Ignite Kick-off: Sydney

5.00 pm — 8.00 pm AEDT, 18 February 2025
36 Blue Street , North Sydney NSW, 2060
Greenwood Hotel

Overview

Imagine a place where visionary ideas converge with hands-on expertise, and industry leaders collaborate with rising talents to shape the future. It’s what you can expect at Ignite Kick-off – a dynamic event designed to inspire, connect and drive progress in engineering.   

This free event for members offers unique opportunities to connect with peers, exchange insights and gain fresh perspectives. Through thought-provoking discussions, Ignite Kick-off brings experienced professionals, skilled engineers and emerging talents together to explore the latest trends and solve industry challenges.

Who should attend 

Engineers Australia members. Whether you’re an established leader or looking to advance your career, this event supports growth at every professional stage. Join us to broaden your perspective, expand your network and shape the future of engineering in Australia. 

What you’ll be part of 

  • An atmosphere of connection: Emerge in engaging conversations over food and drinks in a welcoming environment that fosters meaningful connection. 
  • A celebration of new talent: We’re thrilled to welcome our newest graduate members into a diverse community of engineering professionals. 
  • Sharing opportunities for growth: Hear about upcoming engineering events and initiatives, designed to support your growth and keep you connected. 
  • Inspired real-world insights: Learn from industry leaders and award winners as they share personal stories, career highlights, and achievements that can inspire your own journey. 
  • Lasting connections: Build and strengthen relationships through dedicated networking sessions that continue throughout the year. 

Special guests 

Megan Wheeldon MIEAust
Megan Wheeldon MIEAust
Hydrogen and Derivatives Advisor, Aurecon Group

Megan is amongst the Top 50 Hydrogen Women in the World. She is a process engineer, energy strategy advisor, and member of eminent institutes that are advancing Australia’s hydrogen industry and shaping our energy transition pathway.

Designing solutions for industry, governments and national working groups on hydrogen and its derivatives, Megan considers both technical perspectives and the cultural and business model changes required to be successful.

Megan has worked on nation-shaping hydrogen and industrial decarbonisation projects, including a program of works to reduce emissions from steel production, and projects intended to deliver export scale low emissions energy to Australia’s key international trading partners.

Megan received the Emerging Professional Engineer of the Year Award at Engineers Australia's Excellence Awards in 2024. 

Brock Dominish
Brock Dominish
Lead Mechatronic Engineer, RES MED

Brock Dominish is a distinguished Mechatronic Engineer who graduated with Honors from the University of Western Sydney in 2004. With a 20-year career in Australian manufacturing, Brock has been a pivotal force in advancing robotics and automation. Early in his career, he developed innovative robotic welding systems and later specialised in automating material handling in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. Currently as Lead Mechatronic Engineer at ResMed, he has significantly enhanced the company’s automation capabilities for manufacturing life saving medical devices. Known for his mentorship, Brock is dedicated to fostering new engineering talent and championing Australian-made innovations.

Brock was named a Professional Engineer of the Year Award Finalist for Engineers Australia's Excellence Awards in 2024. 

Headshot of Romilly Madew
Romilly Madew AO FTSE HonFIEAust EngExec
Chief Executive Officer, Engineers Australia

Prior to joining Engineers Australia, Romilly was CEO of Infrastructure Australia overseeing the organisation's critical role in helping governments prioritise projects and reforms that best serve our communities. She served as CEO of the Green Building Council of Australia for 13 years. In acknowledgment of her contribution to Australia’s sustainable building movement, Romilly was awarded an Order of Australia in 2019. 

In her capacity as CEO of Engineers Australia, she sits on the STEM Champions of Change committee. She is currently a Member of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) Infrastructure Forum, Director of Placemaking NSW Board, Director of Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Independent Chair of the Currawong State Park Advisory Board (NSW), Federal Government appointee on the Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group and G20 EMPOWER – Empowerment and Progression of Women's Economic Representation, Member of the Urban Policy Consultation Network, Member of the National Women in Transport CEO Advisory Group, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers Enabling Better Infrastructure Steering Group (UK) and Director of Minerva Network (supporting Australia’s elite sportswomen).

Raj Aseervatham FIEAust CPEng EngExec
Dr Raj Aseervatham FIEAust CPEng
National President and Board Chair

Raj Aseervatham BE(Hons, Civil) MBA PhD(Eng) GAICD FIEAust CPEng EngExec joined the Engineers Australia Board in 2019 and is in his second term as a director. He was admitted as a Fellow in 2012. Raj has served as chair and has been a member of various board committees during his tenures at at Engineers Australia.

After graduating in Civil Engineering from the University of Queensland, Raj was initially a water, tailings and civil infrastructure engineer on mining developments. Later he focused on the ESG risks and strategies of mining and energy companies’ operational portfolios and capital projects.

His engineering and executive career includes more than 15 years with three ASX 100 companies (BHP, Rio Tinto and Origin Energy), and more than 15 years in global and boutique consulting and audit/assurance. He has lived and worked on most continents of the world.

Having ceased his executive career some years ago, Raj is a professional non-executive director, an auditor of responsible business practices in heavy engineering organisations, an accredited mediator and twice-published author.

Headshot of Professor Lachlan Blackhall
Professor Lachlan Blackhall
Director, Engineers Australia

Professor Lachlan Blackhall joined the Engineers Australia Board in 2023 and is Chair of the Member and Stakeholder Committee and a member of the People and Governance Committee. 

Lachlan has more than 15 years' experience in the energy sector, including senior leadership roles in research and development, industry, policy and regulation.

Lachlan is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at the Australian National University (ANU). In this role he is responsible for the development and implementation of strategies, policies and systems to achieve the university’s strategic goals in research and innovation. 

Lachlan's previous roles include Entrepreneurial Fellow and Head of the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program at the ANU and Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Reposit Power.

Lachlan holds a BE, BSc and PHD, is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and is a Fellow of both Engineers Australia and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

Headshot of Tom Goerke
Tom Goerke FIEAust CPEng EngExec NER
Director, Engineers Australia

Tom Goerke BE GAICD FIEAust CPEng EngExec NER was admitted to Engineers Australia as a Fellow in 2021 and was elected to Engineers Australia's Western Australia division before joining the Engineers Australia Board in 2023. Tom is Chair of the Engineering Education Australia Board and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.

Tom is an electronics engineering graduate from Curtin University and runs his own advisory firm specialising in technology and innovation and provides advice to boards on how digital transformation applies to their organisation. He spent the early part of his career in London working in telecommunications for international treaty organisations Inmarsat, ICO Global Communications and Cisco UK. He then co-founded a Singapore startup before re-joining Cisco Systems in Australia.

At Cisco, Tom worked on developing new technologies for emerging markets and then established Cisco’s innovation centre program across Australia and New Zealand in partnership with universities, industry and government. The centres were at the leading edge of co-innovation, leveraging emerging engineering and technology to accelerate digital transformation for businesses.

Tom holds multiple patents in the field of communications. He was the Chair of StartupWA (Western Australia’s technology advocate group) and subsequently chaired its advisory council until the end of 2023. In 2021 Tom was appointed an Adjunct Professor at Curtin University and member of the Science and Engineering Faculty Advisory Council. He is passionate about technology, skills development and the use of digital technologies to accelerate decarbonisation and transition to net zero.

Dr Kourosh Kayvani
Dr Kourosh Kayvani
Partner, HKA

Dr Kourosh Kayvani has more than 30 years’ experience as a practicing engineering and executive leader.

Kourosh is a Board Director of Engineers Australia, an Adjunct Professor at Western Sydney University and a Senate member of the FIDIC Academy. He has played leading roles in the design and delivery of many complex projects globally, including Wembley Stadium in London, West Kowloon Terminus in Hong Kong, and 5 Martin Place redevelopment in Sydney. He has acted as expert witness on construction disputes in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the Middle East.

Kourosh was the recipient of John Connell Gold Medal from Structural College of Engineers Australia in 2019.

Headshotof Liza Maimone FIEAust CPEng EngExec NER
Liza Maimone FIEAust CPEng EngExec NER
Director, Engineers Australia

Liza Maimone FIEAust CPEng EngExec NER joined the Board in 2022 and is Chair of the People and Governance Committee.   

A chemical engineer and business leader with a passion for sustainability, and brings with her a wealth of engineering and corporate experience and expertise. Liza aims to use her skills to support the Engineers Australia in achieving its vision of advancing society through great engineering.

Liza has more than 30 years’ professional experience providing risk, governance, sustainability and climate change advice and assurance services across a range of industries to senior management and boards.

From 2020 to 2024, Liza held the role of PwC Australia’s Chief Operating Officer and Sustainability Executive. Liza has also been a director of PwC ASEANZ Consulting, PwC’s regional Consulting business, and a member of several PwC global committees. Prior to that, Liza led PwC’s consulting business in Australia.

Liza holds a BEng(Chem)(First Class Hons) and Grad Dip Law (Energy and Resources) from The University of Melbourne. Liza is a Member of the Australian Accounting Standards Board, Director of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and an Advisory Member of the Finance Committee of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Liza is a Member of Chief Executive Women and Member of AICD.

Headshot of Peter McIntyre FIEAust CPEng EngExec
Peter McIntyre FIEAust CPEng EngExec
Director, Engineers Australia

Peter McIntyre BSc BE(Hons) MBA FAICD FIEAust CPEng EngExec joined the Board in 2025. He is the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and a member of the Member and Stakeholder Committee. Peter was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of Engineers Australia (2016–2019).

An electrical engineer who spent most of his career in electricity transmission, Peter was formerly the Managing Director of the NSW electricity network service provider Transgrid (2010–2016) and served as a non-executive director on the Board of Tasnetworks (2016–2022). He also served on the Boards of the Australian Power Institute, Energy Networks Australia and Grid Australia and as the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (2019–2022). Since 2023, he has been Chief Executive Officer of CIGRE Australia.

Peter is based in Sydney and has a passion for sustainability, leadership, humanitarian and Indigenous issues and the development of the engineering workforce. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Headshot of Lisa Vitaris CompIEAust EngExec
Lisa Vitaris CompIEAust EngExec
Director, Engineers Australia

Lisa Vitaris BA(PubComm)/BA(IntlStud) MBus MBA GAICD CompIEAust EngExec was appointed to the Engineers Australia Board in 2021 and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Member and Stakeholder Committee.  

Lisa is an experienced marketing leader with particular expertise in marketing, high growth acquisition, digital technology and branding. Lisa’s experience spans high growth companies in technology, telecommunications, financial services, automotive and travel both in marketing and advertising including brands such as amaysim (Optus), Tyro, Aussie Home Loans, CMC Markets, Hyundai, Tourism Tasmania, Bankwest, Volvo and LG. 

Lisa is Interim CEO and Director, the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2025 Sydney at the Space Industry Association of Australia. 

Lisa is also the Founder and Director of 10 Pieces, an environmentally sustainable travel initiative for which she was nominated as a Hero of Travel in 2018. After completing The Marketing Academy in 2020, Lisa served on its advisory council for more than three years, and serves on the University of Technology Sydney’s advisory to Advanced MBA students. 

Jamie Burrage
Jamie Burrage
General Manager Sydney Division, Engineers Australia

Jamie Burrage is an experienced association professional with experience working with a number of membership associations, including as CEO of the National Safety Council of Australia Foundation and NSW State Manager for the Australian Computer Society. 

Now running the Sydney Division of Engineers Australia as General Manager, Jamie leads a team overseeing 27,000 members and to enable 40-plus committees and groups to assist Engineers Australia with its purpose to advance society through great engineering.

 

 

Pricing

In-person

Member: Free
Student Member: Free
Graduate Member: Free
Technical Society Member: Free
Non-Member: $100.00
Student Non-Member: $55.00
Graduate Non-Member: $55.00 


 

Registration close
17 February 2025
12.00 pm AEDT