Meet the team
Each fortnight, we'll introduce a member of the Alliance Management Team (AMT) so that you can get to know a bit more about them, and which area of the project they're responsible for.
This week, Bob Mawdsley, tells us about his role as Engineering Manager.
Favourite quote
“I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible that you may be mistaken” - Oliver Cromwell 1650. Essentially, it is an appeal against blindly following dogma and a reminder to always keep an open mind to other points of view.
What do you do in the Alliance and what makes you get out of bed each weekday morning to do it?
My role as engineering manager is to help the design and construction teams work together to deliver a project that works well, looks good and is easy to construct. It also involves working with the wider alliance team to understand the project, its impacts, and the things we need to do to keep the project moving forward.
The things I enjoy about the role are the opportunities it provides to work with really clever people across a wide range of disciplines, to keep learning, and that in the morning I’m never sure what I will be doing by the end of the day.
What is something people in your role must deal with that you would like to fix?
In many working arrangements, peoples’ ability to cooperate is constrained by contractual arrangements. I really enjoy working in alliances because they remove a lot of those constraints and allow us to be more flexible, to focus on what is best for project, and where necessary, to quickly adapt to changing circumstances.
What experience has helped you to get to this position in your career?
I have a degree in civil / structural engineering from the University of Auckland. I have worked as an engineer for more than 40 years in design, project engineering and engineering management roles, mainly in New Zealand but also for a period in Hong Kong. My work has ranged across buildings, bridges, tunnels, submarine pipelines, and transport infrastructure. On the way past I have also dabbled in quality management, tendering and winning work. In the past 10 years I have worked in three alliances; the Waterview Connection project where I was Temporary Works Manager; the Wynyard Edge Alliance on the AC36 Infrastructure project; and now the Westhaven to Akoranga Alliance.
What is your connection to Auckland?
I came to Auckland as a teenager to go to college, then university. While I have worked and lived in a lot of other places, we have had a home in Auckland since the 1980’s.
What are the values that drive you?
Fairness, honesty and integrity.
What is the last hobby you took up?
Surfing (before it’s too late). It’s proving more challenging than I thought it would be!
Where is your favourite place to be and why?
Whangapoua, on the Coromandel peninsula. Great beaches, fishing and cycling, poor cell phone coverage.
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