Earlier this week, McConnell Dowell Group announced a significant leadership transition with Mario Russo, General Manager South Australia & Western Australia, succeeding Jim Frith as Managing Director of the Group’s Australian Business Unit.
This leadership transition has been planned for some time, and takes place with immediate effect. Jim will remain with McConnell Dowell, taking some well-deserved long service leave to refresh and recharge after leading the Australian team since 2016. The MCD Executive Leadership team and Board are confident that the time is right to implement this transition which places the Australian Business Unit in a strong position for the future.
Jim has been an integral part of the McConnell Dowell family for more than three decades. From his appointment as MD Australia in 2016, he played a pivotal role in the Group’s strategic and operational reset, and has presided over an extended period of revenue and profit growth for the business, while maintaining best in class safety performance and staff and customer engagement. Under his leadership, the Australian Business Unit has emerged as a well-respected contractor of choice in the Australian infrastructure sector.
Jim's successor, Mario Russo, joined McConnell Dowell in 2008 with the Group’s acquisition of Built Environs, and has steadily advanced his leadership skills in project and new business management. His emphasis on customer relationships, delivering high-quality projects on time and within budget, and aligning with the objectives of the Group’s Vision 2025 and Horizon 2030 strategic plans has solidified McConnell Dowell's position as a Tier 1 contractor in South Australia. Mario and his team have also successfully steered the company's re-entry into the Western Australia market and fostered collaboration between the SA infrastructure and vertical building businesses, opening up new opportunities for differentiation.
Reflecting on the change, Mario said that he is “truly honoured to have been appointed as Jim’s successor as MD Australia, and very excited by the opportunities ahead. Both Jim and Scott have been mentors of mine over the years, and their personal and professional support throughout my career has been invaluable.”
Jim Frith noted that “I am very pleased that Mario, someone I have worked directly with over many years, will be stepping into the MD Australia role as my successor. I have always considered Mario to be an outstanding leader, with a strong future ahead of him. To see him now in a position to fully realise this potential is very satisfying, and is the culmination of a planned succession pathway we have been working on for the past few years. I wish Mario every success in his new role.”
McConnell Dowell Group CEO Scott Cummins said “This leadership transition marks a significant planned change for McConnell Dowell's Australian business. On behalf of the Board and the rest of the business, I thank Jim for his exceptional values-based leadership and extend my congratulations to Mario on his appointment.”
McConnell Dowell with joint venture partner Fulton Hogan and designers Beca and Tonkin + Taylor delivered the SH25A Taparahi Slip Remediation Project for client NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi in six months.
This national recovery project involved rebuilding a section of State Highway 25A in Coromandel - New Zealand, by constructing a 124m long by 15m high three-span composite bridge across a major slip.
A project this scale would normally take 18 months to two years to complete. However, due to the urgency of reopening this community link, McConnell Dowell Project Director Hugh Milliken said, “The project team planned an accelerated timeframe of nine months which our incredible team then beat by another three months. The project came in under budget with a superb health and safety record, no LTIs or MTIs over the 117,08 hours worked, and in time for Christmas and the busiest season for locals.”
McConnell Dowell Construction Manager, Aimee Pene says; “undoubtedly, it’s been a massive team effort. I think it being a seemingly impossible task, only galvanised our team’s resolve to deliver. I really hope they feel proud of what they’ve achieved, and they know how crucial their contribution has been. And to the Thames and Coromandel communities - thanks for the exceptionally warm and continued welcome, we’re so stoked we got this done for you.”
McConnell Dowell Managing Director New Zealand & Pacific Fraser Wyllie said, “This project presented multiple challenges which the team responded brilliantly with a positive team culture, close collaboration and strong relationships with all parties making it possible. For the team, this project was never just about building a bridge, it was about reconnecting the Thames and Coromandel communities as soon as possible. The two communities have had it tough, with the slip and the road closure earlier this year but despite the disruption and difficulties, the locals have supported the team the whole way through the project which made a major difference to morale. On behalf of the whole team, ‘I’d like to thank everyone for the warm welcome, your generosity, and kind messages of support.”
Find out more about the project https://www.mcconnelldowell.com/projects/state-highway-25a-taparahi-slip-remediation
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi video:
Photos of the bridge completed.
2023 was a whirlwind of over 700 promotions and transfers that sent our incredible people soaring to bigger, better, and downright exciting places - whether that's conquering fresh horizons or shaking things up in a new business unit.
But we're not just tossing our people into the deep end. We've got their back with study leave, study assistance, and turbocharged leadership programs. Think the prestigious Melbourne Business School level of turbocharged – yep, we're talking top-tier!
We recently teamed up with UPPAREL to reduce our textile waste, particularly our used PPE (personal protective equipment).
Upparel is Australia and New Zealand's leader in textile recovery and recycling. Its Textile Recycling Collection Program addresses the fashion industry's impact on the environment by:
- preventing textiles from reaching landfills
- extending the lifespan of clothing through efficient sorting and recycling
- raising awareness about the environmental impact of textile waste.
Upparel won 'Best Waste and Recycling Solution' at the 2023 Victorian Sustainability Awards.
Upparel bins are installed across our offices and project sites. See what happens to our donated clothing:
Say hello to Victoria's first green canopy on a railway station rooftop!
The new Deer Park Station precinct, which we're delivering as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project, features landscaping and rooftop gardens on the station buildings to bring the surrounding area’s volcanic plain grasslands into the station, with a mix of native grasses and wildflowers.