NewsFour Aurecon leaders named Engineering New Zealand Fellows

Tracey Ryan, Chief Executive for New Zealand at Asia Pacific engineering consultancy Aurecon, said the Fellowships were deserved recognition of their impact.

“Fellowships are a prestigious honour, granted only to the most accomplished engineers, project and business leaders. Hughes, Papa and Tim Watterson are widely respected throughout the sector for their knowledge, experience, and influence.

Collectively, they have been involved in many of New Zealand's largest and most complex infrastructure projects, from much needed social infrastructure to new transport connections, and restoring connectivity for communities following earthquakes and extreme weather events.

As leaders, Hughes, Papa and Watterson are all recognised for their ability to build engaged, high-performance teams, and each use their roles to help influence the future of the profession – increasing diversity of talent, growing future leaders, and bringing iwi and communities into the conversation.

Distinguished Fellowship is reserved for only a handful of engineers each year and Jenkins rightly deserves this recognition for his eminence in forensic engineering, global contributions to risk management, and long-term voluntary service.”

"Fellowships are a prestigious honour that acknowledge deep professional expertise and influential leadership across New Zealand’s infrastructure, building, and transport sectors."

Tracey Ryan, Chief Executive – New Zealand, Aurecon

Stephen Jenkins – Engineering New Zealand Distinguished Fellow

Stephen Jenkins has built a deserved reputation as a forensic engineering specialist, demonstrated through his resolution of high-profile failures including the Wellington Hospital pipework and a Cook Strait ferry propeller loss. His eminence was recognised internationally when he became the first International Affiliate of the US National Academy of Forensic Engineers.

His thought leadership extends to engineering risk management, where he has chaired the FIDIC Risk and Liability Committee and served as an accredited international trainer, building professional capability in South Korea, China, and Papua New Guinea, and enhancing New Zealand’s standing overseas.

Jenkin’s voluntary service has been exceptional. He has held some of the profession’s most demanding roles, including President of ACE New Zealand and Chair of the Chartered Professional Engineers Competency Assessment Board. In these positions, his judgment, ethical rigour, and commitment to professional standards have been widely recognised, including leading investigations into complaints against engineers. His decades of service, spanning thousands of hours, have been honoured with Life Membership of ACE New Zealand and the Fulton Downer Gold Medal from Engineering New Zealand.

David Hughes – Engineering New Zealand Fellow

David Hughes leads over 300 professionals delivering some of New Zealand’s largest transport infrastructure projects, including Auckland City Rail Link, Ōtaki to North of Levin, Northland Corridor, Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass, SH1 Papakura to Bombay and the Transport Recovery East Coast. Hughes is recognised for his collaborative leadership, commitment to growing talent and supporting Aurecon’s inclusive culture, as an executive sponsor of Aurecon’s Māori cadetship program and driving our partnership with South Pacific Indigenous Engineering Students (SPIES).

Hughes is an accomplished civil design and project manager, having led large design teams on major projects such as London 2012 Olympics, City Rail Link, Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway, Drury Rail Stations, SH1 Papakura to Bombay, Northern Corridor Improvements and the Christchurch Northern Corridor Alliance.

A Chartered Professional Engineer, Hughes is a trusted voice in the profession who contributes to policy and industry development through advisory roles with the Ministry of Transport and serving on University of Auckland Civil and Environmental Engineering Industry Advisory Board.

Jonny Papa – Engineering New Zealand Fellow

Jonny Papa is an eminent structural engineer, having led and been involved in some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most complex infrastructure projects, including seismic upgrades to Auckland’s 113-year-old Central Post Office building, the redevelopment of Eden Park ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup; and award-winning developments such as the Manukau Courts expansion.

In his current role, Papa leads 150 engineers and consultants delivering nationally significant projects, such as Parakiore Christchurch Metro Sports Facility, Central Plant and Tunnels at Auckland Hospital, Te Matapihi, Wellington’s new central library, and a new intensive care unit at Waitakere Hospital.

With a special interest in healthcare projects, Jonny led the delivery of Totara Haumaru, the new 150-bed surgical facility at North Shore Hospital. He has been involved in many other significant projects, including the University of Otago’s Auckland Dental School; Taiao Ora Integrated Stroke Unit at Auckland Hospital; Manaaki Hōhonu inpatient unit at Waitakere Hospital; Te Kōtuku Maternity Building at Whāngarei Hospital, and Whenua Pupuke Clinical Skills Centre at the North Shore Hospital campus.

Jonny Papa shares his expertise in healthcare projects as a member of the New Zealand Health Design Council committee.

A proud Cook Island New Zealander, Papa is passionate about encouraging Māori and Pacific Island students to take up careers in engineering. He has supported the University of Auckland’s South Pacific Indigenous Engineering Students association since he was at university and supports South Pacific Professional Engineering Excellence. Papa is the executive sponsor for the Pasifika group at Aurecon and has mentored many Māori, Pasifika and other students and graduates.

Tim Watterson – Engineering New Zealand Fellow

Tim Watterson has 30 years’ experience in civil engineering and major infrastructure projects, across Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. A highly skilled and sought-after Major Projects and Design Director, Watterson has led the delivery of award-winning projects such as the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery and Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatu-Tararua Highway, and most recently Ōtaki to North of Levin. It is unusual for a consultant to hold the position of Alliance Project Manager, demonstrating Watterson’s expertise. His experience is valued as a governance member on large projects such as the Transport Recovery East Coast Sub-Alliance and support to O Mahurangi Penlink.

Watterson has a particular strength in Alliance and Design and Construct projects, where he can leverage both his deep technical expertise and strong collaborative leadership skills – using innovation with intent to solve complex problems and unlock new value, while building and motivating high performance teams. Deeply focused on safety and wellbeing, Watterson actively contributes to developing the industry, sharing insights, and mentoring and coaching emerging leaders and project managers.

In his previous role as Aurecon NZ Head of Projects, Watterson had responsibility for over 800 projects and led a team of 50 project delivery specialists, focused on optimising project delivery and maximising value for clients.

Watterson is deeply passionate about projects that deliver lasting community outcomes, including Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatu-Tararua Highway, which set new industry benchmarks for partnering with iwi and wellbeing programs.