Explore every episode of the podcast Engineering Reimagined

What's possible when partnership, trust and an optimistic mindset come together under pressure? Aurecon CEO Louise Adams and Perenti CEO and Managing Director Vanessa Torres speak about how they connected over their shared passion for the role of optimism. Learn about the role optimism played in transforming the GEMCO wharf from catastrophe to rebuilt and operational in 14 months – a process that could have taken three to five years. 

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What does it take to lead when the world is changing faster than your experience can keep up? Aurecon’s Tracey Ryan speaks with Ron Boire about how to lead through constant disruption while keeping people at the centre. Ron argues that leaders need to get closer to the action. He also shares his "51% rule" and explains why curiosity, vulnerability and trust are becoming more important than having all the answers.

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Trust in science and engineering has never mattered more. Aurecon's Tanya de Hoog speaks with Sir Peter Gluckman about the evolving role of science and engineering in addressing the world's most complex challenges. They discuss the value of remaining open to opportunity throughout your career, the importance of systems thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration, and how emerging technologies such as AI are reshaping the way knowledge is created and shared.  

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What communications skills do engineers and scientists need most right now? Recorded live at the CAETS conference, Aurecon's Lorna Bishop sits down with one of Australia's most celebrated science communicators, Tanya Ha. Together they explore how to tailor your message for different audiences, and how to leverage AI in communications without diluting personality. This episode of engineering Reimagined was recorded live at the CAETS conference. 

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In this episode, Tanya de Hoog, Aurecon's Chief Engineering, Eminence and Innovation Officer, speaks with robotics expert and former geochemist Sue Keay about the intersection of robotics, human ingenuity, and the future of our planet. 

They discuss lessons from mining and manufacturing, where robotics has improved safety and unlocked unexpected efficiencies, and how these insights can be applied to construction.  

Tanya and Sue also emphasise the enduring value of human skills: creativity, judgment, and connection. Reminding us that rather than replacing people, robotics offers the potential to augment human capability at scale – if we choose to deploy it thoughtfully. 

This episode of Engineering Reimagined was recorded live at the 2025 CAETS conference. 

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How much has changed in AI during the last two years? Aurecon’s Dave Mackenzie revisits a past conversation he had on the Engineering Reimagined podcast with Nomic CEO Andriy Mulyar. They discuss how AI adoption in complex infrastructure environments has evolved from early experimentation to practical implementation. This episode also considers how roles are changing, with engineers increasingly acting as orchestrators, and reflects on the skills and capabilities needed for future-proofing.

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Explore how climate leadership measures should be a routine part of decision-making with Emeritus Professor Mark Howden and Aurecon’s Dr Ben McGarry. Together they discuss the role engineers play in shaping a low-carbon and resilient future; and why starting with values, incorporating systems thinking, and highlighting long-term benefits all matter when engaging stakeholders and delivering meaningful change. This episode of Engineering Reimagined was recorded live at the 2025 CAETS conference. 

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Bushfires are becoming more frequent, intense, far-reaching and complex. How can we reimagine bushfire resilience with a more proactive, systems-based approach? In this episode of Engineering Reimagined recorded live at the CAETS conference, Aurecon’s Santiago Estrada sits down with Dr Marta Yebra, a Professor at the Australian National University and Director of the Bushfire Research Centre of Excellence. Dr Yebra shares how engineering-led innovation is transforming the way we predict, prepare for and respond to fire and other natural hazards.

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Explore the science behind optimism. Aurecon's CEO Louise Adams speaks with clinical neuropsychologist Dr Kim Hazendonk about how choosing a positive mindset can help us to reshape the way we think, lead and build resilience. Find out how we can re-train our brains for optimism, despite the negativity bias all around us. 

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Welcome to the 2025 season finale of Aurecon’s Engineering Reimagined podcast. Let’s look back on some of our favourite episodes of the year that all have one thing in common – the evolving technologies that affect or impact three critical areas of interest, including decision-making in the age of distraction, the energy transition and data centres. 

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How can we match the right technologies to the right problems, while balancing speed with quality, and prioritising human factors that shape meaningful progress? Aurecon's Chief Operating Officer, Scott Powell, speaks with Professor Marcus Holgersson from Chalmers University of Technology. Together they explore the interplay between risk, innovation, efficiency and adoption, and how organisations can repeatedly unlock new value safely, be that through AI or other technologies. 

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Aurecon’s chief engineer Tanya de Hoog sits down with Silicon Valley pioneer Chandrakant Patel. They explore how imagination fuels innovation and why engineering fundamentals like rigour, creativity and systems thinking are as important today as they have ever been. 

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Aurecon’s Director for Eminence and Sustainability, Evelyn Storey, speaks with Kylie Walker, CEO of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE). They discuss the need for stronger representation in leadership, why we must celebrate incremental innovation, and how building resilience and networks can empower the next generation of engineers and scientists. 

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How can we make better decisions in an era defined by distraction, cognitive bias, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence? In the second instalment of this two-part series, Aurecon’s Todd Battley continues his thought-provoking conversation with Professor Jason Mattingley from the Queensland Brain Institute.

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Explore how digital distractions are draining our energy and fragmenting our attention, making it harder to engage in the deep, focused work that leads to breakthroughs. Join Aurecon’s Chief Executive for Australia Todd Battley and Professor Jason Mattingley from the Queensland Brain Institute for this first part of a two-part series.

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Explore the opportunities and considerations of AI in the water sector in this special episode of Engineering Reimagined, recorded at the Ozwater'25 conference. Aurecon’s Dr Ryan Signor moderated a panel discussion with guests including the Honourable Karlene Maywald, Pierre Pauliac, Amanda Lewry and Dave Mackenzie.

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Aurecon’s Simon McFadden joins Bree Miechel from Ashurst to explore the vital role of data centres. They discuss the growing demands they place on energy and water resources, and the critical engineering strategies being employed to enhance efficiency and sustainability. 

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Discover the trends impacting the biggest capital deployment we have ever seen for energy infrastructure. Aurecon’s Paul Gleeson and Ashurst’s Elena Lambros and Dan Brown discuss the current state of the energy transition, energy mix options including gas, hydrogen and nuclear and the economic choices that markets, investors and companies are making around the transition.

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In our first episode in this Engineering Reimagined series on ‘Engineering change’ in which we talk to engineers who are changing our world, Aurecon’s Tanya de Hoog sat down with John Hilton. They discussed John’s 50-year engineering career, how technology has changed over his half century in the industry and the seven personal traits they believe make an eminent engineer. Discover how John’s childhood curiosity in understanding ‘how things worked’ led him to a career in engineering and the one big project he’s most proud of. 

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Jessica Holz speaks with Hugh Possingham and Paul Leader about the erosion of biodiversity and its effect on wildlife. They also discuss how cities and the natural world can co-exist in harmony and how appropriate planning for major infrastructure projects can have a nature positive outcome.

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To be human is to live in a state of constant transition. In our final episode of season 6 of Engineering Reimagined we revisit a few conversations that focus on transition, from developing leadership skills at any stage of your career, to the economy challenges and opportunities of the energy transition and the AI boom.

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Globally, and specifically in Aotearoa New Zealand, there is a long-standing infrastructure deficit that many governments are trying to address within inflationary environments. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Aurecon’s Cameron Law and Laura Harris from Mafic Partners, discuss how alternative funding models used successfully across the world could help solve some of New Zealand's biggest infrastructure challenges.

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In this episode, Tanya de Hoog, Aurecon Chief Engineering, Eminence and Innovation Officer and 2024 President of IStructE interviews celebrated structural engineer Dr. Mike Cook. They discuss the importance of collaboration, finding the confidence to speak up early in your career and how the human element of engineering is vital to maintain with the rise of AI.

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In 2009 the United Nations Climate Change Conference, better known as COP15, was held in Copenhagen with public interest swelling behind the climate debate. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Michael Nolan speaks with Nicolas Buchoud, about the intention of COP15 and its impact on subsequent global decisions, the growing importance of resilient infrastructure and sustainable finance, and how major global events like the Olympic Games can reshape infrastructure for a host city.

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While AI undoubtedly has many benefits, the technology’s potential to change the way we work forever can feel unnerving. This episode of Engineering Reimagined features some of the brightest minds in the industry who spoke on a recent panel about what keeps them up at night about AI; the ethics around usage and data privacy; and the risks and benefits that organisations need to be aware of.

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Find out why AI technologies should be considered an asset, not a threat. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Aurecon’s Dave Mackenzie speaks with Andriy Mulyar from Nomic. Together they discuss how emerging AI technologies are being adopted within industries to increase workflow and professional expertise, how generative AI programs source and collate their responses and what causes an AI ‘hallucination’.

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What role does purified recycled water (PRW) play in addressing water security? Andrew Salveson from Carollo Engineers speaks with Aurecon’s Ryan Signor in this episode of Engineering Reimagined. They discuss the challenges faced in establishing PRW schemes, how machine learning can play a part in PRW and why communities should act now to stay ahead of a potential water crisis.

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In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Change Program Director, at the Grattan Institute, spoke to Aurecon professionals, including Paul Gleeson, Aurecon’s Managing Director, Energy ANZ and Group Director, Sustainability, about the economics of the energy transition – the challenges and opportunities for Australia and beyond.   

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Mandatory climate disclosure reporting laws for large organisations currently exist in many jurisdictions and are about to be introduced into Australia. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Jeremy Cooper, Belinda Wade and Ryan Isaacs explore the challenges and opportunities of this mandatory reporting and the real potential for large companies and superannuation funds to help shape the decisions which influence the progression and impacts of climate change.

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In this episode, Olympic Gold Medalist Taryn Woods speaks with Christine McLoughlin AM, Chair and Co-Founder of the Minerva Network. Together they share the inspiration behind their career choices and why visibility of female role models is so important, the lessons they have learned from overcoming adversity, and the evolution of female representation in the workplace. 

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Getting valuable career advice can be life changing. To kick of season 6 of Engineering Reimagined, hear from three Aurecon professionals, each at very different stages in their careers. Lucia Fernandez, Louise Adams and Luke Morcom share how and why they set their career paths in motion, tips for navigating the ups and downs, and what they’ve learned about developing leadership skills along the way.

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That’s a wrap for season five of Engineering Reimagined. It’s no coincidence that in 2023 a key recurring theme was climate change. Listen to highlights of some of our most popular episodes and explore how we can transition to a more sustainable future.

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Managing heat is becoming a major climate challenge across the globe. The relatively new role of Chief Heat Officer has therefore never been more important and is gaining traction in many cities. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, City of Melbourne Chief Heat officers Krista Milne and Tiffany Crawford talk with Aurecon’s Michael Nolan about how they’re working towards keeping the city cool and protecting people, places and the planet. 

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The circular economy can be a significant enabler of a sustainable future through shifting away from our traditional linear approach of ‘take, make, dispose’ to a circular one of ‘design out, retain, regenerate’. Aurecon’s Jodie Bricout, talks to the CEO of ReLondon, Wayne Hubbard, and the Co-Founder and Managing Director of XFrame, Carsten Dethlefsen, about what they are doing to accelerate the adoption of a circular economy. 

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If you could change one thing about the world right now, what would it be? In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, our recent podcast guests their diverse perspectives with Aurecon civil engineer Ben Marsh. They discuss their ideas for creating a more sustainable future, be it environmental sustainability or social sustainability.

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Transport infrastructure can empower communities economically, environmentally and socially, by creating opportunity, equity and access to employment, housing, services and connections. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Aurecon’s Allison Heller speaks with two chief transport planners – Simon Hunter from Transport for NSW and Paul Glucina from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. They discuss the importance of aligning central government, local government, and the private sector to maximise investment and achieve better outcomes from major transport infrastructure.

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Have you wondered if you could green your career? Tom Wainwright from Climateworks joins Aurecon’s Jenni Philippe to talk about how they have both transitioned to careers in sustainability and the role innovation plays in developing the circular economy. 

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Join us for a candid conversation on Engineering Reimagined with Aurecon’s Nancy Francis and the Australian Department of Defence’s Mardi Jarvis talking about the importance of culture for shifting diversity, the challenges of single parenthood while juggling a busy career and everything in between. Inkling CEO and organisational psychologist Sophie Hampel explains what people of all genders can do to create impact and the pathways created for women though the Defence Aurecon Ascend Program. 

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Passivhaus is a voluntary standard for design and construction that provides a template for ultra–low energy buildings that support high levels of occupant comfort, energy efficiency and resilience to future climate changes. In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Aurecon’s Pablo Sepulveda speaks with Architect and founder of the Passive House Network, Bronwyn Barry, about how and why she is a champion of Passivhaus, the impact it’s having on global design and the challenges it faces in becoming an industry standard around the world.

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What happens when you need to start thinking like an infrastructure company rather than a telecommunications service provider? Aurecon's Simon McFadden, speaks to Amplitel CEO Jon Lipton about creating a national specialist tower company following the partial sale of Telstra’s tower business. Find out how Amplitel is developing a digital twin network across its 8,000 tower sites and investing in new tower technology, particularly with the emerging rollout of 6G.

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How can we get ready for Connected Automated Vehicles? In this episode of Engineering Reimagined, Aurecon's Terry Lee-Williams, spoke with Megan and Cathal Masterson about the challenges and strategies they’re considering as we adapt to the future of transport.

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7-year-old Ashley shares his hopes for the future with his Mum, Suneiah Cullen, who is a Principal Advisor – Transformation for Aurecon. Listen to their conversation to see what the future generation thinks can be done to help solve arguably the most wicked problem our world currently faces: climate change.   

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Listen to some of our favourite moments from season 4 of Engineering Reimagined. We’ll explain antifragility and how a simple tool can reduce anxiety and release your potential, we’ll examine how some organisations are seeking to go beyond ‘net zero carbon’ to become ‘nature positive’ and we’ll look at the future of airports and how they can provide a cleaner, greener, and seamless passenger experience.

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By 2030, 25% of the female population will be menopausal - the fastest growing demographic in the workplace. If you are female, a leader, colleague, family member or friend of a female, you need to understand what menopause means for you and those around you. Aurecon’s Penny Rush introduces bestselling author Niki Bezzant to share her research. 

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We will all experience accessibility issues at some point in our lives. Two Paralympians who share a passion for universal design – Nick Morris and James Millar – discuss how we can design for better accessibility and inclusion. 

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How can we influence biodiverse and climate positive decision-making for infrastructure design and development? Aurecon’s Nicolas Price talks with Kate Newman from the World Wildlife Fund about the Sustainable Infrastructure Strategic Framework and the greener future it will help create. 

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Jessica Holz, speaks with Dr Adrian Ward about Accounting for Nature’s methodology for measuring environmental health, understanding that accounting for our impact on nature is an opportunity to go one step further in caring for our planet. 

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Olympic bronze medallist Jane Waldburger speaks with Dr Sarah Kelly OAM about the revolution in women’s sport and the positive social change this new wave of female role models can inspire within business and communities. 

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Explore the future of travel and how airports are being reimagined to help us to fly seamlessly and sustainably into the future with Brisbane Airport’s Ryan Both and Aurecon’s Erik Kriel. 

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As communities and countries set net zero carbon goals and rethink the use of resources, can we achieve a circular economy? Aurecon’s John Poon talks with Sarah Thomson from Goulburn Valley Water about how a collaborative approach is making the ‘step-change’ required to achieve a circular future.

Find us online at aurecongroup.com/podcast or email us at engineeringreimagined@aurecongroup.com. 

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