Engineers Australia has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer.
Dr Bronwyn Evans HonFIEAust FTSE CPEng is a highly experienced and respected CEO, and was previously the CEO of Standards Australia.
Dr Evans’ career has spanned both corporate and not-for-profit roles at the forefront of engineering in Australia and globally. These have included senior executive roles at Cochlear Ltd and GE Healthcare, as well as non-executive board experience in the construction, medical technology and digital business sectors.
She takes over from outgoing CEO, Peter McIntyre, who has served at the helm of Engineers Australia since July 2017.
National President and Board Chair of Engineers Australia, Trish White, said Dr Evans’ appointment came at an exciting time for the organisation.
“Over the last few years, Engineers Australia has modernised its governance and operations to support the increasingly important role of the profession in Australia’s economic, social and sustainable future, with our advocacy and media engagement also at an all-time high,” Ms White said.
“Our board looks forward to Dr Evans advancing this work, growing our organisation through provision of clear member value and furthering the influence of our profession in the ethos of community service embedded in our Royal Charter.
“An electrical engineer who has led successful corporations across manufacturing, construction, research and standards-setting, Dr Evans is well-placed to lead our organisation into its next chapter as the engineering profession transitions to take advantage of the technological disruptions and innovation of the future.”
Dr Evans said she was excited to take on the role.
“With the global megatrends shaping our future relying so significantly on engineering insight and leadership it is a fascinating and important time for the profession.
“I am looking forward to working closely with the Board, the staff and the broader membership to continue to grow and advance our organisation,” she said.
Dr Evans will take up her new role on 3 October 2019.
Industry responds to appointment
Engineers Australia’s choice of incoming CEO has drawn praise from key figures in the engineering and infrastructure sector.
Prof Ian Burnett, Dean Faculty of Engineering and IT at UTS said Dr Evans experience leading organisations through important transitions made her ideally placed to lead the organisation.
“Engineering is facing a similar period of change now and Dr Evans will be key to honing the profession’s response to the changing role of Engineers in Australia moving forwards. As President of the Australian Council of Engineering Deans, I look forward to working with Dr Evans on our future Engineering education and the graduates of tomorrow,” Prof Burnett said.
John Grill, Chairman of WorleyParsons, said, “I strongly endorse the appointment of Dr Bronwyn Evans as the new CEO of Engineers Australia. I was fortunate to get to know Bronwyn well while she was the CEO of Standards Australia and simultaneously the Chair of the MTP Connect Industry Growth Centre.
“Her industry knowledge, senior management experience, people skills and research background equip her extremely well to lead Engineers Australia in an era during which the importance of engineers and engineering in society is growing rapidly while at the same time the skills that an individual engineer requires are changing by the day.”
Em Prof Elizabeth Taylor AO, Deputy Chair, International Engineering Alliance, joined Mr Grill’s praise.
“As an EA office bearer I welcome the opportunity to work with Dr Evans”, said “Her experience balancing quality and agility in the innovation sector situate her well to continue EA’s drive to uphold professional standards and be the trusted voice of the profession in an increasingly complex international environment,” Em Prof Taylor said.
Siemens CEO, Jeff Connolly, agreed Dr Evans was “an excellent choice” for the role.
“Her reputation in representing Australia internationally will assist Engineers Australia to promote Australian engineering capability and innovation,” Mr Connolly said.
Standards Australia appoints Dr Evans’ successor
With Dr Evans’ departure, Standards Australia has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer.
Adrian O’Connell has been the organisation’s Deputy CEO since 2014 and Acting CEO since March 2019.
Mr O’Connell’s appointment follows a detailed and considered Board process of CEO selection undertaken over several months in mid-2019.
Announcing Mr O’Connell’s appointment, Standards Australia’s Chairman, Richard Brooks, said, “The Board is delighted to confirm Adrian as our Chief Executive Officer. Since joining Standards Australia in 2006, Adrian has been instrumental in driving innovation and change to deliver greater value for stakeholders and the end users of Australian Standards.
“Leading departments across the business including stakeholder engagement, standards development, corporate services, and international engagement has given Adrian a deep understanding of all the functions of the organisation, and importantly how we work with our network of thousands of stakeholders on a daily basis. Through the selection process the Board found Adrian’s experience, commitment and vision for Standards Australia compelling.”
Mr O’Connell has diverse and extensive experience representing Australia internationally and is widely respected and recognised for his contributions in international governance positions and regional leadership roles.
In response to his appointment, Mr O’Connell said, “This will be one of the most demanding periods in the history of Standards Australia as we continue to adapt to market and community expectations in the digital age.
“To be leading the team through this next period of change is a tremendous honour. I look forward to working with all of our stakeholders in Australia and internationally as we strive to deliver even more value to the Australian community.”
