SPEAKERS

Laurie Johnson is an internationally recognized urban planner specializing in disaster recovery and catastrophe risk management. For over 35 years, she has combined her unique blend of professional practice and research in earth science, urban planning and public policy to help communities, the insurance industry and other organizations address the complex challenges posed by natural hazards and disasters. Much of her community recovery management and research experience is captured in her book, After Great Disasters: An In-Depth Analysis of How Six Countries Managed Community Recovery. She was the 2019-2022 president of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and 2012-2018 chair of the U.S. Advisory Committee for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, and currently chairs the Advisory Board for the Global Earthquake Model Foundation. In 2024, she received EERI’s Alfred E. Alquist Special Recognition Medal for her extensive work and dedication in improving the seismic safety and resilience of communities around the world.

Santiago Pujol is Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Canterbury. Prior to moving to New Zealand, he was Professor of Civil Engineering at the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University. His experience includes: earthquake engineering, evaluation and strengthening of existing structures, response of reinforced concrete to impulsive loads and earthquake demands, instrumentation and testing of structures, and failure investigations. He is a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), and member of ACI committees 445 (Torsion and Shear), 314 (Simplified Design), 133 (Disaster Reconnaissance), and 318R (High-Strength Reinforcement). He is also member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), associate editor of Earthquake Spectra, and founder of datacenterhub.org (a site funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and dedicated to the systematic collection of research data). He received the Chester Paul Siess Award for Excellence in Structural Research from ACI, the Educational Award from Architectural Institute of Japan, and the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize from ASCE.

Moustafa is the Lead Advisor Structures at the New Zealand Transport Agency. He completed his PhD at the University of Auckland and his experience spans across design, assessment and research for bridges in particular and structures in general. He has experience working with codes from New Zealand, Australia, USA, Canada and Europe.His research interests include the analysis and design of seismically-isolated bridge structures for earthquake resilience using a variety of earthquake protection systems, and the design of bridge structures to a variety of international design codes. Moustafa is also committed to contribution to advancement of the engineering industry, through presentation of industry seminars and involvement in professional organisations. He is the current President of the Concrete NZ – Learned Society, is NZ Head Delegate for fib, and has ongoing involvement in technical activities within Austroads, fib, IABSE, and the TRB.

Brabha is a nationally recognised leader in geotechnical engineering and resilience who has worked in the field for over 35 years. He is National Technical Director for Geotechnical Engineering and Resilience for WSP in New Zealand and has led contributed to many of the most geotechnically complex infrastructure projects in New Zealand in this time. Brabha is the current NZSEE president. 

Assoc. Prof Julia Becker is an Associate Professor at the Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JCDR) in the School of Psychology at Massey University, Wellington. Her areas of expertise include perceptions, preparedness, community resilience, emergency management and warnings.  Her research has focussed on earthquakes as well as other perils such as flooding, volcanic and coastal hazards. 

Charlotte is Joint Managing Director of ResOrgs, a research, consulting and training group helping organisations, groups and communities to be future ready.  As a social scientist with a civil engineering background, Charlotte often works at the interface between physical and social sciences.  Charlotte’s areas of specialty include risk management, systems thinking, decision-making and organisational resilience.  Charlotte also has particular strengths in the practical application and communication of research.  Charlotte is an Adjunct Fellow with the Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.  

Jeff, with more than two decades in building regulatory roles, leads the Auckland Council building inspection team. Annually, his team conducts over 200,000 inspections, offering valuable insights into construction quality across Auckland. Jeff is also a Tier 1 Building Response Manager who manages rapid building assessment operations after disaster events. He is currently sitting on the board for the Chartered Professional Engineers (CPEng) and the Building Officials Institute of NZ (BOINZ). He also sits on the Building Research Advisory Council (BRAC) and is a member of the Association of Building Compliance.

Brandon is a Senior Bridge Engineer at WSP in Christchurch. After completing his doctorate related to the seismic design of bridges, he has accumulated extensive experience in bridge design and construction. With a deep understanding of seismic design principles and hands-on experience from the Kaikoura Earthquake in New Zealand, Brandon is dedicated to advancing systems that enhance the seismic performance of bridge infrastructure.

Hamish McKenzie is Industry Engagement Lead and Principal at Holmes with nearly 30 years of experience as a consultant structural engineer over half of that based in Wellington.  He is a Chartered Professional Engineer, Fellow of Engineering New Zealand and Life Member and Past President of the Structural Engineering Society of New Zealand.  Hamish has been involved in a multitude of structural design, earthquake engineering, seismic assessment, and adaptive re-use projects, including many well-known Wellington buildings such as Parliament Buildings, Aurora Centre, Majestic Centre and Wellington Railway Station and has advised many clients in expert and advisory roles.

Sonny Vercoe (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Tahu, Ngāti Whakaue) is an emerging Māori researcher in civil engineering dedicated to developing the seismic assessment of wharenui. Currently a PhD candidate at The University of Auckland, his research focuses on investigating the wharenui structure and current seismic assessment practice. A product of his time in kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa and marae, Sonny draws from his cultural and engineering backgrounds to contribute to and enhance the understanding of research that is particularly relevant to Māori communities.