At IPWEA NZ’s 34th AGM on Friday 24th September, the members elected outgoing President Myles Lind as a Life Member, in recognition of his particularly outstanding and distinguished service to IPWEA NZ and to public asset engineering and management, both in Aotearoa and internationally.
A Chartered Professional Engineer by trade, Myles has a Bachelor of engineering (Hons) and Certificate of Management. Myles’ career has seen him hold a variety of senior leadership roles, including Manager of Asset Management at Queenstown Lakes District Council; Compliance and Performance Manager, Watercare Services; General Manager Water Services, Franklin District Council; Asset Planning, Metrowater; Senior Engineer, MWH Consultants and currently Director of Asset Management at Auckland Transport.
His career has focused on delivering high-quality and customer-focused management of public infrastructure. He has extensive expertise in the analysis, management and compliance of public infrastructure, including advising central government. Myles is the former Chair of Canadian industry training company National Asset Management Services. He has been an Engineering New Zealand competence assessor since 2013 and has mentored many young engineering professionals.
Myles has held various roles within the IPWEA NZ whanau, including:
- IPWEA NZ Board June 2015 – September 2021
- IPWEA NZ Vice President: June 2017 – June 2019
- IPWEA NZ President: June 2019 – September 2021
- Current IPWEA Australasia Vice President and President Elect
- NAMS Group Limited Director: December 2018 – March 2020
- IPWEA Board Member and A&R Committee Chair: September 2017-present
- NAMS Canada Director: February 2019 – September 2021
- NAMS Canada Chair: December 2019 – May 2021.
Myles is a also a Member of the Institute of Directors; Water New Zealand; and became a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand in February 2021.
Myles’ other industry involvements include: Chair of New Zealand Utilities Advisory Group; Chair of Three Waters Transparency, Accountability and Financial Management Group and currently a committee member of the Playwrights Association of NZ.
Myles has provided strong leadership to IPWEA NZ, and support to our member engineers, asset managers, planners and related professionals to raise and grow the capability and profile of this organisation. His other specialisation as a playwright, has shone through, with his fortnightly Presidents Column in the eNews, regularly prompting emails in response from our members, expressing their enjoyment and appreciation of his writing, and just as importantly, the underlying message.
During his term as President, Myles developed and fostered close relationships with all IPWEA partners and industry, and was a prominent voice of asset management not just in NZ but around the world. Myles brought sound reasoning and innovative ideas to the board table, a future orientation and constant seeking of new opportunities for IPWEA NZ. His diligence to achieve the aims and aspirations of IPWEA NZ were always at the forefront of his mind, with a close lens on financial performance and risk metrics. He will be greatly missed for his wit and smiles at meetings!
