Travis Tomlinson

Travis is a specialist procurement and transactional construction and infrastructure lawyer, co-leading the MinterEllisonRuddWatts Construction and Infrastructure division. He has advised in New Zealand and Australia on a range of complex and large-scale projects and capital works programmes delivered in the private and public sectors. Recognised as a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Travis is highly sought after by clients for his construction expertise.

Janine Stewart

Janine is a specialist construction, property, and projects disputes lawyer, co-leading the MinterEllisonRuddWatts Construction and Infrastructure division. A sought-after industry commentator and adviser, she is passionate about shaping the construction industry and legal landscape in New Zealand. She has served on the Construction Sector Accord Steering Group (2019-2022), and the New Zealand Government’s Building Advisory Panel (as the sole legal appointee) (2017-2022).

Ross Copland

Chief Executive, New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga 
  
Ross Copland has a background in the design, procurement, financing, and delivery of infrastructure as an engineer, an asset manager and a Chief Executive. He has worked in commercial construction and property on both sides of the Tasman, finishing up as National Operations Manager for Westfield in 2013. He returned to New Zealand to pursue a career developing tourism infrastructure. Ross holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with First Class Honours, a Bachelor of Commerce and an MBA.  

Craig Hobbs

Director Regulatory Services, Auckland Council
  
Craig is the Director Regulatory Services, Auckland Council. He has had a varied career working in the private, not-for-profit and local government sectors. Craig was previously Chief Executive of South Waikato District Council, CEO of Paralympics New Zealand and CEO of the National Maritime Museum. He was privileged to coach the NZU21 Men’s team to the 2001 Hockey Junior World Cup.

The five business units that make up Regulatory Services manage and process applications for resource and building consents. They also carry out a compliance and monitoring function, educate on and issue food and alcohol licenses, deliver animal management programs; including dog registration, oversee environmental health and regulate the Food Act.

Dr Troy Coyle

CEO, HERA 
  
As the Chief Executive of HERA, Troy brings more than 20 years’ experience in innovation management covering the private-sector, not-for-profits, Government and academia across a range of industries including materials science, medical radiation physics, biotechnology, sustainable building products, renewable energy, and most recently steel. She would describe herself as an Innovation/Research Leader who has worked in steel-based research for some time now. Troy has a passion for bringing innovative ideas to market and transforming industry through innovation (currently focusing on digital transformation) and product development. Her particular passions are sustainability, the Living Standards Framework and inclusion.

Dean Kimpton

Director, Tuhura Consulting 
  
Dean has been recently appointed as the CEO for Auckland Transport. Prior to this he has held a range of executive roles including Tuhura Partners – an advisory business to infrastructure owners and government, Chief Operating Officer for Auckland Council, and Managing Director for AECOM NZ.

Alongside these executive roles he has held a number of governance positions including independent chair for Auckland Councils response to the Americas Cup 36th defence, President of Engineering NZ, board member of Infrastructure NZ, trustee for the Parenting Place charity, independent board member for the NZ Upgrade Programme, and independent chair of the Eastern Busway Alliance. 

Of particular interest to this symposium is perhaps his role as chair in the MBIE Building Advisory Panel where he was responsible for independent advice and challenges to MBIE as it related to building policy.  In September 2019 he was appointed by Cabinet to the RM Review panel led by Tony Randerson. 

Janine Stewart

Partner and Division Co-Lead, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
  
Janine is a specialist construction, property, and projects disputes lawyer, and co-leads the MinterEllisonRuddWatts Construction and Infrastructure division. A sought-after industry commentator and adviser, she is passionate about shaping the construction industry and legal landscape in New Zealand. She has served on the Construction Sector Accord Steering Group (2019-2022), and the New Zealand Government’s Building Advisory Panel (as the sole legal appointee) (2017-2022).

Francesco Saibene

Project Director, Ghella Abergeldie Joint Venture 
  
Francesco Saibene is the Managing Director of Ghella Limited, the New Zealand subsidiary of Rome-based Ghella SpA, currently delivering the 1.2 Billion Watercare’s Central Interceptor Project. He has a Masters in Structural Civil Engineering with over 15 years’ experience working on significant infrastructure delivery projects over four continents.

Francesco has extensive experience in innovative and successful infrastructure procurement and delivery.

Will Goodwin

Head of Direct Investments - NZ SuperFund
  
As Head of Direct Investments, Will is responsible for managing the NZ Super Fund’s global direct/private equity portfolio and internally managed listed equities. He joined the NZ Super Fund in 2016 having previously held the position of CFO at Todd Minerals. Prior to this he held various senior roles across the Todd Corporation in corporate development and private equity.

Will is currently a Director of Kiwi Group Holdings (parent of Kiwibank), Kaingaroa Timberlands, and has previously served on listed and unlisted boards in New Zealand, Australia and the UK.

Sarah Sinclair

Infrastructure Partner, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
  
Chair of the MinterEllisonRuddWatts partnership, Sarah is a highly regarded construction, infrastructure and energy specialist. She has extensive experience acting for both government and private sector clients in large-scale, complex infrastructure projects and public sector reform programmes.

Sarah leads MinterEllisonRuddWatts’ roles on the Three Waters Reform Programme, Light Rail project, City Rail Link project and the Anchor Projects in the Christchurch rebuild. She has acted on all Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the New Zealand market and is also leading our team supporting the Wellington Gateway Partnership on the delivery of Transmission Gully. She is also a board member of Te Waihanga | New Zealand Infrastructure Commission.

Felicity Underhill

Director East Australia and New Zealand, Fortescue Future Industries
  
Felicity Underhill joined Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) as Director East Australia and New Zealand in July 2021, leading the company’s Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand projects.

Felicity has over twenty years’ experience in the upstream energy industry, spanning strategy, innovation, operational excellence, business development and joint venture management. Passionate about decarbonisation and combating climate change, Felicity shifted her career focus in 2018 and has been working with hydrogen ever since. Most recently she held the role of General Manager, Future Fuels at Origin Energy with responsibility for investigating how hydrogen and other fuels would fit within the company’s future energy mix.

Aaron Hochwimmer

Director of Operations, Power – Australia and New Zealand, Jacobs 
  
Aaron is the Director of Operations for Jacobs’ Energy & Power Business across ANZ and is based in Auckland. He was previously Jacobs' regional manager in East Asia from 2015 through 2019 and was based in Manila, the Philippines. He has over 20 years’ experience in the power sector, with specific subject matter expertise in renewable energy project development across the Asia Pacific region. Aaron was elected as a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand in 2021 for business leadership and his contributions to the power industry.

Juliet Woodward

Executive Director, Sales NZ, Jacobs 
  
With over 30 years’ experience as an engineer, environmental management practitioner and business leader, Juliet has been active in the consulting industry for major infrastructure projects and environmental sectors. She has worked across New Zealand, Australia, the UK and the Pacific. Juliet has led complex major projects in transport, three waters, defence and in the environmental and planning service areas. Juliet is a Director of Jacobs NZ and is currently the Executive Director of Sales – she has a passion for delivering infrastructure solutions and broader outcomes that will leave a positive legacy. 

Scott Thompson

Partner, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
  
Scott is a construction, infrastructure and energy law partner at MinterEllisonRuddWatts, who specialises in resolving disputes on infrastructure projects. He has a strong interest in sustainability and the role of renewable energy projects in furthering New Zealand’s decarbonisation goals. With a commercial background as an energy transactions and projects lawyer in the United States, Scott knows the energy industry and the commercial realities within which his clients operate. Scott is a thought leader within the industry, publishing papers and presenting at industry events. Recently, he has presented in various forums for The Chancery Lane Project, an initiative helping parties incorporate climate-conscious clauses into contracts.

André Lovatt

Chief Infrastructure Officer, Auckland Airport
  
André leads Auckland Airport’s infrastructure development and delivery team, focusing on the implementation of Auckland Airport’s 30-year vision to build a world-class airport. André brings 19 years’ experience of delivering major infrastructure projects across Asia Pacific.

Before joining Auckland Airport in March 2018, André was chair of Regenerate Christchurch, the organisation tasked with the redevelopment of the ‘red zone’, and chief executive of the Arts Centre of Christchurch. André was also director of Christchurch Airport for four years, and has experience delivering numerous significant infrastructure projects in Singapore, including the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort and the Singapore Sports Hub.

Gillian Service

Partner, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
  
Recognised as a leading employment lawyer by many top legal directories, Gillian, a Partner at MinterEllisonRuddWatts, specialises in people risk management for businesses. She is sought after for both her legal advice and thought leadership on complex and high-value matters affecting people in the workplace. She is an expert in employment, industrial relations, health and safety, privacy, human rights, and discrimination. Gillian is passionate about the future of work and the challenges organisations face both locally and globally. Following her curiosity about different work models to enable more people to get into work, Gillian is a 4 Day Week Global Ambassador and a Trustee of The Warehouse Group’s NZ Future Skills Fund (a trust designed to expand the skill sets of workers into different areas including the digital economy).