Construction engineering firm SMEC has appointed a James Phillis as its new Chief Executive Officer responsible for the company’s Australia/New Zealand division.
Mr. Phillis has been part of SMEC’s leadership team since 2014, starting as Regional Director (NSW/ACT) before being promoted to COO of SMEC ANZ in September last year.
He has more than 30 years’ experience leading international engineering consultancies and holds a Bachelor of Engineering from University of Sydney and a Master of Business Administration from Southern Cross University.
According to a statement from SMEC, Mr. Phillis’ appointment comes at a key period as the business looks to drive growth through its presence in the Australian and New Zealand markets and partnerships with parent company Surbana Jurong Group and sister company, Brisbane-based Robert Bird Group.
“The innovation and passion for great engineering that brought an icon like the Snowy Mountain Hydroelectric Scheme to life in 1949 still inspires me and makes me proud of our heritage and what we aim to achieve in the future”, Mr. Phillis said in the statement.
“As we move towards SMEC’s 70th anniversary in 2019, my aim is to ensure we continue to deliver technical excellence through our specialist engineering solutions in urbanisation and infrastructure development.
“Additionally, through our global network of specialist companies, I’m looking forward to what we can achieve for our partners, clients, the environment and local communities.”
Mr. Phillis’ appointment follows the announcement of Hari Poologasundram as the new SMEC CEO and CEO International of Surbana Jurong Group in March.
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