09 June 2021 – International engineering, design and advisory company Aurecon has appointed eminent private and public sector strategic risk advisor Michael Tafe, to lead Aurecon’s risk practice.

Michael brings 25 years’ experience in strategy, risk, megaprojects and resilience, and has advised and led executive teams in the Resources, Banking and Finance, Defence and National Security, Executive Government, Energy, Water, Transport and Health industries.

Aurecon’s Managing Principal, Infrastructure Advisory for Australia & New Zealand, Jason Wozniak, said, “Michael’s experience and reputation as a cut-through strategic advisor, proven over a broad range of capital asset intensive industry sectors, made him a natural fit to lead Aurecon’s risk advisory, solutions and assurance service offerings.”

As the complexity, scale and pace of change continues to disrupt capital asset investment, asset portfolio transition, sustaining capital, complex project delivery, carbon reduction and resilience, Jason cited Michael’s risk advisory expertise as invaluable to board and executive decision-making strategies.

“More than 60 per cent of countries and almost every developed economy has committed to some form of ‘net zero’ carbon emissions goal. Institutional investors responsible for $37 trillion in global investment funding, and almost 2,000 of our largest publicly listed companies have done the same.”, Mr Wozniak said.

“The skills needed to navigate interdependent regulatory, licence to operate, asset transition, and technical innovation change, whilst maintaining the commercial viability, service affordability and resilience of their organisations, are more important than ever.

To address the most complex challenges facing asset intensive organisations, Michael will partner a comprehensive range of risk services with Aurecon’s world-leading engineering, digital, technical and innovation capabilities.

Mr Tafe said that Directors and C-suite executives of every asset intensive enterprise are facing a digital and decarbonised future which is arriving at speed, but the technologies, operating and business models are still largely emergent.

“Risk enables strategic leaders to make better decisions, faster, and with confidence. It unlocks the pathways to new value and greater opportunities. In complex environments, it is your essential growth navigator, and fundamental to your capacity to consistently achieve superior performance and thrive.”

“More than ever, there are two key partners every asset intensive organisation needs: a strategic risk and decision-making support partner who enables choices to be made with confidence and speed, paired with a digitally advanced, and design-led engineering partner, to drive innovation and create the future’s potential solutions.”

In anticipation of a 100 percent net zero emissions future, Aurecon is set to achieve net zero emissions by 2025 as part of its plan to decarbonise its business and transition its services.