Tony Barry, 51
National President of the Association of Consulting Engineers Australia (ACEA), Director of Connell Wagner and NSW regional manager, Sydney

Tony Barry feels a sense of fulfillment in his career.
“Our staff across the group are outstanding and I am privileged to be one of their leaders,” he said.
Connell Wagner’s turnover for 2004/05 is expected to be about $275 million. Total staff is 2700 in Australia, New Zealand and SE-Asia. The company also has 350 additional staff in partly owned operations in Hong Kong and the UK.
Barry has represented the interests of consulting engineers for many years and said it was an honour to have been asked to be ACEA national president.
He holds both a science and an honours degree in civil engineering and a masters of engineering science from Sydney University.
He plays tennis and golf, and loves
fishing, renovating and landscaping. He has been involved in the Catholic Church
and served on the Catholic Education
Commission.

Andrew Downing, 58
President of Engineers Australia, Dean and foundation professor of engineering at Flinders University in Adelaide

Professor Andrew Downing presides over the professional body covering all engineering disciplines in Australia, with a membership of 75,000.
Following his graduation from Adelaide University in biomedical engineering, Downing worked with the communications branch of ETSA in Adelaide. He then joined the University of Adelaide as a lecturer in 1972. He moved to Flinders in 1992. During 1979-80 he was a visiting research fellow at the University of Southampton in the UK. In 1985 he was visiting professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada.
Outside his career he is involved in voluntary community work through his membership on the board of Novita Children’s Services and his association with Seniors-On-Line (SOL), which he cofounded in 1994.
Downing and his wife Sue share a love of singing. They are active members of the Tutti Ensemble, a music theatre group with a membership of about 150, half of whom identify with a disability.

Mike Fordyce, 65
President of the Institution of Structural Engineers, UK; principal engineer building structures, Kellogg Brown & Root, Brisbane

Mike Fordyce is president of the Institution of Structural Engineers for the current term 2004/05, which runs until 30 September. The Institution of Structural Engineers is an international organisation headquartered in London. About 33% of its members live outside the UK in 108 countries.
Fordyce is the first president of the Institution from outside the UK.
“In carrying out this role I am spending 50% of my time away from Brisbane, much of it in the UK, but with significant periods visiting our members around the world in Hong Kong, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Romania, Canada and the US,” he said.
He holds an honours degree in civil engineering from Edinburgh University, a diploma in concrete technology from Leeds University, and a master in soil mechanics and foundation engineering from Glasgow University.
Family has always been important to Fordyce. “We have grandchildren (in the UK, Japan and Brisbane) – thus we enjoy
travelling.”
He enjoys playing lawn bowls and looking after the semibushland where he lives just outside Brisbane.

Tim Griffin, 36
National President of APESMA, manager (planning and infrastructure) for central Queensland, Queensland Department of Transport, Rockhampton

Tim Griffin is the first leader of the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia to come from a regional area.
Based in Rock-hampton, he works at the Queensland Department of Transport as its planning and infrastructure manager for central Queensland.
Apart from his advocacy for APESMA’s 42,000 members, he is particulary interested in promoting the social and economic benefits of engineering to the community and
students.
One of his main goals has been promoting the equitable delivery and training of professional services to regional and rural areas in Queensland.
He holds a degree in civil engineering and an MBA, both from Central Queensland University, and a company directors diploma.
His other activities include community representation on the Capricornia Advisory Electricity Council and volunteering at his daughter’s Catholic school. He is also president of Rockhampton’s Cressy tennis club.

Warren Roberts, 50
National President of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA), Melbourne

Warren Roberts’ appointment as president of IPWEA started in late 2003. IPWEA now has about 2000 members.
Roberts is general manager for infrastructure and environment for the City of Stonnington in Melbourne.
He holds a civil engineering degree from Swinburne University in Victoria, and has postgraduate qualifications in municipal engineering and business administration.
He believes that with busy work schedules one of the greatest challenges today is balancing work and family life. Roberts likes to spend as much time as he can with his wife and four daughters, so he gravitates towards family-compatible pastimes such as camping, fishing, four-wheel drive expeditions, and assisting with basketball team management.

Dick Kell, 66
President of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), director of Cardno, nonexecutive director of the Environmental Group Limited, Sydney

Dick Kell’s two-year presidency of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) will conclude later this year. Founded in 1913, FIDIC now represents almost 70 member associations from all parts of the world. It is the international voice for most of the world’s practising consulting engineers.
Kell was a founding member of McMillan Britton and Kell, which is now part of the Cardno Group.
Kell’s international experience started about 20 years ago, when his firm became involved in engineering consulting work in Southeast Asia.
He has a bachelor in civil engineering from the University of Sydney.
He is a rugby fanatic and keen on horse racing.

John Vines, 55
Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia (APESMA), Melbourne

John Vines is the long-standing CEO of the 42,000
member APESMA organisation.
He is also chair of the federal-government-sponsored Innovation and Business Industry Skills Council.
One of his main challenges has been fostering public recognition of the importance of engineers to corporate and national
prosperity.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the development of engineering and scientific skills and for his contribution on a number of government science and technology bodies.
Vines holds a diploma in civil engineering (Swinburne), a bachelor of economics (LaTrobe), and a master of business administration (APESMA/LaTrobe).
His main outside interests are politics, sport and fishing.

Peter Taylor, 61
Chief Executive of Engineers Australia, Canberra

Civil engineer Peter Taylor became Engineers Australia’s chief executive in Feb-ruary 2004. With 75,000 members, the organisation is this country’s premier association representing engineers and associated professionals.
Taylor said one of his most recent challenges was introducing major change in a relatively short time and ensuring as many people as possible – staff and volunteers – contribute to and are comfortable with the change.
Taylor is a graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon and holds an honours degree in civil engineering from the University of Queensland.
He said photography and listening to music compete for his spare time.

Chris Champion, 52
Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA), Sydney; member of the International Affairs Committee of the American Public Works Association

Civil engineer Chris Champion wants to continue building up the institute’s national profile and broaden the organi-sation’s focus from its traditional local government base to a wider public works focus.
He is gratified by the recognition the IPWEA is achieving in the industry and the contribution that it is making to public works and local government engineering.
In his present role with a nonprofit membership association, his main challenge has been the resources available to take things
forward.

Engineers Australia Magazine, Volume 77 No 6, June 2005.

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