“The opportunity afforded to me to work with so many different councils around the country continues to be an aspect of my work I especially enjoy.”

Over the course of his career, Peter has worked for national and local government organisations including the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Works, in the areas of asset management, transportation, project management, contract administration and procurement.

Working in various positions for Transit New Zealand since its formation in 1989, Peter’s final role was as Highways Engineer for the Wellington Region, responsible for the operations and maintenance of the highway network and the planning and development of state highway projects in his area. While there, he was responsible for the completion of the Thorndon Overbridge strengthening at 22% under the contract price, development of the business case for the construction of the Stoke Bypass and the setting up of Marlborough Roads.

As General Manager with Porirua City Council, Peter’s work resulted in a reduction of major water main breaks from 52 a year down to just two. He also achieved a reduction of dry weather sewer overflows from 300 to zero and oversaw the development of a Regional Waste Management and Minimisation Plan. His time with the council also saw the halving of the road accident rate, a reduction in graffiti in the city and the start of the $1 billion Transmission Gully project.

Peter has volunteered as an IPENZ Assessor and sat on the Executive Road Controlling Authority Forum managing research and guidelines development. He is an ‘Excellence in Building Professions Innovation Award winner (1999) and won a Business Excellence Award in 2004.

Peter joined Resolve Group in 2016 and works at the company’s Wellington office developing strategic direction, procurement and asset management plans.

Peter offers his clients:

• Management and strategic business planning.
• Extensive contract management experience.
• Community engagement expertise related to infrastructure development, policy, evaluation and the development of investment advice.
• Issues and dispute resolution – working towards all parties accepting an agreed solution.
• Skills, knowledge and experience in the fields of water supply, sewerage, stormwater, reserves management, solid waste management and minimisation and transportation.
• More than 20 years’ experience in Engineer to Contract roles.

A keen dinghy sailor, Peter often competes in the Flying Dutchman class with one of his three adult children. He says you really cannot beat Wellington on a good day.

“Our industry is about people. Despite all the other variables associated with projects and infrastructure management, successful results always come back to the people involved and how they work together as a team. Give people the right conditions to succeed and it’s amazing to see the outcomes that can be achieved.” 

Ben values working alongside well-connected and well-respected peers. He also enjoys how adaptable the team at Resolve Group is and the variety of work he is involved in. He joined the company in 2015 and gets a lot of satisfaction from his role developing and maintaining client relationships. He says, “the company’s vision of being a team of experienced way-finders and industry leaders who foster long-term relationships within the infrastructure industry resonates with me.”  

Involved in the development and delivery of several Public Private Partnership infrastructure contracts while based in Canada, his return to New Zealand has seen him work in a variety of infrastructure advisory roles for a diverse set of public sector clients (including Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, the NZ Defence Force and several councils) across asset management, project delivery, procurement and the management of complex work programmes.  

Ben’s experience in structure asset management includes managing contracting teams undertaking operational maintenance on the strategically important Auckland Harbour Bridge. He was also a key member of the team responsible for procurement and delivery of the Whakapapa Sky Waka Gondola Project, constructed within a dual UNESCO World Heritage site at Mt Ruapehu.  

More recently, Ben led the procurement of professional services alliances for Auckland Light Rail and the Additional Waitematā Harbour Connections projects, both delivered to very ambitious timeframes and involving an innovative approach to a complex procurement challenge. 

Ben offers his clients: 

• Creative and intuitive thinking that results in excellent solutions, with an ongoing commitment to innovation. 
• Deep engineering knowledge and experience in structures asset management. 
• Industry-wide awareness, and a keen understanding of, current best practice. 
• A positive, can-do attitude committed to finding solutions and driving projects forward.  
• A strong background in the procurement, delivery and management of infrastructure assets. 
• The ability to step into an established client team and quickly understand goals, needs and issues; no need for ‘handholding’. 
• Strong facilitation skills with an ability to get the best out of diverse groups and find common ground amongst varied viewpoints. 

Ben recently spent six months in Barcelona with his family, exploring the region and working remotely. While there, he saw the end-user benefits of a mature and integrated public transport network, which have given him valuable insights he is sure he can use back home. Here, Ben enjoys running, surfing, hanging out with his daughters and travelling with the family in their retro caravan.