Board roadshow recap

During the nine weeks of the tour, Board members presented an update on our progress towards bringing engineering to life, based on our strategic pillars of connection, influence, credibility and recognition. 

This year, the presentations were followed by a discussion on a topic of the branch’s choosing. These varied from the challenges and opportunities faced by each region, to the impact of technology on engineering, individuals and businesses. The free-flowing conversations raised a variety of issues and points for consideration, however there were several themes that came to light. These were:

• Engineers are the experts and need to have a louder voice. Members were enthusiastic about our Engineering a Better New Zealand report and are keen to see more being done in this area. Members were particularly keen for us to be active in educating the public about the nature of safety and risk. 
  
• Many regions are finding it difficult to recruit and retain engineers. Our Wonder Project is inspiring children into engineering as a career, and our Diversity Agenda initiative is encouraging retainment through more flexible working practices. What other areas can we target to change? 
  
• Members also wanted to know how to plan for the future in such a fast-paced environment. A multi-storey carpark built to last a hundred years may well be redundant in 30. How do we design flexible usage into our buildings? At the same time we need to make sure our infrastructure is of high quality and will benefit future generations. 
  

These themes and more will be considered by the Board and our leadership team, so be assured that your thoughts, concerns and ideas will influence part of our planning. 

We had a great audience turn out at most of the events. If you weren’t able to attend, you can see our President, Dean Kimpton, and CEO Susan Freeman-Greene, presenting to our Wellington Branch here.