Contech’s survival in the competitive New Zealand market is a reflection of the specialist knowledge and experience of the people who work here.
Our people have always been central to our success, and many have been with us for a long time. Call into our offices and you’ll see dozens of certificates recognising current employees who have been with us for over 10 years. These employees comprise managers, engineers, supervisors and field specialists – ensuring our expertise spans across all aspects of a project. The retention of this knowledge, expertise and commercial acumen is key to Contech’s position as a market leader and premium supplier. We offer our clients well-researched, thoroughly tested and proven solutions at every stage and level of a project.
Derek Bilby
CEO and Director
Derek joined Contech in July 2017 as General Manager and was appointed to CEO in August 2018. Prior to Contech he spent 18½ years working in various roles in Fletcher Building and Brian Perry Civil including time as Wellington Manager and the New Business Manager.
More recently he held a senior role in Fletcher Building responsible for the development of IT strategy and the delivery of IT services to the Construction businesses including being responsible for the delivery of a $30m IT project. Derek’s background is predominantly in civil engineering construction with experience in structures, piling, ground improvement and marine construction. As CEO he brings nearly 30 years of experience in the construction industry including strategy, project governance and senior leadership to Contech.
Michael Lawson
QSE Manager
Michael holds a dual role at Contech – he is the Technical and Quality Manager for the contracting division and based in Auckland. He has extensive practical experience as Contech’s remedial engineer since 1986 and his expertise covers all aspects of the industry. He has represented Contech on assignments in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Fiji. Mike sat on the Joint Venture Board of the 2009 $10 million Thorndon and Dock Wharfs CP and concrete repair contract in Wellington.
He was Technical Manager for the McConnell Dowell – Contech JV which reconstructed the Queens Wharf in Lautoka Fiji, an $8 million rehabilitation of a major marine structure in 1990 and was a key technical advisor to the recently completed second stage of the Queens Wharf Refurbishment ($6 million) in Joint Venture with Downer EDI works. Michael has considerable knowledge of specialist material technology used in rehabilitation of concrete structures. He has been instrumental in developing materials and methods adopted successfully by Contech in its reconstruction of many deteriorating concrete structures throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Rim.
Bojan Radosavljevic
Wellington Regional Manager
Bojan Radosavljevic joined Contech in 1996 and manages the Wellington branch operations covering greater Wellington and regions in the lower North Island. Bojan has extensive experience in all of BBR Contech’s specialist activities and has developed particular skills in ground anchoring, post-tensioning, concrete repair and seismic upgrading. In his role he is responsible for delivering a broad range of projects associated with critical infrastructure and building assets.
Bojan has broad experience in contracting and has led Contech teams as main contractor, joint venture partner and subcontractor. Prior to joining Contech, Bojan held project management positions in Wellington and Belgrade. He holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Belgrade University.
Peter Higgins
Southern Regional Manager
Peter Higgins has led the Contech team in Christchurch since 2001 following a construction management career associated with large hydro-electric projects in the South Island during the 1990’s. Peter’s expertise extends to the full range of Contech’s specialist activities complimented by his significant prior experience in earthworks and tunnelling related to power development.
Peter held a significant role in Canterbury during the devastating earthquakes of 2011 and 2012 and his team delivered some outstanding repair and strengthening work during the recovery and rebuild. He was again involved in the Kaikoura earthquake recovery project with concrete repair, post-tensioning and slope stabilisation. Peter holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Canterbury.
Mark Kurtovich
Business Development Manager
Since joining Contech in 1990, Mark has had development and project management roles on the majority of our larger commercial building, wharf and other marine rehabilitation projects. Mark has a history of building strong relationships with clients, working with them in a collaborative manner to achieve strong project outcomes.
His extensive knowledge-base and approachable manner enables him to quickly gain the trust of stakeholders and the public. His experience and expertise is such that asset owners and engineering consultants frequently seek his assistance in evaluating and tailoring concrete repair and strengthening solutions.
John Gin
Technical & Design Manager
John has been with BBR Contech since September 2019 and joined us from a career in structural design in bridges and buildings.
Over the 12 years as a design engineer John has accumulated an extensive background in the design of prestressed concrete bridges, reinforced concrete structures, and the seismic analysis of existing structures. Many of the projects have been multidisciplinary, therefore John understands the value of clear communication and the constraints the various disciplines face in design.
John currently leads our design team of three full-time structural designers and is responsible for the development of our design capability and ensuring that our designs meet our client expectations and industry standards.
Amala Joseph
Finance Manager
Amala joined Contech in 2023 after six years of a variety of accounting and finance roles specifically within the construction industry. She brings specific industry experience and understanding to support Construction Techniques Group’s businesses.
Paul Wymer
Director
Paul held the position of Managing Director of Contech up until Derek Bilby was appointed CEO in 2018. During his more than 30 years at Contech, he has been associated with many projects covering a broad range of specialist civil engineering construction activities including: post-tensioning, post-tensioned slabs, ground anchors, soil nailing, concrete repair, structural upgrading, seismic strengthening, grouting, sprayed concrete, FRP composites and heavy lifting. Paul’s background includes structural and geotechnical design, civil engineering construction and specialist engineering contracting. He continues his association with the business by providing technical and management advisory.
He has been actively involved with Concrete New Zealand since 1998 and is a past-President of Learned Society and Honorary Life Member. He currently sits on the board of Concrete New Zealand as an independent and is Deputy Chair. Paul holds an NZCE (Civil) and Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) and is a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand. He has presented numerous technical papers on post-tensioning, ground anchoring and FRP and has been involved in presenting seminars and guest lectures on a range of topics through his affiliations with Engineering New Zealand, universities and industry organisations.