INsite:
How long have you worked as a Project Director in the
construction sector?
PW:
I have worked in the construction industry for 18 years
– the entire time of which has been spent with Leighton. I’ve
been working as a project director for seven years. To round
my experience, I also worked in the corporate office within a
functional role for three years. That was always my intent –
work in the corporate world for three years then get back into
profit and loss. For me it’s not about the next role, it’s all about
experience. What brings me to the Wynn Palace project, for
example, is the fact that it is a billion dollar-plus project – and I
get Asian experience. It’s important to build on your experience
and be challenged along the way.
INsite:
What major projects have you worked on previously?
PW:
I worked as Project Director on the Green Square office
project in Brisbane, and also on One One One Eagle Street.
The latter was an amazing top-down project in the middle of a
congested central business district.
INsite:
What is the most significant engineering challenge that
you have resolved in your career to date?
PW:
I’d say it was on the One One One Eagle Street project
where we had to build up the tower from ground to level 17,
at the same time as building down from ground to basement
6. This meant also undermining the building next door so it
was very complex. We tried many different temporary works
solutions until we found the best one – a solution which
TEAM SPIRIT
ultimately shaved six months off the programme, as well as
delivering positive environmental benefits such as noise and
dust suppression.
INsite:
What achievement have you been proudest of in your
career so far?
PW:
Being the first in Queensland, Australia to achieve both
a 5 and 6 Green Star-rated building – for the Green Square
corporate office park. It was industry-leading stuff. Nobody
thought it could be done in Queensland, due to environmental
reasons such as humidity etc. The whole industry was scared
of it and being the leader that brought the industry to green
buildings was one of my finer moments.
INsite:
What attracted you to work at Leighton?
PW:
It was a building they had done – the Brisbane Convention
and Exhibition Centre. For the time, it had an interesting roof
structure and I saw Leighton as a company doing leading-edge
work. Leighton was actually the only company I approached.
There wasn’t even a job going at the time but I got my way in
to speak with one of the managers and went on to work as a
building cadet.
INsite:
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
PW:
I think you’ve always got to have a career plan but you
can’t be too rigid. I think I’ll be looking for a role that will allow
me to bring value to Leighton and remain challenged. If I didn’t
feel I was bringing value to the company, and to my team
members and so on, it wouldn’t work for me.
Insite Magazine
16
