Lee to engineer future

BUILDING a broader member-ship base and increased government lobbying are the challenges facing the Assoc-iation of Consulting Engineers Australia’s new WA executive officer, Jennifer Lee.

“It is a very exciting time. To join a firm that represents approximately 60 per cent of its industry at such an important juncture in its life is both a challenge and a privilege,” Ms Lee said.

“Our first priority is to address a number of key issues from both a managerial and marketing standpoint.”

ACEA WA chairman and Halpern Glick Maunsell Pty Ltd director Paul Reed said Ms Lee’s appointment would allow a more focused approach to the increasing issues faced by the industry.

To meet the challenges faced by the association he said membership had to be expanded to include companies dealing with any technical issues associated with the built and natural environment

“One of Jenny’s roles will be to recruit members from outside the engineering fraternity,” Mr Reed said.

A decision to change the association’s name to reflect a wider-membership base is expected at the annual general meeting in December.

The association also needed to help its members cope with the increasing client demands.

“Increasingly these days clients are looking for a consulting service that extends into the environmental area and a range of other areas of expertise which traditionally engineering consultants haven’t tackled,” Mr Reed said.

“Larger firms are employing more professionals from wider fields then they used to.

“The business opportunities for consultants tend to involve us having to take on an increased level of commercial risk in delivering projects.

“From the traditional situation where we were appointed to deliver a design, now our participation is increasingly through design and construct relationships where the client is passing over more risk to the delivery team.

“The consultancies as part of the delivery team are asked to carry more risk.”

Mr Reed said many firms were consolidating or going by the wayside.