About Āpōpō
Āpōpō – Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals Incorporated
is the lead professional association for Aotearoa New Zealand’s
infrastructure asset management community.
Āpōpō - Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals Inc
Āpōpō is our Why and our Where
Literally, Āpōpō is the night after tomorrow, inferring a balance of both the day and the night, Papatūānuku and Ranginui, the earth and the sky.
Āpōpō acknowledges our past, the present, and inspires us to raise our gaze to the future.
We do what we do today for the benefit of our present and future communities, often relying on the mahi of our predecessors.
Āpōpō is Te Reo Māori, and defines us as distinctly from Aotearoa New Zealand.
Professionals is our Who and our How
The classic definition of a professional is a member of a group with particular knowledge and skills that are necessary to perform a specific role.
Professionals are expected to maintain exemplary standards of both conduct and competency and to share a selfless common concern for the well-being of others.
We are the professionals who choose to take on the responsibility for infrastructure asset management and to gain our work satisfaction from fulfilling this responsibility to the highest level we can achieve.
Infrastructure Asset Management is our What
Infrastructure assets are the foundations of our communities – the physical things and systems most of us take for granted but which enable our quality of life, our well-being, our community purpose.
They are the things that connect us, that provide both the essentials and the pleasures of life. They serve not just the individual, but the neighbourhood, the town, the city, the region, the nation. They are enablers of equity and social cohesion, community worth and prosperity. Their nature is multi-generational, an investment made with the foresight of not only benefiting us today, but for building a better future for our children, and their children, and beyond.
Infrastructure assets have been created by our predecessors – the city engineers, county councils, the Ministry of Works, iwi, commercial enterprise, Crown entities, local government, public and private – and are being created and operated and maintained now and in the future, by the passionate experts of infrastructure asset management.
Our management of infrastructure assets is all about applying the competencies and experiences of our discipline to deliver valuable community outcomes. It is inclusive of a full lifecycle from beginning to end – from recognition of a community need, to fulfilling that need for generations to come.
Āpōpō Org Chart
More About Āpōpō
The Road to Āpōpō
Our identity has evolved over time to respond to the needs of our members.
Āpōpō Infrastructure Asset Management Professionals Inc
2023 onwards
Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia - New Zealand Division Inc (IPWEA NZ)
2013 - 2023
INGENIUM
2000 - 2013
ALGENZ
1988 - 2000
(NZ) Institute of County Engineers
1948 - 1987
Our Vision
Sustainable communities enabled by infrastructure asset management excellence.
Mission Statement
We will represent, develop and enhance the infrastructure asset management profession for Aotearoa.
Our vision and mission underpin our Board’s three strategies:
- Sustainable communities – drive infrastructure asset management as part of Aotearoa’s solution for climate adaptation, decarbonisation and waste minimisation.
- Reform support – lead the public asset sector through reforms to shape member valued outcomes and promote infrastructure asset management excellence.
- Āpōpō evolution – Ensure relevance through member value and sector engagement.
The Āpōpō Rules were last updated in April 2024 and can be downloaded below.
Our Objectives
- Uphold and improve the status of infrastructure asset management in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Promote and encourage appropriate asset management standards for all infrastructure assets.
- Advocate, on behalf of Members, to strive for asset management excellence.
- Foster the sharing of knowledge among:
- Members
- those working with infrastructure assets
- local government elected members and central government officials and others with accountability for infrastructure assets
- associations and organisations with similar objectives within Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas.
- Encourage, sponsor and promote research into all aspects of infrastructure asset management.
- Provide benefits for Members, including opportunities for continuing professional development and networking.
- Take any other action which in the opinion of the Board will be to the benefit of the public of Aotearoa New Zealand, Members, local or central government, or infrastructure asset management generally.
Annual Report
Check out our progress in achieving our vision, mission and objectives by reading our Annual Report for 2022-23.
Find our previous Annual Reports below:
Āpōpō Board
The Board is a dedicated and experienced group well regarded in our industry, who lead and advise on matters relevant to public asset engineering and management.
Gary Porteous
Client Director, Asset & Network
Performance, WSP
Gary was appointed to the Āpōpō Board in June 2018, and elected President in 2023.
Gary
has over 25 years’ experience in a range of asset management, team leadership,
governance, management and technical roles in asset management and civil
engineering projects in New Zealand, the UK and Canada. A seasoned chartered
professional engineer and consultant, Gary has held senior leadership and
advisory roles and worked with a wide range of private, public, and government
clients globally.
Gary has been a Board Member of Āpōpō since 2017, over the
last 2 years has been the Vice President and the chair of the Audit and Risk
Committee. He has been involved in the RIMS Committee since 2015
Gary is Client Director – Asset and Network Performance at
WSP, with accountability for delivering professional and engineering services
in developing and delivering infrastructure projects across the transport
sector. Gary has developed and served in a range of industry partnerships,
collaborations, and joint ventures. Gary’s work has spanned Malaysia,
Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and an extended period in Canada.
Gary is a Chartered Professional Engineer and a Fellow
member of Engineering New Zealand. He is a Certified Asset Management
Assessor (WPiAM) – CAMA and a Certified Practitioner in Asset Management –
CPAM.
Steve Browning
Director
Strategic Asset Solutions
Steve was appointed to the Āpōpō Board in September 2021, and Vice-President in 2023.
Steve is an asset management specialist with extensive experience working with infrastructure assets in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada. He enjoys providing strategic advice to asset owning organisations, utilising technology to assist optimised decision making and securing funding by helping tell the infrastructure investment story.
He has worked on all sides of the infrastructure management process and has a robust understanding of construction and maintenance, data modelling and forward works planning. Steve was the client-side Lead Asset Management Advisor for large scale PPP contracts in Canada and was the Technical Director of Asset Management for TRL in the UK.
Steve is a skilled negotiator and an experienced communicator, who has delivered asset management training to staff at all levels of organizational seniority. He is passionate about raising the profile of infrastructure asset management and is currently leading the Āpōpō training working group to develop the next generation of asset management training.
He has supported clients to create industry leading activity management plans and is an experienced investment logic mapping and business case developer. Steve has worked across the infrastructure spectrum, specializing in the transport, property and water sectors, and enjoys cross pollinating best practice from each sector.
Nicola Chisnall
Asset Manager Three Waters
Department of Corrections
Nicola was appointed to the Āpōpō Board in June 2019, and is Asset Manager Three Waters at the Department of Corrections.
Nicola has been working in and around local goverment in the three waters area for 20+ years, with the last 18 in asset management.
Nicola has been working in an environment with multiple council shareholders for the last 10 years and was Team Leader Investment Planning at Wellington Water until 2021.
George Bowman
Director
Asset BowManagement Ltd
George was appointed to the Āpōpō Board in September 2021.
Since George gained his BSc (Hons) in Geography and Environmental Management from the University of the West of England in 2015, his career has moved from strength to strength. He worked in Flood & Coastal Risk Management for the UK’s Environment Agency before moving to New Zealand, where he worked as a Flood Risk Engineer at Greater Wellington Regional Council for 2.5 years, before setting up his own consultancy, Asset BowManagement Ltd.
George will inject a new energy to the group and unleash his passions to help strengthen existing and new initiatives of Āpōpō, including:
- Growing the Āpōpō tribe;
- Countering the public works skills shortage, particularly engineering and asset management; and
- Raising the profile of Flood Protection and River Management (commonly under-represented as the 4th water). There is room to create stronger relationships with this sector, provide more sector-specific training where there is currently gaps, and convert more tamariki into river practitioners.
George has previously served time as the Branch Secretary for Wellington/Taranaki, and is part of the Āpōpō Training Working Group providing support for the AM Digital Badges.
Raveen Jaduram
Consultant
Raveen was first co-opted to the Āpōpō Board in 2020.
Raveen is on the Board of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission – Te Waihanga – and has been an independent director of Wellington Water, President and Chairman of the Water and Wastes Association (now Water New Zealand), Chairman of the Water Sector Senior Executives Forum, on the board of the Committee for Auckland, on the Steering Group of the Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum, and chair of the Centre for Infrastructure Research, University of Auckland.
Raveen completed post graduate studies in business at Stanford, Macquarie and Auckland Universities, and has also attended INSEAD. Raveen has been Chief Executive of Watercare Services Limited and has been the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Australian private water company Murrumbidgee Irrigation Limited. He has held numerous senior executive roles within the water industry in New Zealand and is regarded as a global water leader.
Tracy Massam
Asset Manager
Tamaki Regeneration Company
Asset Manager, Tamaki Regeneration Company
So excited for Āpōpō and Asset Management in Aotearoa, collectively raising our gaze to the future using assets as enablers of equity and social cohesion, community worth and prosperity.
I am passionate about asset management that help articulate and accelerate outcomes for people and their communities.
I am open minded but decisive, even when it’s difficult to ensure what is needed – gets done, acting in the best interests of the organisation, always at the speed of trust.
As Pou Herenga Whai Rawa – Asset Manager for Tamaki Regeneration Company I hold a diverse and rich set of skills and life experiences, some from over 15 year’s in Asset Management Planning.
I enjoy exploring possibilities and looking for new opportunities and have thoroughly enjoyed taking on governance roles over the last 4 years. I am currently the Board Chair of Te Hononga Akoranga COMET which is an Auckland Council CCO on a mission to drive systems change to make education and skills more effective and equitable.
Values alignment is important and I choose carefully who I work and partner with, I would be a proud board member of Apopo helping to steer the organizational waka towards a shared, sustainable tomorrow.
E: Tracy Massam
Kristina Hermens
Business Director
Three Waters
Kristina is a Business Director (Three Waters) at Beca. She has worked in asset and project management roles in consultancy and local government for the past 20 years.
Kristina is passionate about helping our communities to prosper and thrive by providing public infrastructure which is tailored to meet their needs.
Kristina finds this an exciting time to be working in the government sector and as the sector transforms over the next few years. Sound asset management practice by well-trained and experienced practitioners will be of utmost importance. Āpōpō has the opportunity to lead and support the industry to take asset management practice to the next level and she looks forward to being part of this journey.
Kelly Churchill
National Performance Manager
Fulton Hogan
I am a Chartered Professional Engineer, working as National Performance Manager for Fulton Hogan. I have been working in our industry for more than 20 years, spanning surveying, engineering design and economics, contract and project management, and the last 7 years in Contracting / Asset Management. In this time, I have successfully led a state highway outcomes-based contract before moving into my national role, and over this time been involved extensively with boards.
In the last year I have participated as Fulton Hogan alternate to the Combined NOC Board as well and the Wellington Transport Alliance Board. In 2022 I was awarded the IPWEA Emerging Governance scholarship, resulting in the opportunity to complete the IOD Company Directors Course. The course has provided me great insight into effective boards, using strategy to provide direction and focus, ensuring there is diversity of thought, skills, and equity at the board table.
I am passionate about using end user / customer insights to make informed decisions about the way we maintain our assets. I am a firm believer in embracing diversity of thought, innovation and technology to deliver sustainable outcomes. I would bring my unique and varied experience, skills, contracting perspective and passion about asset management in contracting and maintenance to the Āpōpō board.
Parvati Patel
Asset Planning Team Leader
Hamilton City Council
Parvati Patel is the Asset Planning Team Leader at Hamilton City Council, looking after asset management of the Three Waters.
She has worked in the local government space for over 20 years, primarily in Three Waters with experience in operations, compliance, project management and asset management over the last 10 years.
Recently she has been involved with the DIA in developing AMPs for the Waikato area. She’s enjoying being in the industry and sees the changes as opportunities to grow and make sure asset management is forefront to the success of any changes that do occur in the Waters Industry.
Darren de Klerk
Business Director
Beca
Raj Suppiah
Group Manager
Corporate, Tararua District Council
Raj was appointed to the Āpōpō Board in June 2019.
E: Raj Suppiah
James Thorne
Senior Water Engineer & Asset Manager, WSP
James is Branch Chair for Upper South Island. He's a civil engineer and asset manager from Christchurch.
For most of his 16-year career, James has been supporting Councils in the South Island with water sector infrastructure decision-making. He wants to ensure that the region remains active at a local level and is well represented at a national level. He'd like to see infrastructure professionals embracing and stepping into asset management and sharing their collective wisdom and practice. James loves the challenge of solving complex problems (technical, social, financial, environmental, etc.). He also loves how our public infrastructure is making communities better.
E: James Thorne
Quinton Penniall
Environmental Engineering Manager, Central Otago District Council
Quinton was appointed to the Āpōpō Board in September 2021.
Currently living in Cromwell with my wife and our two dogs, I am passionate about public infrastructure – it is instrumental in helping communities prosper and thrive now and into the future, mindful that it’s my future too.
I have understood the value of Āpōpō since I presented as a graduate at an Otago Southland Branch meeting. I have been an advocate for the network throughout my career, including in my current role as Environmental Engineering Manager at Central Otago District Council.
It is in that context I seek your support to represent you as Otago Southland Branch Chair.
I will bring a combination of youth, passion and pragmatism. My private and public sector experience has taught me successful relationships will be critical to advancing our objectives and effectively participate during a time of unprecedented change.
As we enter the most significant reforms in a generation my focus will be on enabling all members (young and less young!) to share knowledge and engage, ensuring we keep challenging ourselves and the industry we’re responsible for as it transforms. We will celebrate successes and create a safe space to talk about mistakes too, because that learning is a major component in getting things right.
Āpōpō Staff
We’re a team of seven, based in Wellington.
Sarah Hosford
e: sarah.hosford@apopo.co.nz
m: +64 (0) 21 169 2678
Membership Administration
Finance and Accounts
e: accounts@apopo.co.nz
m: +64 22 428 5896
Training Administration
Āpōpō Branches
Our five regionally-based Āpōpō branches are your local connection to our asset management profession. Each branch hosts regular knowledge-sharing events and networking opportunities to meet with peers and colleagues, and share the challenges and opportunities as we strive for publc asset management excellence for all our communities. View a map of the branch areas.
Āpōpō Community
The Āpōpō community consists of four Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and our independent subsidiary company (IDS). Āpōpō is also a member of ELF, the Engineer Leadership Forum.
Each SIG’s committee of asset management practitioners is talented and passionately focused on their specialist areas of interest. Our SIGs provide Āpōpō with technical, operational and strategic expertise and experience to guide and contribute to the development of our professional development programmes, products and events.
LDEG
The Land Development Engineering Group (LDEG) provides leadership and strategic advice on best practice to the New Zealand Land Development Engineering industry.
RIMS
Roading Infrastructure Management Support Group (RIMS) is New Zealand’s authoritative voice on road asset and information management.
NAMS
National Asset Management Support (NAMS) provides technical guidance and support for anyone managing community and infrastructure assets in NZ and worldwide.
Wai Kotahi
Wai Kotahi (embracing water as one) focuses on best practice asset management for water infrastructure and services, and on supporting practitioners through the water reform transition.
IDS
Infrastructure Decision Support (IDS) provides evidence-based strategic support to asset infrastructure management professionals and councils around the country.
ELF
The Engineering Leadership Forum (ELF) provides an opportunity for the CEO and senior executives of member organisations to discuss current issues and where possible coordinate activities and assist one another.
