudly led the charge to promote Te Ao Māori.
Bub’s contribution to the creation of Kimihia Rangahaua – our programme to embrace Te Ao Māori in engineering – has helped to ensure the ongoing success of this important mahi.
Lincoln Timoteo
Lincoln is Infrastructure Activity Manager at Manatū Aorere The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is a civil engineer specialising in infrastructure construction with several years’ experience across the private and public sectors. Based in his hometown of Wellington, he is of Tokelauan, Māori (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toarangatira, Te Ati Awa) and NZ European descent.
Transformational Leader Award
Sina Cotter Tait
A proud graduate of the University of Canterbury, Sina has over 18 years' experience in consulting engineering as a Chartered Professional Engineer (Civil). She also holds an MBA and is currently completing a PhD in construction management.
A former member of the Engineering New Zealand Board, Sina currently serves on the board of the CEAS, the Engineering New Zealand Foundation and the Engineering New Zealand Competence Assessment Board – she's passionate about giving back to the profession. She's also a member of the Institute of Directors and ACE New Zealand.
Dr Penny Kneebone
Dr Penny Kneebone is Chief Executive for Tonkin + Taylor New Zealand. She is an Environmental Scientist specialising in environmental management, a field that is all about preparing well for a thriving and resilient future. She has a particular interest in fostering belonging and new leaders in our industry and is delighted to be a returning judge this year, having volunteered to judge at the 2023 ENVIs.
Dr Richard Templer
Chief Executive of Engineering New Zealand since November 2020, Richard is an experienced leader who has developed good relationships with mana whenua and key stakeholders and has delivered results for the customers and communities. He holds a PhD in engineering and has a background in science and innovation.
Richard was formerly CEO of Manawatū District Council and has held senior leadership roles at Industrial Research, Meat & Wool New Zealand, the Ministry of Science & Innovation and Callaghan Innovation.
Innovative Engineer Award
Alistair Cattanach
Director of Dunning Thornton, Wellington with over 25 years’ experience consulting in New Zealand and the UK. He has a passion for heritage buildings and challenging architecturally expressive structures and is a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand.
He has been an innovator in PRESSS and other Low Damage Design techniques in concrete, steel, timber and masonry in New Zealand, and has held advisory/professional consulting roles in many of his areas of interest.
Allan Coulson
With a high performing technical background, Alan has a passion for creating and delivery innovation – be that business strategy, process or technical. He has worked with a variety of sectors, clients and stakeholders in the broader New Zealand research, science and technology system to identify, create and implement innovations which make a real difference.
His experience spans electronics and software engineering in commercial product development and service delivery contexts, through to research leadership and management. His current role is Manager Contestable Investments at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, managing a $300 million portfolio of investments in New Zealand research, science and technology.
Maria Mingallon
Maria leads the Knowledge and Information team for Mott MacDonald in the Asia-Pacific and Australasia region, specialising in AI solutions and Data Management. With a background in structural engineering and architecture, she has worked in the UK, Canada and New Zealand, applying digital technology to enhance quality and productivity in the construction industry.
From 2018 to 2023, Maria was Mott MacDonald’s Automation and Computational Design global lead, focusing on embedding these technologies in projects and developing strategies for upskilling teams. She holds professional engineering licences in the UK, Spain and Canada, and a degree in architecture from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.
Maria is recognised as a leader in computational design and has received numerous accolades, including the 2015 Visionary Prize from the Québec Association of Consulting Engineers and the 2020 Autodesk 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction award. She is a passionate advocate for leveraging technology to improve the construction industry and promotes a people-centric approach to AI adoption and development.
Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award
Sarah Lang
Director of Strategic Partnerships at Infrastructure NZ, New Zealand’s peak infrastructure body, Sarah is a driving force for the advancement of diversity in the infrastructure sector. In 2016 Sarah established the NZ Women’s Infrastructure Network and has led the growth of the WIN network to over 2,000 members spread over seven chapters nationwide.
In 2018 she received the Women of Influence Diversity Award and was a nominee for the 2019 New Zealander of the Year Award. She has also contributed to the establishment of many Māori employment initiatives. In addition Sarah has her own company, Lang Consulting, where she specialises in policy and strategy work, and working with government and iwi on post Treaty Settlement initiatives.
Charlotte Toma
Charlotte is a senior lecturer in the Structures Group at the University of Auckland. Her research interests include sustainable design, design for natural hazards and beyond code seismic resilience. Across her roles at the University, as lead of the Developing Leading Women Programme, Steering Committee for the Diversity Agenda and within SESOC she is motivated by driving change and growth within the structural industry.
Community Impact Award
Dane Hart
Chief Executive of Engineers Without Borders New Zealand, Dane is passionate about making sure that access to engineering capability and leadership is universal across New Zealand and the South Pacific. Since starting in the role, he’s led a change within the organisation to focus on delivering opportunities for engineers to learn the skills required to take a people-centred, strengths-based approach to improving community health, well-being and opportunity.
Andrew Read
Director of Pedersen Read Ltd, a consulting electrical engineering firm based in Christchurch. Andrew’s been a consulting engineer for over 30 years and is a Fellow and Chartered Member of Engineering New Zealand, and a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng). He is presently Chair of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Business Practice Committee.
Tania Williams
Tania is a General Manager at Engineering New Zealand, joining in 2017 after a long career at engineering and management consulting firm MWH (now Stantec), where she was New Zealand General Manager, Water and Waste.
Tania is passionate about the engineering profession, increasing diversity, supporting health, safety and wellbeing, fulfilling our obligations to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and advancing engineering and innovation for the benefit of our current and future generations. Tania was made a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand in 2017 in recognition of her contribution to the profession.
Interested in being a category judge at the next ENVI Awards? Contact us and we’ll let you know when we’re looking for judges.
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