Speaker Bios

Graeme is a highly experienced operator with thirty years of experience as a professionally qualified engineer, operations and project manager. During his career he has held senior roles in the utilities, mining and communications industries across the globe.

Projects he has worked on include:

• Design and Construction of the National Broadband Network (WA)
• Western Power Asset Inspection (WA)
• Western Power Wood Pole Reinforcement (WA)
• BHP RGP5 Wharf Construction (Port Hedland, WA)
• Geraldton to Northampton Water Supply Pipeline (Water Corporation, WA)
• Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation (Sarawak, East Malaysia)
• Loy Yang Power Station Mine (VIC)
• Longford Gas Pipeline Compressor Station (APA, VIC)
• Kwinana Power Station (Western Power, WA)
• Shuwaikh Desalination Plant (Ministry of Electricity and Water, Kuwait)
• Thames Water (London, UK)
• Longannet Power Station (ScottishPower, Scotland)
• Castle Peak Power Station (Hong Kong)
• Torness Nuclear Power Station (SSEB, Scotland)

This extensive list has him well placed to discuss the challenges faced by the owners of underground assets and the impact of damage on the same. Having worked with construction contractors who were heavy users of the Dial Before You Dig Service he has firsthand experience in the investigation and root cause analysis of incidents where underground assets were damaged.

Graeme has an Honours Degree from the University of Edinburgh, is an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, a Member of the Institution of Engineers Australia, a certified Project Management Professional and PRINCE2 Practitioner.

Keven is currently a senior executive with Telstra with 27 years of experience in Telecommunications Network and Technology Engineering, IT Portfolio Leadership and Customer Service.  Keven has also held a non-executive director role at both Queensland and national levels in the Dial before you Dig Service organisations over the last 10 years.

Keven’s primary leadership goal within damage prevention ecosystem is to ensure there is deep understanding of community impacts generated by service asset damage and with this understanding ensure customers interests are understood and protected.

He has recently had the opportunity to see how step function increases in the utilisation of Technology ( IOT, Remote Network Surveillance via Drone, robotic automations and live geospatial information integration) will present transformation and disruption opportunities within asset owners, construction and asset protection industries.

Keven is a champion for the utilisation of technology advancement in asset damage prevention.

Simon Ankor is Staking U’s senior trainer and consultant. After many years in the transport and logistics industry, Simon moved into civil construction where he started working as a locator. He has developed extensive experience in working around underground utilities, specialising in high voltage substation works and major project works. Through this time Simon has engaged with surveyors, engineers and safety specialists to ensure that best practice is applied when excavating around utilities.

Simon works closely with a number of organisations to improve procedures, knowledge and safety across the industry, including involvement with Dial Before You Dig and NULCA. He is strongly driven by the need for greater safety and awareness of underground networks.

• Phone Number: 04 4701 0625
• Email: simon.ankor@stakingu.com.au
• Website: www.stakingu.com.au

Elle Archer has been involved in technology and sustainable solutions for over a decade. A self-confessed geek, she is multi-science educated, and applies this knowledge to aid in providing technology and programme solutions across multiple industry sectors.
She works in and advocates for: Smart Cities NZ, Smart Industries Global, Industry Pathway Development, and Youth Empowerment, within NZ and the South Pacific.

Elle’s driving force and main message:

‘For our industries to move forward, they must connect with each other.
For a smart sustainable future, we must identify pathways that lead to connection of information for people centred communities, and abandon thoughts that divide, which ultimately halt our mission to move forward as one.
We must endeavour to inspire youth from all walks of life to step through professional career doorways – full of opportunity, encouraging our future generations to listen to those of experience, adopt suitable emerging technologies, whilst promoting diversification and integration of practitioners within all industry sectors.

Technology has been a vehicle for me to enter into multiple industries and industry sectors. Enhanced functionality within our ever changing technology offerings has given our practitioners the ability to answer ‘yes we can do that’ to more diverse applications. This has proven to be one of the major reasons that our industries, now, more than ever, find each other cross-pollinating. This is a challenge, but can be achieved if the thought balance between traditional sensibility, emerging technology, and future focus sustainability is applied from the outset.’

Since entering the Underground Civil Industry since 1996, contracting to Enerco Gas in Auckland, and becoming self- employed in 1997, Justin has 22 years of experience in the underground utilities field. He began operating and locating for a directional drilling rig, and performed live gas connections from gas main to residential or commercial properties; and installed gas, comms, electrical and water pipelines.

After continually encountering and becoming frustrated with the poor quality of existing utility
mark-outs, as well as the associated increased risk and added downtime confirming miss marked services, Justin formed Sub Surface Detection in
2010. SSD’s aim was to focus solely on providing accurate locates, and was one of the first
companies in NZ to promote and provide the combination of both GPR and EMI utility surveying.

Along the way he also owned and operated a concrete cutting business (Drycore; Hollowcore, Double T and Unispan), gaining valuable knowledge of structural placing of concrete in commercial buildings, which has enhanced the concrete scanning element of Sub Surface’s provision.

Born in England and still sporting an accent, Dave is a down to earth, passionate advocate for worker engagement and an out of the box presenter. He teaches organisations the critical importance of harnessing worker tacit knowledge and has pioneered conducting “mentoring and coaching workshops” out in the field rather than in a classroom. His experience comes from leading large crews all over Australia installing large diameter pipelines for the likes of John Holland, Melbourne Water, Tenix and more. Dave loves to tackle more resistant individuals, who perhaps may not respond so enthusiastically to the importance of policies and procedures. Watching him in action is always a significantly positive experience for all concerned.

Dave established CodeSafe, a coaching, media and software solutions company, seven years ago. Shortly thereafter, CodeSafe was awarded the Victorian WorkSafe Health and Safety Invention of the Year award for the Experiential Learning Program. Th is program went on to be nominated as a Finalist in the National Safe Work Australia Awards. Since then, he has become a recognised expert in worker engagement. He’s often invited to contribute to thought-leading panels such as RMIT’s Industry Advisory Groups, among others, and provides invaluable insights into the psychology of work groups. The Experiential Learning methodology has been independently evaluated by RMIT, winning them both National and International research paper awards. CodeSafe is a positive agent of influence in Australia with key relationships forged with regulators, industry peak bodies, large corporations and small business owners.

Dave believes and is committed to bridging the communication gap between the office and the field, as it is critical to the ongoing success of organisations, both large and small.

Richard Broome BSc (Hons) MRICS FAAV is a highly driven and motivated individual committed to developing the safety and efficiency of the UK utility industry through learning from international best practice and efficiencies, specialising in technological mapping solutions. He is the Managing Director of the LinesearchbeforeUdig (LSBUD) service in the UK helping protect over 60 asset owners by responding to over 2 million third party enquiries per annum.  It is the only service in the UK based on the One Call principle, now protecting over 600,000km of assets across various sectors, from buried high pressure fuel pipelines less than 100km in length to electricity distribution networks covering hundreds of thousands of kilometres. His role includes consultation and networking with a wide variety of utility asset owners as well as all types of third parties from Statutory Undertakers to private individuals and Government organisations. Duties involve business development, marketing and industry awareness, networking and technological development. 

Richard is a fully qualified Chartered Surveyor, with experience across a variety of utility and property projects, including cross country high pressure fuel pipeline management dealing with a wide variety of third party works and major projects. Previous awards include the Pipeline Industries Guild Sir John Parker Presentation Competition and the National Joint Utilities Group Award for Avoiding Damage to Underground Assets. He leads the Data & Reporting Group of the Utility Strike Avoidance Group, producing the annual Utility Strike Report and increasing awareness of utility strikes across the UK.

• Phone Number: 00447918628986
• Email: richard.broome@lsbud.co.uk
• Website: www.lsbud.co.uk
• Twitter: @LSBUD
• Linkedin: LinesearchbeforeUdig (LSBUD)

Stuart commenced as CEO of Dial Before You Dig (National) in June 2017 after a thirty-year career in local government, including ten years as a CEO. He has been responsible for the successful planning and delivery of complex projects involving multi stakeholder management and negotiation, developing high performing organisations through the empowerment and collaboration of multi-disciplinary teams and building and maintaining effective relationships with a diverse range of key stakeholders including governments and industry partners.

Stuart has been responsible for a range of major public infrastructure projects including the Portland Bay Coastal Infrastructure Plan, the Great South Coast Regional Plan and the Green Triangle Freight Action Plan. Stuart was also responsible for the planning and construction of the Darebin International Sport Centre, venue for the 2006 Commonwealth Games and an intergenerational housing project. Stuart has led town centre developments, community hub developments and activity centre planning.

Stuart has expertise in building high performing and empowered organisations and has a strong commitment to industry collaboration and partnering that achieve creative responses to changing environments.  This includes setting strategic direction for service delivery and continuous improvement across a multi-functional service mix.

Stuart has a Master of Business Management Degree, Graduate Diploma in Management, Bachelor of Applied Science Degree and a Company Directors Diploma. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Management, and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Brendan Callaghan is a Health, Safety and Environment professional who completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Occupational Health and Safety in 1994 and started his career in the mining industry within the health, safety and environment team at Mount Isa Mines. Subsequent years in mining, local government and telecommunications has contributed to a solid base of risk management.

Following undergraduate studies Brendan achieved a post graduate diploma in Occupational Hygiene and Master of Business with Environmental Sustainability as a major.

He is a chartered member of the Safety Institute of Australia and contributes to the wider profession through the University of Queensland OHS External Advisory Committee and the National Road Safety Partnership Program.

Outside of work Brendan enjoys family time with two daughters and actively involves himself in their sports clubs.

Through his work with Telstra Brendan and Paul Donker from Tandem were determined to make a difference to the risk of striking underground assets and both enjoyed the collaboration that has yielded a uniform approach across both organisations. Brendan and the Telstra Operations team continue to drive HSE change in the business to refine and challenge the thinking on how to manage risks in a collaborative environment as HSE excellence needs to be shared. 

• Phone Number: 040 983 3858
• Email: brendan.callaghan@team.telstra.com

Jim has over 40 years’ experience in the water industry, including roles in construction, concept design, systems development, asset management and international business development.

He is an asset information evangelist and a passionate advocate in the use and practical application of asset information technologies to support customer focussed business outcomes.

Jim’s current role in SA Water sees him responsible for ensuring the corporation has the asset data, information and technology it requires to support informed asset management planning and decision making.

Jim is currently a director and the deputy chair of the SA/NT Board of DBYD and has previously held positions on the boards of Spatial Australia (SA) and the South Australian ICT Council.

Mr Costello is a professional Engineer with over 40 years of corporate experience in the Civil Construction Industry specialising in all things underground. The fascination of managing, designing and building projects that for the major part cannot be seen or touched yet form the basic foundation or core of the structure is still as compelling today as ever.

Driven by a passion for Innovation, Mr Costello holds a number of international patents. Being self-employed for the majority of his career has afforded the flexibility to either invent or be an early adapter of technology.

During the first 25 years of his career Mr Costello was constantly haunted by the damage that occurred to buried infrastructure and the consequential impact such as loss of life subsequently drawing him to the Damage Prevention Industry. The same passion for innovation and being an early adapter has led to the growth of Australia’s largest and most diverse buried Asset location and protection provider the VAC Group.

VAC Group Divisions.

VAC-U-DIGGA manufactures world leading Vacuum Excavators for both internal and external customers. The experience gained from operating a fleet of 120 vacuum excavation trucks throughout Australia and New Zealand allows for continual product improvement.

SOIL TRANSFER is a new division of VAC Group that treats the slurry from Vacuum Excavation works addressing the costs and limitations associated with disposal and logistics. This disruptive technology will increase productivity, reduce costs and drive market demand.

EARTH RADAR a VAC subsidiary also provides traditional locating and survey services including EMI and 2DGPR along with our patented Computer Aided Radar Tomography or 3D mapping technology. This system, is best likened to a CAT scan of the ground providing a contiguous vision of 90+% of services compared with the current 1% achieved through existing methodologies.

The VAC Group through its subsidiary Staking U Asia Pacific also provides Locator and Asset Awareness Training in conjunction with Staking University of Manteno Illinois.

Rene has been within the Gas Industry since 1987 where he initially specialised in Corrosion Prevention on the Gas Transmission and Distribution systems operating around New Zealand.  Since the corrosion days, Rene has managed most facets of the Gas transmission and distribution business including engineering, GIS and land management, public liaison, project delivery and a stint in HR.  The first twenty years of these gas focused works were with NGC/Vector, as an asset owner and operator, followed by 10 years within consultancies in New Zealand and Australia.  Currently he manages the Distribution networks for First Gas in New Zealand which consists of ~4500kms of pipelines and approximately 63000 consumers in various locations around the North Island.

• firstgas.co.nz

Steve Davies was appointed Chief Executive Officer in September 2017. Previously, he was APGA’s National Policy Manager with responsibility for government relations and policy development for the gas transmission industry.

Policy issues on Steve’s mind this year include: the future of gas in Australia, economic regulation of transmission pipelines, gas market development, competition, capacity trading, transparency and information issues, stakeholder engagement and the treatment of pipelines in planning legislation.

Steve has held a range of policy and regulatory roles related to infrastructure and resources in industry associations and the Federal Government.

Paul cares. Because for him, caring is far more than his job, it’s the way he sees everything – safety is serious. And with a workforce as large as Tandem’s, having a measured, credible and diligent approach is also a given, not an option. No matter the issue, his approachability and level-headedness never miss a beat and as result, his guiding hand has helped Tandem build a safety culture that’s the envy of other companies, across their sectors.

Paul’s key focus is the implementation of safety systems that add value, credibility and security to the people at the coalface. In committing to take responsibility for those people, his integrity drives his every action and outcome that he delivers. He also actively coaches and mentor’s Tandem’s leadership on the latest safety legislation and how to successfully implement it infield, so that it makes a positive difference and directly benefits those in most need of protection.

Over his career, Paul has worked in senior safety leadership roles with the National Broadband Network (NBN), Service Stream and other outsourced service providers. He has not only driven safety strategy, but also successfully built strong organisational safety cultures and implemented risk-based management systems that actively engage people company-wide, in the pursuit of improved safety outcomes. During his time at NBN, Paul initiated and hosted a working near underground assets forum that brought Delivery Partners and industry experts together to share learnings and raise awareness of available tools and resources to reduce strikes.

• Phone Number: 04 3731 5168
• Email: paul.donker@tandemcorp.com
• Website: www.tandemcorp.com

Tony began his career in construction in 1995 when he started operating civil machinery. During this time, he specialised in detailed excavation including trenching and pipe laying of utilities on large construction sites. In 2000 he moved into self-employment in civil and drainage in Brisbane and on the Sunshine Coast. In this time, he and his staff of 25 installed gas, communications, HV and LV cables water, sewer and storm water, Tony also completed various degrees of safety, quality and environmental management, building, demolition, concreting and structural tilt panelling. Due to the frustration with the lack of available information on underground utilities and the lack of professional utility locators, Tony decided on a change, and in 2005 began conducting Telstra and Energex locations for small contractors. In 2006 he purchased the first ground penetrating radar in QLD and the second in Australia and pioneered its use in the Utility Locating sector. In the same year, Tony sold his civil business and formed the company 1300LOCATE and to date has worked in the design and construction of some of Qld’s largest infrastructure projects.
To date 1300LOCATE has 2 Australian Business Awards for Enterprise and Service Excellence and 1 Australian Small Business Champion Award for Professional Services.
Currently, Tony is project managing the Utility Locate and Survey contract of the
$944 million Brisbane Metro Project.

Joe works with asset owners and Dial Before You Dig members to ensure that our service is front-of-mind when it comes to excavation and construction works.

A civil engineer with a strong background in engineering, construction, project management, contract management and sales and marketing, Joe’s experience gives him a strong understanding of the priorities and challenges of BBYD users. His extensive industry knowledge means that he has seen firsthand the impact of significant damage to assets that could have been avoided had the DBYD service been used.

A strong advocate for the value of DBYD prior to joining our organisation, Joe’s broad base of experience, industry networks and strong relationship skills allow him to effectively communicate the importance of the DBYD service to stakeholders across our member, user and consumer groups.          

Joe is excited at the opportunity to extend the reach of DBYD, and is working closely with public and private organisations to add aspects such as heritage sites, contaminated sites and landfill to the DBYD remit. 

Innes is founder and Specialist – Utility Mapping at Utility Location Services, a New Zealand based professional utility mapping company. With more than 30 years in the information technology sector, Innes has applied his considerable technical and management skills to a new career as a professional utility locator.

Innes was the first New Zealander to hold a NULCA Australia Accreditation and to be elected to the NULCA Australia Committee. He is also the first New Zealander to be recognised as a Certified Locator under the Australian Dial Before You Dig (DBYD) Certified Locator programme.

Innes is passionate about damage prevention and is working to improve the quality of the utility location industry in New Zealand by taking a national lead to develop standards, training, and a professional certification scheme.

Dr. Niharika Garud is a Lecturer in Management at the Department of Management & Marketing and Research Fellow at the Centre for Workplace Leadership at Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Melbourne. Prior to Melbourne, Niharika worked as a faculty member at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. Niharika has extensive experience in research and consulting in the areas of management, decision-making, innovation and organisational behaviour. Niharika’s formal training includes a PhD in Management, Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering along with Pre-doctoral Research Fellowship at Harvard University.

Niharika has worked closely with several Fortune 500 firms along with other privately held firms, entrepreneurs and ventures as well as government organisations across the globe, especially in Australia, USA and India on enhancing their management practices, improving their decision and innovation processes, as well as in refining their management systems for higher productivity.

Phone: +61 383 444 412

Email: niharika.garud@unimelb.edu.au

Ed George’s background is in business and product development.

He created, grew and subsequently sold a 30 store Australian retail chain.

In 2009 he joined plastics manufacturer Tapex to create a product stewardship program in Australasia to address farm plastic packaging waste. In 2013 Tapex acquired Boddingtons, creating Australasia’s leading excavation safety supplier. Ed then joined the new Infrastructure and Safety division, working with utilities to create solutions to prevent 3^rd party strikes on buried infrastructure. In 2018 this division was rebranded “DigSafe” and incorporated into Polyfabrics, a geosynthetics business owned by the Tapex Group.

Ed has a business degree from Victoria University and is currently completing a masters at Macquarie University. He is based in Sydney, Australia.

James Goode is currently employed as the Asset Management Program Co-ordinator by the Water Services Association of Australia.

James has 20 years’ experience in the water industry including 14 years at Yarra Valley Water, a water utility in Melbourne. James has worked in various roles throughout his career including design, construction, and asset management in both water and sewage.  Whilst at Yarra Valley Water, James was involved with managing other authority’s impact on Yarra Valley Water’s asset for over 8 years and has an asset owner’s perspective on managing the risk to underground assets. Through managing designs and asset construction, he has also seen the impact of poor underground asset location on construction projects.

• Phone: 0434609618
• Email: james.goode@wsaa.asn.au

Andrew Healy has in recent years been instrumental in ensuring NZ utilities and central and local government capture the asset protection and H&S benefits beforeUdig offers. Prior to that he has an extensive background working with Local Government and Utilities delivering solutions around billing, rating, archiving and compliance.

As New Zealand Country Manager for beforeUdig he strives to bring a ‘next level’ of value and benefit to the industry by delivering innovative software solutions and programmes, as well as promoting best practice in a sector where protecting infrastructure and lives is paramount.

• M: +64 27 521 1942
• andrew.healy@pelicancorp.com
• www.pelicancorp.com

Suzanne has held senior executive and non‐executive roles involving transport and energy, infrastructure planning and delivery, environmental assessment and sustainability, resource and asset management, property development, tourism and vocational education and training. All have involved considerable stakeholder engagement often in highly regulated environments.

Suzanne is currently the chair of New South Wales’ Landcom and the national infrastructure industry association, Dial Before You Dig, Deputy Chair of Australian Capital Territory’s Suburban Land Agency, director of Smoke Alarms Holdings Ltd and a member of the Commonwealth Government’s Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee.

At the end of December 2016, Suzanne completed eight years on the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Council, serving as its chair for four years. Suzanne was a director of TransGrid, Australia’s largest transmission network, for the four years prior to its successful privatization in December 2015 for a record A$10.3 billion and was the founding chair of Waste Aid (a not for profit organization working with remote Aboriginal communities).

Previously, Suzanne served as a Director of the NSW Public Transport Authority, Parramatta Rail Link Pty Ltd (which financed and constructed the $2.3 billion Chatswood to Epping underground railway and the Parramatta Transport Interchange), the Illawarra Regional Information Service, Newcastle Urban Renewal and Transport, the Australian Astronomical Observatory  and Garrigal Housing.

Suzanne holds a Bachelor of Town Planning (Honours) from the University of NSW, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Rochester, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Member of the Planning Institute of Australia.

Suzanne has undertaken a business leadership course at Harvard, a corporate governance course at Insead and was awarded an international leadership fellowship by the United States government.

Khrysanne Kerr is the Vice President of Communications for the Common Ground Alliance, CGA. Khrysanne started in her official capacity in August of 2007 after being a contract employee to the CGA since 2005 as the 811 Project Manager. Her duties include developing strategic underground damage prevention initiatives like the 811 public awareness campaign, member relations and stakeholder outreach as well supporting educational efforts around the Damage Information Reporting Tool, DIRT.

• Phone Number: 330.283.3760
• Email: Kerr@commongroundalliance.com
• Website: www.commongroundalliance.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cgaconnect
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1814009

Peter is Executive Director at the National Electrical and Communications Association (NCEA). NECA is the peak body representing the electrical and communications contracting industry that employs more than 165,000 workers with an annual turnover in excess of $23 billion.

Peter has also previously been the Electrical Safety Regulator in Queensland for more than eight years, Chair of the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council of Australia and New Zealand for ten years and Chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) electrical and electronic equipment Advisory Council for more than 2 years.

Peter has spoken at many national and international forums on matters relating to electrical installations and electrical equipment. He has considerable experience in managing electrical safety on the repair and rebuild of electrical infrastucture following major natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and fire.

• Phone Number: 07 3276 7950
• Email: peter.lamont@neca.asn.au
• Website: www.neca.asn.au

Active in the Damage Prevention industry since 1982, Scott Landes is the CEO of both Rhino Marking & Protection Systems and Infrastructure Resources. Dedicated to reducing damages globally and recognized as an industry expert; Scott has been published in multiple publications and spoke in the US, Canada, Australia, Argentina and Turkey. With 10 patents on damage prevention products, Scott’s passion for excavation safety is instilled in everyone in both companies.

* Founded Rhino in 1990

* Founded the CGA 811 Excavation Safety Conference & Expo

* Founder of the Damage Prevention Professional Magazine

* Created the annual Excavation Safety Guide (over 7 million published)

* CGA Education Committee Co-Chair 2013-2016

* Winner 2007 CGA Jim Barron Award

Ross is an urban and regional planner, with property development, and land management experience spanning 15 years. This includes roles within industry, and local and state government. Ross commenced with APA in an urban planning role, influencing positive policy change and improved development outcomes around gas transmission pipelines. In his time at APA Ross has also been involved in access and approvals for solar farm development and is currently Manager Infrastructure Protection.

• Phone: +61 7 3223 3382
• Email: ross.larsen@apa.com.au
• Website: www.apa.com.au

Hennie is the owner and Managing Director of Subscan (4 years) – a Utility Detection Company based in Johannesburg with 12 employees working country wide. With 4 years experience in the underground utility detection field Hennie is looking for ways of improving and formalizing training in this field across South Africa. He is excited about collaborating and building relationships within the industry globally.

Hennie holds an honors degree in Financial Mathematics and is a Prince2 Project management Practitioner. After working in investment banking for 5 years he decided the corporate life is not where he would like to be and started fresh in the construction industry. Over the next 5 years he worked his way up to contracts manager level in civil construction with the core focus on construction of infrastructure development projects across the country. In partnership with one of Johannesburg’s leading Land Surveying companies Hennie then founded Subscan at the start of 2015.

www.subscan.co.za

Nigel March is the State Manager for Dial Before You Dig South Australia and Northern Territory which works with over 100 asset owning members and the excavation industry to protect vital underground infrastructure. In his role he works closely with utilities, industry bodies and government agencies to promote the safe excavation message. Nigel has also spent numerous years as the national marketing manager for AADBYDS, the organisation which provides the Dial Before You Dig referral service to Australia. He has an extensive background in service marketing across a range of industries.

• Phone: 08 7231 1100
• Email: nmarch@1100.com.au
• Website: www.1100.com.au

Aaron has the responsibility of introduction and market development for intelligent machine control and SmartConstruction business covering Australia and New Zealand. Previous to this position Aaron was the National Operator Training Supervisor, managing the regional operator trainers nationally and providing product training through the National Construction Division Training

• Phone Number: 04 0040 9668
• Email: amarsh@komatsu.com.au
• Website: www.komatsu.com.au

Lachlan has worked in the land use planning and Ecological Industry for the past 18 years in both local and state government capacities along with not for profit and private industry. Lachlan’s experience lays around ecological and land impact assessment and environmental planning.

Since 2014, Lachlan has worked in the management of high-pressure gas transmission pipelines with APA Group. He is based in southeastern Australia working towards preventing impacts on APA’s infrastructure.

Lachlan currently works as a Corridor Protection Officer working on compliance projects within APA’s Victorian Transmission System.

• Phone: +61 455 070 442
• Email: Lachie.Marshall@apa.com.au

Mr Darren Mills joined nbn in early 2010, and is presently the Executive General Manager, Operate and Maintain Network.

Darren’s 30 year career within the telecommunications operations industry began with highly specialised roles within the Australian Army and then Australian Defence Industries. During this time, Darren was awarded the Australian Army Exemplary Service medal.

Darren then spent 14 years with Optus from 1995 having filled a number of roles, including General Manager Mobile Operations and General Manager Consumer Operations. Darren also filled the role as General Manager Operations Programs where he successfully led a series of lean six sigma process improvement initiatives. In 2008, Darren took an opportunity to move to Telstra working at the Global Operations Centre in the role of General Manager Bigpond, Content and Media, which amongst other technologies, provided oversight and network management of the Telstra DSL access networks and HFC networks.

Since joining nbn, Darren has filled a number of leadership roles, and remains as passionate about nbn and its future success as he was the day he joined. In addition to the application of process improvement disciplines, he also believes that truly effective leadership at all levels in the organisation, and the achievement of highly engaged employees are some of the keys to nbn’s continued success. In his spare time, Darren enjoys athletics, sports of all kinds and spending time with his family in Melbourne.

Otre worked in Telstra damage minimisation section (Network Integrity) from 1999 to 2013, investigating major damages to Telstra’s copper and optical fibre cables and is often called as an expert witness in court for many related underground network damages.

Otre is a civil engineer with a honours degree from UNSW and has a complete understanding of the DBYD service and damage minimisation. He has been attending field days and trade shows with DBYD NSW/ACT since 1999. At present, Otre runs the DBYD NSW/ACT seminars and training sessions for the industry.

• Phone Number: 04 0827 9226
• Email: otremoussa@bigpond.com

Paul Newman is the General Manager of Dial Before You Dig Queensland, a position he has held for the past ten years. Paul started his career as a carpenter followed by working for Australia’s largest telecommunications carrier (Telecom/Telstra) over a 23 year period. The last 7 years in Telstra Paul’s role was investigating and reporting on all major damages in Queensland, on Telstra’s optic fibre cable network. Paul was responsible for leading a team of field specialists in damage minimisation to ensure Telstra’s network was not being put at jeopardy by civil construction activities. Paul has been instrumental in the development and rollout in Australia with the Locator Certification Program which commenced in July 2015.

Paul is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Founder and CEO of Geolantis – an Austrian based company developing innovative, future oriented spatial solutions.

Within Geolantis my core responsibilities are:

• General management
• Product management
• Building & managing strategic partnerships
• Managing key accounts
• Sales Leadership

With more than 20 years of experience in IT, GIS & CAD and subsurface mapping I have a broad technical understanding of various technologies:

• Cloud based technologies
• IT & Development
• Mobile technologies
• GNSS technology
• GIS & Map technologies
• CAD technologies
• Utility detection
• Utility mapping
• EMI & GPR

I have had the pleasure to work with partners and customers all around the globe.

In addition to providing utility locating training services, damage prevention and investigation services as owner of Ron Peterson Consulting, LLC, Ron has held the position of Executive Director of NULCA since 2009. 

Ron’s background includes over 20 years of experience in the underground utility industry and he is certified as a fiber optics technician and a fiber optics specialist. 

Ron is dedicated to damage prevention and improving safety within the industry. He is a founding member of the Missouri Common Ground, and sits on the PHMSA Damage Prevention Roundtable. He has served on numerous committees for the CGA, as well as the Central Texas Damage Prevention Committee and the Common Ground of Iowa. He has won numerous awards for his efforts, including NUCA Associate of the Year and Most Valuable Member of the CGA.

• ron@ronpetersonconsulting.com/
• http://www.ronpetersonconsulting.com/

Darryl Powell is the Pipeline Maintenance Supervisor for ATCO Gas Australia. He started with the State Energy Commission of Western Australia in 1979 as an apprentice electrical fitter. He has since worked in High Voltage construction and maintenance before specialising in corrosion protection whilst working on the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline.

Darryl has nearly 40 years of experience and currently leads the Gas Pipeline Corrosion Protection area for ATCO Gas Australia.

Dominic Puiu joined Dial Before You Dig NSW/ACT in April 1999. Dial Before You Dig at that time serviced only the Sydney area and had nine participating member organisations. In an average working day, excavators lodged between 100 and 130 inquiries by phone and fax.

Today Dial Before You Dig NSW/ACT has over 120 participating member organisations and services all of NSW and the ACT. In an average month excavators lodge over 55,000 inquiries by internet, iPhone application and phone.

Dominic has been Chair of the Streets Opening Coordination Council since 2014. In 2009 NSW became the first Australian jurisdiction to pass a law mandating use of the Dial Before You Dig service.

Dominic has a BA in industrial relations from the University of NSW, a Masters in Business (Employment Relations) from UTS and a Diploma in Public Relations from Sydney Institute of Technology.

• Phone Number: 02 9648-1100
• Email: dpuiu@bigpond.com
• Website: www.beforeyoudignswact.com.au
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/showcase/dbyd-nsw-act/
• Instagram: beforeyoudignswact

As CEO of PelicanCorp, I have been heavily involved in influencing the growth and expansion of our Australian-based company in New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom, Ireland, United States and Canada. With more than 27 years experience in Damage prevention and starting as a computer software engineer, we focus of the technology to engage the market.

With a complete platform of solutions for Essential Asset Protection, the PelicanCorp team has taken this niche business of utility, local government and municipality asset protection to being the only global solution provider to this industry.

I am passionate about our people and our market segment, and continue to develop key ideas for the future of our industry.

I continue to learn and develop the skills, and team needed to expand the PelicanCorp business across the globe. I continue to balance the growth, acquisition and product and service offerings that PelicanCorp has targeted to achieve our International goals.

• +1 (203) 747 1365
• duane.rodgers@pelicancorp.com

Jean Rouvière, 28, is currently the Sales Manager of OVERPIPE, a French company belonging to the familial group JOUBEAUX.

Jean Rouvière is graduated from the University Aix-Marseille. He holds a master’s degree in international business. He previously worked for the World Trade Center and the Irish Government.

OVERPIPE was created to produce and market HDPE plates that Yannick JOUBEAUX designed with the support of the R&D department of Gaz de France.

• Phone Number: +33 6 6618 9465
• Email: j.rouviere@overpipe.com
• Website: www.overpipe.com

Robert Row has a distinguished career of 25 years as a chief executive officer of Queensland construction and training organisations. He has extensive experience as an advocate for the building and construction industry to State and Federal governments and has served in the following capacities:

National chairman and state president for Group Training Australia;

A member of Infrastructure Queensland for the Deputy Premier of Queensland and Minister for State Development and Infrastructure.

A member of the Queensland Construction Industry Sector Standing Committee;

Licensing Working Group for the Queensland Minister of Housing

An employer representative on the Trades Recognition Committee for the Queensland Minister of Employment and Training;

A Director of the Association of Australia Dial Before You Dig Service Ltd;

Robert is currently CEO of DBYD Certification Ltd and Deputy Chair of Dial Before You Dig (QLD) Ltd as well as a director of Lockyer Valley Foods. Robert has wide experience in developing policy issues affecting the building and construction industry; as well as over ten years involvement with damage prevention. Robert has also travelled on trade missions with senior government Ministers to South Africa, Botswana, Indonesia, India, Chile and Brazil and has been a regular conference speaker in Australia, USA, Canada and New Zealand.

Robert holds a Master of Business Administration (Griffith University), a Graduate Certificate in Training (Barton Institute of TAFE), Builder Registration (Builders Registration Board of Queensland), as well as several trade qualifications including the Advanced Trade Certificate (New Zealand Trades Certification Board).

He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In 2014 Robert won the Earthmover & Civil Contractor Newsmaker of the Year Award.

Danny Samson is Professor of Management at the University of Melbourne (since 1988), was Head of the Department of Management in the Faculty of Economics and Commerce. He has an honours degree in chemical engineering (UNSW) and a PhD in management from the Australian Graduate School of Management.

His most recent book is titled “Innovation and Entrepreneurship: value creation, (Oxford University Press), containing practical new research on the components of organisational innovation strategies and of key success factors of innovation projects. His work history includes three years as a research engineer at ICI Australia, appointment as a lecturer at AGSM, five years as an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at the University of Illinois and ten years as the Professor of Manufacturing Management at the Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne.

During his academic career he has been a consultant to senior  executives in most manufacturing industries and in numerous service sector organisations. These include major companies in the food, building products, paper and printing, chemicals, processing, banking, engineering/ construction and other industries, in Australia and elsewhere.  This included ten years working on corporate strategy with the CEO and top team of a major bank with networks and brands in the UK, USA, New Zealand and Australia. He has been a Director of small and large organisations, and has published over 100 papers and a dozen books.

Justin Scotchbrook is the head of Dial Before You Dig in Western Australia. His focus is the promotion of the Damage Prevention message throughout the State by developing strategies that increase the awareness of Dial Before You Dig to different audiences. This has included the establishment and delivery of education programs across different channels, as well as liaison with industry to secure new members to protect their assets with the Dial Before You Dig service.

Justin has been involved with the utilities industry in Western Australia since 1995 and he holds a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Business Administration (Distinction) from Curtin University, and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

• Phone Number: 04 8822 0959
• Email: jscotchbrook@1100.com.au
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dial-before-you-dig-wa
• Instagram: Justin Scotchbrook

Aaron Smith is the Community Safety Manager for Energy Queensland.  Aaron started his career as a tradesman and has worked across multiple areas of the Electrical Distribution industry over a 26-year period.  He has spent the last 12 years in Community and Operational Safety roles within Ergon Energy and now Energy Queensland.

Aaron’s current role is focused on the proactive outworking of Energy Queensland’s Community Powerline Safety Program that engages, educates and enables ‘at risk’ industry groups and the general community to reduce incidents involving injury and damage as a result of contact with overhead and underground electrical assets.

Aaron is also a current Director of Dial Before You Dig Queensland (DBYD), a position he has held for 6 years and for the past 18 months he has Chaired the DBYD Certified Locator Organisation.  Energy Queensland has placed increased priority on the protection of both overhead and underground assets with a focus on incident data collation used to target messaging in and improve work practices.

• Phone Number: 0417752278
• Email: aaron.smith@energyq.com.au

Mike Sullivan is the President of Alberta One-Call Corporation and Executive Director of the Canadian Common Ground Alliance (CCGA). Mike’s damage prevention experience stems from a 25 year career with the National Energy Board, Canada’s federal regulatory agency governing interprovincial and international transmission pipelines, Alliance Pipeline Ltd., and Vice-President and General Manager with HMA Land Services, one of Canada’s leading transmission pipeline project management and land services. With his dedicated and best-in-class Team at Alberta One-Call, Mike championed and Trademarked ‘ClickBeforeYouDig’ and successfully transitioned the Corporation’s services towards web-based locate requests. Mike and his Team are now working with western Canada’s One-Call leaders to implement new technology that will improve the integrity, efficiency and effectiveness of the damage prevention process.

As Executive Director of the CCGA, and a member of the Common Ground Alliance’s Board of Directors in the United States, Mike represents the collective damage prevention voice of Canada’s Regional CGA Partners with a mandate to simplify access to the damage prevention process in Canada, realize a One-Call Notification System serving every province and territory, enable effective damage prevention legislation and harmonize damage prevention best practices across Canada.

Robert Theodore is the Utilities Manager, at the Level Crossing Removal Authority. Robert’s experience in construction over the past 18 years, saw him work with reputable companies including, Boral, Leighton Contractors (CPB), Baulderstone, Freyssinett and now the Victorian State Government. During his career he has worked on many facets of major infrastructure construction projects including utility services, railway, roads, water and marine.

Robert is a civil Engineer and has completed his studies at the University of Technology, Sydney, holding two bachelor degrees – a Bachelor of Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Telecommunication Engineering.

Robert has been working at the Level Crossings Removal Authority, one of the first major infrastructure programs in Australia to establish a dedicated specialist utility services team, within a government authority body, to strategically manage and oversee utility assets relocation and protection. The Utilities Services Specialist Group (USSG) is involved from project inception, through design and construction – a single contact point for all matters utility-related.

Over the past two years, as part of the Level Crossings Removal Authority, Robert has developed an online Utility Service Hub, considered to be a one-stop shop for utility asset information, standards, negotiation, planning and expertise.

Jemmie worked for 12 years as a senior Executive at USIC. He led different groups like sales, IT, M&A, new product development, financial planning & analysis, strategic development, and Six Sigma / performance improvement. Jemmie is intimately knowledgeable about the high level strategic dynamics of damage prevention as well as the day to day details and was a member of the Executive team that successfully grew and sold USIC three times in six years.  Jemmie has been involved with Common Ground Alliance (CGA) for more than ten years, serving as a Co-Chair of the Data Reporting and Evaluation Committee as well as the Lead of the Reporting Task Team, which is responsible for writing the annual CGA DIRT Report. Jemmie also consults with leading companies inside and outside the damage prevention industry on operational improvement, corporate strategy, and mergers and acquisitions.  Jemmie earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and M.B.A. from the University of Michigan. He is also an ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

• Phone Number: 317.506.4374
• Email: jemmie@bizmetrix.biz
• Website: www.bizmetrix.biz
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jemmiewang/
• Instagram: JEMMIE WANG

Misty has a diverse background in the Telecom industry with over 17 years’ experience, including multiple facets of management within Operations, Construction, and Call Center environments.  Her passion for damage prevention quickly spawned while overseeing Verizon’s Fiber to the Premise build in Tampa during 2004. Her time on that project grew her interests in the One Call industry and how her lessons learned could make a positive mark on the process for others.

She relocated from Florida in 2013 to take the position as Executive Director of South Carolina 811, and is continuing to strive to make her current state the safest place to excavate. Her diverse background has aided in her ability to explain and address varying stakeholder concerns on all fronts. Misty is fully devoted to doing all she can to create progressive improvements to current SC811 processes, end user resources, and innovative technologies that decrease damages and ensure public safety.