Beca appoints new Chairman

This is a supplied media release.

David Carter becomes Beca’s Executive Chairman this month, succeeding Richard Aitken, ONZM, who steps down after eight years in the role.

This appointment is the culmination of David’s long and distinguished career with Beca, having held a number of executive roles including: Regional Director, Asia; Managing Director of Beca Australia; and Managing Director, Corporate Operations. He holds numerous board roles with Beca, has nearly 30 years of experience in strategy and management and has an extensive track record in leading and delivering major infrastructure projects.

Outgoing Chairman, Richard Aitken, said, “We welcome David to the role of Executive Chairman during a time of growth and innovation across Beca. David has a deep understanding of our business – most recently as our current Chief Technical Officer, he has driven our focus on professional excellence and the enhancement of leading edge technical capability. As Chairman, he will play a vital role focusing on long term strategic direction as the company enters another era of expansion and diversification.”

David will also continue in his current roles as Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and as Regional Director for Beca Asia. He is active in the wider community as a Trustee of The University of Auckland Foundation; Chairman, Hutt Valley Water Services; and Non-Executive Board Member, Leadership Development Centre, New Zealand.

David said, “We owe Richard Aitken a huge debt of thanks for his immense contribution to Beca, he has been an inspiration to our people, our clients and our industry for many years. Richard will continue to support and lead at Beca in a number of roles as he transitions towards retirement.”

Richard has been an executive at Beca for more than 40 years. Before becoming Executive Chairman in 2009, he held numerous leadership roles, including that of Group CEO for 10 years. He will continue to hold a number of roles for Beca, including Chair of the Project Alliance Board on the hallmark Waterview Connection project, the much heralded $1.4 billion Auckland motorway project soon to be open to the public.