Starting in June 2018, Resolve Group was engaged to support Ruapehu Alpine Lifts with the procurement and delivery of a new $25M 1.8km gondola facility at the Whakapapa Ski Area. There were a number of challenges associated with this project, notably, working on an active volcano with mixed geology and highly variable weather conditions, utilising a temporary ropeway and helicopters to transport material to remote tower locations, working within a UNESCO dual World Heritage Area and managing an Italian contractor with limited experience of the New Zealand contract environment. The project was successfully constructed over a period of eight months, with Resolve Group acting as Engineer to the Contract and Client Project Manager. The project was successfully delivered on time for public use on July 2nd.

Darren’s 30-year career in the UK, NZ, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia has focused on traffic, transportation, and infrastructure work in both the private and public sectors. He is experienced in giving specialist technical advice to other engineers and in managing large projects in this space. He has been responsible for design and contract preparation for highway construction and maintenance works and, as Senior Civil Engineer for WSP, provided support for the design team providing professional services for Auckland Transport’s Traffic and Transportation Engineering Professional Services (TTEPS) contract. The role was primarily to provide design and technical support, but included management support for quality, financial, programme and safety-in-design for the various work packages.

During this time, Darren was on part-time secondment as Engineer’s Representative to Auckland Transport’s 2015-18 Design and Construct Seal Extension contract (value $10M), and provided project management support for WSP’s Major Capital Works team. He also worked on the Central Rail Link C6 Stormwater Diversion contract ($16M).

Darren’s particular abilities include:

• An approach to his work that is diligent, methodical, critical, analytical and outcome focussed
• Being an enthusiastic team member who is self-motivated and enjoys challenges
• Experience in managing politically sensitive contracts
• Moving beyond ‘business as usual’ to encompass solutions that take behavioural changes into account
• Experience in identifying future risk profiles
• Working with tight timeframes without compromising quality, budget or safety
• An understanding of the importance of creating, disseminating and maintaining accurate records and an ability to build this into the management space of a project
• Demonstrating value engineering
• Listening carefully to all stakeholders and managing their coordination to ensure outcomes take everyone’s needs into account and tasks are performed in a timely and cost-effective manner
• The capability to see various possible solutions and help clients/stakeholders find an outcome that best fits the requirements of the contract

When he’s not in the office, Darren likes visiting botanical gardens looking for ideas that can be implemented to improve his own garden. As a native of Nottingham Darren, through a sense of loyalty, supports Nottingham Forest football team and is eagerly waiting for their glory years to return. Having been in New Zealand for ten years Darren intends to spend more of his free time exploring this country.