Engineering and advisory firm Aurecon appoints Louise Adams as next CEO
Engineering and advisory firm Aurecon has appointed Louise Adams as its next group CEO, with Adams to take over from William Cox from the beginning of July after six years in the role.
Adams has been with Aurecon for the past two and a half decades both in Australia and abroad and currently serves as chief operating officer, prior to which she was chief executive for the firm’s primary business in Australia and New Zealand.
As Aurecon’s first female group CEO, Adams will now oversee a business spanning the Asia Pacific, including further outlets in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, which together host around 7,500 professionals.
“Since starting as a graduate at Aurecon 25 years ago, I’ve been fortunate to enjoy an exceptionally rewarding career, working with people and on projects across the globe,” Adams said. “This new role opens up an even larger platform for me to drive positive change for people and the planet and shape the future of Aurecon, ensuring that we stay relevant, true and successful for years to come.”
Joining Aurecon on the back of a civil engineering degree with the University of South Australia – noted as one of only two women in her graduating class – Adams then spent many years working for the firm overseas, including stints in Thailand, the UK, and UAE, the latter where she served for four years as country manager before later being appointed managing director for A/NZ.
“Louise is a globally recognised business leader with decades of experience, who has honed razor-sharp insights and strong business acumen over the last four years delivering exceptional results as the group’s COO, ” stated Aurecon chair Giam Swiegers. “This, combined with her deep expertise in Asia, will continue to enhance our people, trade and investment links across the region.”
Adams will succeed Bill Cox from the beginning of July, with Cox – who has altogether been with the firm for almost three and a half decades – credited with having helped drive record levels of company growth during his six years in charge, in an era of increasingly complex challenges around energy security, clean water, urbanisation, and climate change.
“The future is full of immense challenges, but also incredible opportunities, from combating climate change to driving technological advancements and transitioning to renewable energy,” Adams said. “In today’s world, engineering is not just a means to an end, it’s a force for good. The skills and capabilities that we uniquely bring to the table are key to providing safe and sustainable outcomes for society.”
Leadership diversity
Having previously been the first female executive director on Aurecon’s global board, Adams also expressed her pride at now becoming the firm’s first female CEO, and reiterated her commitment to championing the importance of equality in STEM. Meanwhile, her appointment follows that of Tanya de Hoog and Tracey Ryan as respectively chief engineer and New Zealand CEO.
In addition to her senior leadership roles at Aurecon, Adams was also recently appointed by the Australian government as an inaugural member of its ASEAN-Australia Centre advisory board – which also includes Mandala engagement manager Hayley Winchcombe – along with its earlier ‘Business Champions’ initiative, with Adams tasked with building trade relations with Vietnam.
“I have worked closely with Louise for a number of years and can’t think of a better person for the job,” Cox stated. “Louise has buckets of energy and a deep and intimate understanding of our industry, clients and challenges, and her expertise in Asia will advance our vision of a connected Aurecon well-positioned to respond to the immense changes occurring across the Asia Pacific.”
