Pedram Danesh-Mand

Pedram Danesh-MandSep 11, 2026

🎉 Celebrating Gaye Francis - Risk Engineer Achievement Award Winner of Year 2026!! The Risk Engineering Society (RES) of Engineers Australia proudly congratulates Gaye Francis, recipient of the Risk Engineer Achievement Award 2026. RES also congratulates all finalists who are WINNERS too - thank you for your contributions to our profession and society: Trish Kerin, Josh Watkin, Rene Burkart, Astrid Kauffman, Gaye Francis and Dr Kevin J. Foster PhD CPEng NER FIEAust F.ISRM LifeM.ASIS Int. For more than 25 years, Gaye has made an outstanding contribution to the fprofession, helping organisations make safer, more informed and more resilient decisions. Her work has spanned infrastructure, transport, aviation, mining, water, and marine projects, where she has consistently championed the principles of engineering due diligence, governance and risk engineering. As Managing Director of R2A Due Diligence Engineers, Gaye has played a leading role in advancing the profession through consulting, education, publications, safety initiatives, conferences, and mentoring of future engineers. She is a co-author of key industry publications on engineering due diligence and has contributed extensively to committees, safety guidelines, public safety, and women's participation in engineering. The engineering profession advances because of individuals like Gaye who choose to contribute beyond their day-to-day roles. Whether through mentoring young professionals, sharing knowledge, developing industry guidance, volunteering with professional bodies, supporting diversity and inclusion, or helping shape better practice, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. As engineers, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to contribute to our profession and society. By sharing our knowledge and experience, we help build safer infrastructure, stronger organisations, better decision-making, and a more resilient future for our communities. Today's challenges, from climate resilience and energy transition to cyber security, infrastructure reliability and emerging technologies, require risk professionals who are willing to lead, collaborate and give back. Join Us at RISK2027 - we are delighted that Gaye Francis, together with several previous recipients of Risk Engineer awards, will be participating in the RISK2027 Conference, to be held in August 2027 in Parramatta, Sydney - stay tuned, more exciting news shortly! RISK2027 will bring together leaders from infrastructure, energy, transport, government, defence, insurance, academia and industry to share lessons, insights and innovations in risk engineering and decision-making. Together, let's celebrate excellence, learn from industry leaders, and continue building a safer, more resilient tomorrow. 👏 Congratulations again to Gaye Francis, Risk Engineer Achievement Award Winner 2026! A truly deserving recognition of an exceptional career and contribution to our profession. Well done, Gaye! 😊 👍

Pedram Danesh-MandSep 14, 2026

Last week's fire at Tungatinah Power Station in Tasmania is a sobering reminder of how critical infrastructure can be impacted by a single unexpected event. The station has suffered extensive damage, with the powerhouse building expected to require demolition while further assessments determine the condition of the generating equipment. While public attention naturally focuses on the cause of an incident, the reality is that the recovery effort often becomes a major programme in its own right. Unfortunately, I have previously been involved in the aftermath of another major fire at a power generation facility and understand first-hand the scale and complexity of the journey ahead - we had a P6 schedule with 9000 activities and 10 pages of risk register! Before decisions can be made on repairing, rebuilding or modernising the facility, engineers and specialists must safely access the site, assess structural integrity, investigate condition of turbines, generators, transformers and electrical systems, quantify losses, evaluate recovery options, manage insurance claims, and assess legal matters for developing an action plan. Events such as this highlight the important role of risk engineering. Risk engineering is not only about identifying what can go wrong. It is also about improving resilience, supporting optimum recovery, informing critical investment decisions and helping organisations rebuild stronger and more resilient than before. Having started my career in hydraulic and structural engineering before moving into risk engineering, I have always had a passion for the hydroelectric sector. These assets are far more than power stations. They represent decades of engineering innovation, investment and commitment from the people who design, operate and maintain them. Our thoughts are with the Hydro Tasmania employees, operators, engineers, contractors and their families who have been affected by this significant incident. For many, facilities such as Tungatinah are more than infrastructure. They are workplaces, communities and an important part of their professional lives. As we continue to navigate increasingly complex infrastructure challenges, discussions around asset resilience, critical infrastructure risk, recovery planning and project assurance have never been more relevant. These are types of topics the risk engineering profession will explore at RISK2027, to be held in August 2027 in Parramatta, Sydney. One of the strengths of our profession is sharing lessons from real events to improve the resilience of future infrastructure. I hope the industry will have an opportunity to share lessons and insights from Tungatinah at RISK2027. More information on RISK2027 will be announced soon. Hydro Tasmania | Queensland Hydro | Snowy Hydro | International Hydropower Association (IHA) | Engineers Australia | Risk Engineering Society (RES) Note: images from Tasmania Police, Pulse Tasmania, and few personal photos from another power station

Pedram Danesh-MandSep 27, 2026

A recent conversation with a CEO of a major asset developer and owner organisation got me thinking. The question was simple: "What are the most suitable tools and technologies available today to improve my major projects team's maturity and productivity?" The expectation was that we would discuss AI, analytics platforms, automation, predictive scheduling, and the latest technology platforms - and we did, but the more we talked, the more we found ourselves asking a different question: are we solving the right productivity problem for his team?! Many engineering and construction firms can point to examples where AI is already delivering benefits. - More reports are produced faster - Data is easier to analysed. - Risk registers can be assessed in minutes and communicated authomatically. - Project controls teams can spend less time collecting data and more time interpreting it - if they know how to do it! HOWEVER, yet productivity growth remains a challenge for many organisations (my personal experience). That led us to discuss an interesting paradox. AI may help us work faster and generate more reports, but that does not automatically and necessarily mean projects will be delivered faster. Why? Because for many E&C firms, their performance are not constrained by report writing, data analytics or dashboard production. It's actually constrained by: - Governance inefficiencies and poor (or late!) decisions - Scope creep driven by poor management of stakeholder expectations - Commitment at imature design - Inappropriate risk allocation and poor risk management - Rework - Key resources shortages and changes - Interface risks and challenges - Supply chain disruptions, and - Regulatory approvals. That raises an interesting question for our profession: "Will AI directly transform E&C traditional productivity, or will its greatest value be indirectly enabling earlier informed decisions, better risk management and better stakeholders management?" Good news - this executive and few other high profile speakers will discuss and share their experience on this specific topic at the upcoming #RISK2027 Conference, taking place in Parramatta in August 2027 - stay tuned, further details including the list of initial 20 top sepakers will be announced soon!! Is AI the solution to Australia's engineering & construction productivity challenge, or is it merely giving us better tools to address deeper organisational and delivery issues? Time will tell, regardless an exciting but challenging time is ahead! 😊👍 Thoughts and views are welcomed. Engineers Australia, Risk Engineering Society (RES)