Aurecon’s John Leech celebrated as one of Australia’s most innovative engineers 2016

27 July 2015 - John Leech has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to the community, the industry and the profession, being profiled as one of Australia’s 50 most innovative engineers by Engineers Australia and create magazine.

According to Chief Innovation Officer John McGuire, Leech exemplifies the qualities it takes to innovate – including questioning almost everything.

“In a market that is rapidly being commoditized we need to get creative and we need to innovate. That’s why Aurecon is embracing this concept. The end result is both better infrastructure and business performance for our clients. It’s an exciting time to be an engineer and I’m proud to see John recognised for his innovation and the value he brings to our clients,” said McGuire.

Leech’s innovative work across a diverse range of sectors is borne from his ability to nurture creativity and unusual combinations of expertise. For example, one of his many inventions was applying his industrial design skills to redesign Brisbane’s ferry terminals which brought to life new responses to the provision of flood resilient and accessible public infrastructure.

Leech has also recently been appointed by Aurecon’s Global Director, Excellence & Expertise, Dr Kourosh Kayvani, as one of Aurecon’s inaugural eight Design Directors. These individuals are recognised as leading practitioners and represent the pinnacle of technical mastery within the company.

“Having worked with John for over 15 years I have never ceased to be amazed. Whether it’s a flood resilient ferry terminal, complex material handling infrastructure, a retractable roof system, or large observation wheel, he has an incredible ability to synthesize complex and often conflicting requirements of a project to come up with an ingenious strategy towards an optimum solution - something that he always pursues with an exceptional passion,” says Dr Kourosh Kayvani, Global Director - Excellence & Expertise at Aurecon.

“As one of our Design Directors he will focus on problem finding and problem solving for clients and will explore the essence of great Design, just as the best design engineers did in the past,” said Dr Kayvani.

One of Australia’s pre-eminent bulk materials handling engineers, John has led or guided the innovative design of a substantial proportion of the Australian resource industry’s export capacity, including multiple stages of Queensland’s Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal which has been globally recognised as a leader in efficiency, reliability and environmental performance. His present leading role in upgrading Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena means he has now led the design of every moving stadium roof in Australia as well as London’s Wembley Stadium.

Australia’s most innovative engineers list was determined by a judging panel of engineers, academics, and respected industry specialists as well as the National President and Chairman of Engineers Australia.