McConnell Dowell selects Lysander for leadership and culture work

McConnell Dowell has tapped Lysander to deliver leadership and culture programs across Australia and Asia Pacific.

Founded 1961, McConnell Dowell is a professional engineering and construction group with around 3,600 employees working from offices in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. The Hawthorn-headquartered professional services firm has been part of Aveng (listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange) since 2003.

To support the successful delivery of two of its transport construction projects in Melbourne, McConnell Dowell has brought on board culture change consultancy Lysander.

As part of the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade in Melbourne's southeastern growth corridor, Lysander will deliver its ‘An Integrated Approach to Wellness’ solution to 22 assigned leaders at McConnell Dowell for this project.

The Melbourne-based consulting firm has also been asked to deliver the leadership and culture program for the Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road Upgrade, a key transport route in Melbourne’s outer southeastern growth corridor.

“An Integrated Approach to Wellness is an industry-first program specifically designed for the infrastructure and construction industry to promote positive mental health and prevent mental injury by changing workplace cultures and practices,” explained Kerrie Adaway, Director and Owner of Lysander.

McConnell Dowell piloted the program at Mordialloc Freeway Joint Venture with WorkSafe Victoria, Decmil and Swinburne University of Technology, with much success – the program led to 46% improvement in depression, 34% improvement in stress and 41% improvement in burnout across 12 months.

“We are therefore delighted to build on the pilot and continue our partnership with McConnell Dowell,” said Adaway.

Scott Cummins, Chief Executive Officer at McConnell Dowell, added: “We saw genuine change in individuals and leadership development that was profound and impactful. I’m looking forward to the same transformation in our teams at Narre Warren-Cranbourne and Healesville-Koo Wee Rup projects.”

Elsewhere within the engineering group, Lysander has been hired to provide executive coaching sessions and team cohesion workshops with team members in McConnell Dowell’s offices in New Zealand and Singapore.