Our people

Chairperson and Engineers Australia Representative

FIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus) RPEQ

Suzanne Burow joined the Board in 2019 as the Elected representative. In August 2022, she became Deputy chairperson and Engineers Australia representative.

Ms Burow is a chartered and registered civil engineer with considerable experience as a practitioner in water resources engineering in various sectors across the industry. Ms Burow is currently a consulting engineer in the private sector and has served as President of the Queensland Division of Engineers Australia.

Ms Burow also serves as a Director on the Gladstone Area Water Board, a Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority located in Central Queensland.

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Deputy Chairperson and Academic Representative

BEng, BSc(Psych), MBA, PhD, CEng, CPEng, CPErg, MIChemE, FIEAust, RPEQ

Dr Hassall joined the Board in 2019 as the academic representative. She is a chartered and registered chemical engineer and has a PhD in cognitive systems engineering.

Dr Hassall is an associate professor of chemical engineering and the director of UQ R!SK at the University of Queensland. Her research, teaching and consulting work focuses on using leading-edge systems thinking, technology, engineering and human factors approaches to deliver evidence-based innovations in risk management and process and systems safety.

Dr Hassall’s academic endeavours are informed by 30 years of working for and with resources, chemical, energy, manufacturing and major contracting companies in Australia, New Zealand and North America.

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Building and Construction Industry Representative

Emma McCaughey has 20 years’ engineering experience in the construction sector, is a Chartered Engineer with Engineers Australia and RPEQ. She demonstrates industry commitment through project delivery, business development and her personal values.

Head of Client and Strategy for CPB Contractors QLD and PNG Business Unit, Emma oversees the development, communication and execution of strategic initiatives for the business across all industry sectors.

Passionate about diversity and inclusion, Emma’s business and industry appointments include President of NAWIC Queensland 2024-25, CPB Women’s Advisory Board and a number of Government led councils and committees. She is an award-winning mentor, panelist and contributor to industry and government.

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Elected RPEQ Representative

FIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus) RPEQ

Colin Sheldon joins the Board in 2025 as the Elected representative. He is a chartered and registered mechanical engineer with more than 13 years of experience across the rail, resources, utilities, heavy industry manufacturing and defence sectors.

Colin is currently a consulting Manager at Aurecon, with a focus on the management of critical infrastructure and assets across Australia. Prior to this, Mr Sheldon held roles at a Big Four consulting firm, a smaller asset management consultancy, and a major mining company.

Colin currently serves as Chair of the Mechanical College Board and as a National Congress delegate of Engineers Australia, is a member of the Standards Australia Board Committee SDAC, and was appointed to NATA’s Inspection Accreditation Advisory Committee.

Mr Sheldon has a Bachelor of Engineering – Mechanical (Hons I) from The University of Queensland. 

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Community Representative

GCSocSC(IL), BA (M&C), AD(CE), MAICD MAIGM AMICDA

Mr John Anderson is a respected Aboriginal Elder, tertiary qualified with extensive board and leadership experience.

He is Deputy Chair of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, and Chair of Coexistence Queensland. Additionally, Mr Anderson is a sole trader and Executive Director of Pi-CaTS Pty Ltd since 2005 following a 30-year career with Queensland Government including the then Queensland Transport and Main Roads, and the Rail and Ports Division of Queensland Transport throughout Central West, South West, and South East Queensland.

Mr Anderson is a former Toowoomba-based Regional Manager (Cultural Heritage) of the then Department of Environment and Heritage. He is also a former Federal Council Member of the Australian Council of Trade Unions through his membership of the Community and Public Sector Trade Union (State Public Services Federation Queensland) and was active in the public sector trade union movement representing Indigenous worker rights locally, nationally, and internationally.

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Regional Representative 

Suzanne Brown joined the Board in 2024 as the Regional Representative.

She is a registered civil engineer (RPEQ) who grew up and went to university in Rockhampton. She is now working for Bundaberg Regional Council.

Prior to working for council, Ms Brown worked for the state government in the Department of Transport and Main Roads. She has a particular interest in asset management focussing on the rehabilitation of road and drainage infrastructure. Suzanne has a special interest in rehabilitating heritage listed bridges and is committed to providing sustainable solutions for public infrastructure.

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Legal Representative 

Kirsty Smith is a partner in Holding Redlich’s Construction, Infrastructure and Projects Team, specialising in the resolution of disputes.

She has more than 16 years of experience in litigation, expert determination, mediation and arbitration concerning a wide range of issues on construction projects that often lead to complex negotiations, disputes and settlements.

Ms Smith works as part of a specialised team to successfully achieve objectives set by clients, including coordinating high pressure adjudication proceedings and advising clients throughout the delivery of their projects. The successful outcomes she achieves for her clients are founded on her understanding and interest in the business strategies and goals of her clients and the projects they are undertaking, as well as her pragmatic approach to overcoming obstacles. She operates across all jurisdictions in Australia for contractors, consultants and principals, including government.

Ms Smith has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Creative Writing) from the Queensland University of Technology.

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