Stantec, a world leader in sustainable design and engineering, has selected seasoned global executive and principal
consultant Dr Roger Vreugdenhil as New Zealand Country Leader. He will be responsible for guiding the New Zealand
operation to achieve its strategic, financial, and business development goals—critical to the overall success of
Stantec’s global business and strategic plan.
‘I returned home to New Zealand after twenty years to take up Stantec’s Advisory Services Sector Leader role,’ says
Roger. ‘This new role as Country Leader means I’m even more committed to serve Aotearoa and to be closer to my whānau
(family) and whenua (land).’
Roger joined Stantec in 2006, holding several key leadership roles and delivering several significant projects since.
Most prominently, he spent 10 years leading a large-scale utility transformation programme to improve operation and
maintenance of all Qatar roads and drainage in support of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and FIFA World Cup preparation.
His 30+ year career began with earthquake research in California with the United States Geological Survey and a PhD in
seismic liquefaction. This came in handy many years later when, as Practice Leader for Risk Management, Roger was
responsible for building a risk model to assist with the rebuild of Christchurch following the devastating earthquake in
February 2011 that killed 185 people.
Alongside the Practice Leader role, Roger spent two years as the Chief of Strategy for Asia-Pacific. He also spent
several years in Australia where he held numerous senior roles with the Australian Leadership Team, including Strategy
Development Manager and Water Resources Sector Leader.
Stantec’s Australia and New Zealand Regional Leader, Ralph Fouche helped select Roger as Aotearoa’s new Country Leader
because of his expertise in strategy, communication, stakeholder alignment, innovation, business resilience, and proven
ability to achieve breakthrough and sustained business performance. ‘Stantec Aotearoa is at a critical juncture in our
history as we continue to successfully grow and deliver community infrastructure for our clients, and Roger’s leadership
will provide a fresh perspective on our strategy going forward,’ says Ralph.