Aurecon appoints new CEO
Design and engineering firm Aurecon has appointed Louise Adams as its new group chief executive, starting 1 July.
Adams has spent almost four years as the firm’s current chief operating officer and will succeed current chief William (Bill) Cox, who has been in the role for six years. Adam spent more than 25 years with the company, including previously as the managing director and then chief executive for the Australian and New Zealand region. She initially started as a civil engineer with the company back in 2000.
Adams is also currently an advisory board member of the ASEAN-Australia Centre Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australia Vietnam Policy Institute, as well as a fellow at the Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering. She also mentors at the Minerva Network, a national advisory and fiduciary board member at Infrastructure Partnerships Australia and a member of Chief Executive Women.
As the firm’s first female group CEO, Adams will lead 7500 people across 31 locations across Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Macau, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Greater China.
McGregor Coxall, new CEO
Resilience and sustainability design firm McGregor Coxall has appointed Benji Williams as its new CEO, taking over from interim chief Leon Stone, previously the firm’s COO, who had been in the role since May 2024.
Prior to the new role, Williams was the firm’s global head of marketing and communications for more than a year and was previously in the same position at Woods Bagot before joining the firm. He had spent more than 11 years at Woods Bagot, including as project leader and associate for residential towers, mixed-use and transport projects, prior to his comms role.
Williams also currently serves on the board of Architects Without Frontiers and the Property Council of Australia’s NSW Precincts Committee.
HIP V. HYPE expands
HIP V. HYPE has expanded into New South Wales, with the appointment of Lauren Kajewski as head of better business and Paul Himberger as associate, better business to lead the outpost.
The sustainable property developer and consultant’s better business team consults with client businesses to help with ESG strategies and disclosures. Kajewski has stepped down as the director of sustainability and impact investment at Landcom, where she has worked for eight years in her new role. Kajewski has notched up 16 years of experience in a number of sustainability and ESG-related roles for the private and public sector, including as a sustainability manager at Stockland, as well as senior sustainability manager at Urban Growth NSW.
Himberger followed Kajewski into the new role, also leaving his more than three year role as sustainability and research manager at Landcom for a new gig with the firm. He was previously an environmental planner at AECOM, working in the US and Australia for almost 12 years.
Vivendi Consulting gains two new talent
Sara Stace and Marc Lane have joined Vivendi Consulting as its new joint directors of cities. Stace and Lane met while working at WSP, where Stace was the cities and place national executive, and Lane was the principal, cities.
Stace is also currently the president of Better Streets as well as a member of the state design and review panel in NSW and Western Australia. On top of her more than three years working at WSP, she was also previously associate director of walking and cycling strategy at Transport for NSW, as well as strategic transport at Waverly Council, amongst a number of other government roles.
Prior to WSP, Lane worked at the NSW government architect’s office, including as principal design advisor for policy and urban design. He had also spent 1.5 years as an associate at Arup and was the principal urban design advisor for Transport for London prior to that. A podcast with Stace and Lane will appear soon on TFE.
Geronimo advisory launches
Mathuran Marianayagam has launched net zero property consultancy Geronimo Advisory. Marianayagam was previously head of building performance services at Cundall and had worked at the firm for over nine years.
Marianayagam is chair of the Facilities Management Association’s WA branch, as well as a committee member of the Property Council of Australia’s operations and facilities management committee. He is also on the expert reference panel for building performance at the Green Building Council of Australia.
Marianayagam told The Fifth Estate that he founded the firm based to meet rising demands for energy efficiency and decarbonisation as more companies are engaging with mandatory reporting.