Exceptional young leaders and employers demonstrating a deep dedication to staff development were recognised at the Z People Awards and Connexis Civil Training and Development Awards in Invercargill this morning.
Held in front of a crowd of hundreds at ILT Stadium Southland during The Civil Contractors Conference, the awards celebrated rising stars and top employers in New Zealand’s civil infrastructure construction industry.
Dylan Fraser of Fulton Hogan was crowned the Z Emerging Leader, in recognition of his outstanding leadership skills and impressive character.
In just six years, the Wellington local progressed from graduate trainee to a contracting divisional manager with responsibility for a team of 100 staff across four departments in the Wellington region, an impressive achievement for someone under the age of 30.
The judges, Civil Contractors New Zealand President Bailey Gair and Commercial Customer Manager Genevieve Mc Nicholl of Z, recognised Mr Fraser’s authentic, brave and insightful approach, commenting that he was setting new standards in leadership.
“Dylan strikes the tough balance between striving for results and understanding the care and importance of engaging his team in what matters, all of which is needed to truly create a high-performance culture.”
Jethro Staite of Brian Perry Civil won the Z Personal Improvement Award, which recognises exceptional devotion to personal professional development and the support of their peers.
Starting in the industry as a labourer, then working his way up to managing large teams on high profile projects, Mr Staite is now supervising a multi-million-dollar upgrade of the Waikanae Water Treatment Plant.
The judges recognised Mr Staite’s willingness to take on a challenge and the ambition he has for himself, his team and the industry. They also cited a host of examples of his work ethic and dedication to delivering the highest quality work.
“Personal improvement is all about working towards something, having a goal and a vision, and focusing on how to get better and bringing people along as you succeed. Jethro, you’ve nailed it.”
The winners each secured themselves a Southland-made trophy crafted from recycled rimu and schist from Z, $1,000 from CCNZ and one year’s subscription to Contractor Magazine. As winner of the Emerging Leader award, Mr Fraser also received the ‘Dr Dave Memorial Trophy', named in memory of Dr Dave Hutchison, an outstanding person who was responsible for helping many young people build their skills and find success in their careers.
This morning’s awards presentation also included the coveted Connexis Civil Training and Development Awards, recognising employers’ commitments to training and development of their staff through internal training programmes, and providing opportunities to take up nationally recognised qualifications.
Nationwide employer HEB Construction was again honoured with the award for companies with turnover over $100m and alliance projects for its holistic approach to growing its people’s capability with an extensive training programme providing work, life and cultural skills. HEB received the same award in 2023, demonstrating a clear commitment to continuous learning and development.
Rotorua business InfraCore received the award for companies with turnover between $10m and $100m. Judges CCNZ Vice-President David Howard, Connexis National Field Team Manager Fiona Malloch and General Manager Customer Engagement Andrew Harland recognised the company’s work with schools to develop future potential employees. With a comprehensive structured training programme featuring weekly study groups and mentors for every trainee, all InfraCore’s apprentices have completed a third of their apprenticeship requirements every year.
Morrinsville civil construction company Odlum Group won the award for companies with turnover up to $10m. The judges noted the company’s dedication to creating a strong workplace culture and nurturing its team’s development through internal training.
Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Alan Pollard saluted the award winners for their standout contributions to the industry.
“These individuals and companies are flag bearers for the civil construction industry, they deserve their chance to shine and we should all join in celebrating their efforts. By lifting their game, they help all of us lift ours.”
Fiona Morton of Z echoed his sentiments, highlighting the importance of celebrating emerging talent and supporting their development.
“It’s fantastic to see such promising leaders and forward-thinking employers paving the way for the future of our industry.”
Connexis Executive Director Kaarin Gaukrodger said Connexis was proud to support an awards programme celebrating employers investing in their staff and helping them grow their skills and capability.
“We are thrilled to honour these outstanding nominees. Their commitment to workforce development through creating a culture of training not only strengthens their own companies but supports the sustainability of the wider infrastructure industry.”
Award recipients: Z People Awards 2024
Z Emerging Leader Award
Winner: Dylan Fraser of Fulton Hogan
The Z Emerging Leader Award is given to people under the age of 30 years who have innovated, impressed and made a positive impact on the industry and their employer as well as demonstrating strong leadership qualities and a well-rounded character.
With a degree in biochemistry Dyan Fraser was fascinated with how and why things work. Rather than taking an academic route he decided to pursue a practical path and get his hands on the tools of the trade in 2017.
As a 22-year-old Mr Fraser set himself a five-year goal: to be a divisional manager within five years. He succeeded in his goal and is now responsible for 100 staff in the Wellington region.
Mr Fraser encourages curiosity in his teams, typically posing more questions than answers and encouraging team members to find, and own, their answers.
“Knowing it is possible to make a difference to someone’s life simply by listening, observing and supporting is a wonderful thing,” he said.
Highly commended: Nic Ganly of CB Civil
Nic Ganly has been with CB Civil since 2022 and thrives on new experiences, holding both project engineer and project manager roles and recently stepping up into his first contractor representative role.
He is a talented engineer who has just completed his Master of Engineering Project Management while working full-time. He strives for excellence in everything he does, mentors team members and is active in organising and engaging in networking within the industry.
In 2023, Mr Ganly was recognised as Engineer of the Year at the CCNZ Waikato Hynds Construction Awards for showcasing exceptional engineering and leadership skills, as well as his focus on mentoring and giving back to the industry.
Z Personal Improvement Award
Winner: Jethro Staite of Brian Perry Civil
The Z Personal Improvement Award recognises how an individual has committed themselves to ongoing training and development to better themselves and benefit their employer.
Jethro Staite started off as a labourer for Brian Perry Civil on the Mackays to Peka Peka expressway. After rapid progression and promotion he is now supervising a multi-million-dollar upgrade of the Waikanae Water Treatment Plant.
A year after getting involved in the expressway project he was managing a team of four, seizing the opportunity to help with the Kaikōura rebuild project saw him managing 10 people building seawalls, and joining the Peka Peka to Ōtaki expressway project saw him managing a crew of 16.
Mr Staite’s goal is to continue to grow his skillset and develop his leadership experience, to equip himself to step up to a superintendent role on a major project and leave a legacy for generations to come.
Highly commended: Andrew Kersten of HEB Construction
Andrew Kersten is a supervisor at the Takitimu North Link four-lane expressway and was raised in a family steeped in the civil construction industry and renowned for its strong work ethic.
Before joining HEB he developed a range of skills working for a civil contractor after school, followed by dairy farming, agricultural contracting and then a quarry manager position, which provided him with valuable management experience and solidified his reputation as a leader.
Mr Kersten has continually sought to expand his skillset and knowledge base, seizing every opportunity for growth that has come his way. His ability to lead and inspire, coupled with his dedication to excellence, has earned him the admiration of colleagues and superiors alike.
Winners: Connexis Civil Training and Development Awards 2024
Civil Training and Development Award for companies with turnover over $100m and alliance projects
Winner: HEB Construction
HEB’s Learning and Development team’s holistic approach to training goes far above the traditional role-specific approach. It also incorporates life skills, workplace safety, literacy and numeracy, wellbeing, cultural education, pastoral care and formal industry qualifications, as well as comprehensive career development programmes.
A key aspect of HEB's training strategy is its strong focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, ensuring all members of its workforce are supported to achieve their full potential, and especially those who may have struggled in traditional educational settings.
The positive flow on effect of these training programmes extend beyond the workplace, benefiting the families HEB employees and the communities they live in.
Civil Training and Development Award for companies with turnover between $10m and $100m
Winner: InfraCore
InfraCore partners with local community groups, government departments and the Department of Corrections to introduce people to trades and job opportunities in civil construction, offering candidates a two-week exposure to various parts of their business. All candidates have mentors to ensure they are learning the required skills and getting sufficient exposure to tasks. The scheme has been highly successful with almost 50% of candidates employed to date.
InfraCore's managers see training as an integral part of the business and 20% of staff are enrolled in apprenticeships. The company boasts an apprentice retention rate of 95%.
A weekly study group allows assignments to be discussed and questioned, eliminating uncertainty and allowing trainees to understand the task at hand with practical examples offered to support the theory involved.
Civil Training and Development Award for companies with turnover up to $10m
Winner: Odlum Group
Odlum Group operates on the basis that every individual has the potential to succeed in a nurturing and encouraging environment.
The family-owned company understands the importance of creating a sense of belonging in the workplace and fosters a positive team environment to enable this.
Odlum Group’s employees are supported in their career journey with in-house educators offering a range of training and development programmes, including first-aid courses and vehicle and machinery licensing, right through to Connexis qualifications and leadership programmes. On-the-job mentorship is standard for staff and the company is dedicated to continuously developing its staff’s knowledge and qualifications.