Michael Hill MIEAust CPEng NER was awarded the Young Professional Engineer of the Year at the recent Australian Engineering Excellence Awards (AEEA) Canberra 2016. He is now eligible to enter the national AEEAs , which will be held in Brisbane on the 23 November during Australian Engineering Conference.
What is the significance of your award win to you and your career?
From a career perspective, the award allows me to stand out from other engineers across the globe in Opus. It also adds additional credibility in the industry and in the community.
What is your current job title and function?
I am the Business Manager for Opus’ Canberra engineering consultancy office, where I carry out engineering leadership, project management and directorship, business management, business development and engineering documentation approvals.
Tell us about your career journey.
During high school, I helped in my father’s engineering consultancy, including testing of soils, plan printing, site surveying and later on, auto CAD work. While at university, I did structural design work for my father’s consultancy. Originally, I wanted to be a landscape architect, but I decided on engineering because I like solving technical problems.
What are you working on now?
I am currently the design manager for an $86 million 4.6km new arterial road, which includes a 184m-long bridge.
Most challenging or interesting project you’ve ever worked on?
The most challenging and interesting project I have worked on is the design of a bridge to accommodate future lifting due to sea level rising.
What has helped you get ahead and what strategies have helped give you the edge?
Broader study, specifically business administration, and most importantly, significant involvement in industry associations, including Roads Australia, and Engineers Australia, particularly the Canberra Civil and Structural Committee.
Engineers can save the world. Who would you want on your project team with you?
Iron Man’s Tony Stark.
If the whole world was listening, what would you say?
Future generations need to let go of the constraints developed by previous generations by working together across national borders in the quest to solve globally significant issues, such as climate change and resource constraints.
If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, who would it be?
Richard Branson.
What was the last movie you went to see?
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (a New Zealand motion picture comedy)
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Squash. I am a director of Squash ACT.
Ideal holiday destination?
The Canadian interiors for the winter and the Galapagos Islands, Bay of Islands and New York in the summer.
Best piece of advice your parents gave you?
Have a strong work ethic and be honest and respectful.
Why are you an Engineers Australia member?
I want to be recognised within the industry as a professional engineer and I want the collective engineering voice to have more strength through numbers.
What are your hobbies?
Squash, landscape gardening, snowboarding, scuba diving and going to the gym.
Image: Arterial road bridge in the Canberra Region.