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

Ms Hickey is currently the General Manager Precontracts with McConnell Dowell and was previously the Precontracts Manager for Infrastructure at John Holland, one of Australia’s largest construction contractors. She has close to 15 years’ experience in the construction industry.

With degrees in Civil Engineering, Marketing and Public Relations, Loren is a work-winning professional with experience across the civil infrastructure, building, rail, natural resources, energy and property development sectors throughout Australia.

Loren is currently the Deputy Chair of the Infrastructure Association of Queensland (IAQ) and a Board Director for the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC).

In August 2022, Loren was accepted to complete a Master of Construction Law at the University of Melbourne.

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Elected RPEQ Representative

LLB (Hons) GradDipLegalPrac

Dr Emma Eriksson studied a double degree in Engineering(Electronics)/Bachelor in I.T. at QUT in Brisbane.

Since graduating, she has interspersed working at various engineering firms in process control, electronics, programming, R&D and consulting engineering with completing a Masters in Building Services with Sustainable Energy, completed a PhD in hybrid renewable energy with Hydrogen and fuel cells and completed a post doctorate involving the design, construction and commission of a hybrid renewable energy Hydrogen facility with various solar and battery technologies and fuel cells in Queensland.

Dr Eriksson operates her own consultancy engineering business with a focus on electrical, energy and renewable energy engineering. She was recently involved in a pre-concept design in charge of all electrical aspects from solar design to High Voltage power transmission and integration for a 100MW solar farm in Queensland with future hydrogen and battery system capabilities.

She is regularly engaged by electrical contractors and builders directly to carry out D&C designs as she enjoys the high paced interaction and focus on practical and cost effective engineering. She is currently engaged by a major electrical contractor in Queensland to carry out power analysis quality testing and RPEQ design and sign off of several aggregate solar system totalling 5MW within an embedded network in Brisbane.

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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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