Building Legends Session #1: Building Smarter: Practical Strategies for Productivity

Description

New Zealand's construction sector faces a well-documented productivity challenge, with impacts felt across project costs, delivery timeframes, workforce capacity, infrastructure delivery, and housing affordability.

While other industries have achieved significant productivity gains over recent decades, construction has largely remained stagnant.

This interactive workshop explores why productivity should be a strategic priority for everyone involved in the delivery of construction and infrastructure projects. Drawing on global research, industry experience, and practical project examples, we'll examine the decisions that have the greatest influence on project performance and long-term industry outcomes.

Focusing on standardisation, procurement and contracting strategies, design, and technology, we'll explore how organisations can reduce waste, improve certainty, and achieve better outcomes across the project lifecycle. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of where productivity is won and lost, and practical strategies that can be applied immediately to projects of any scale.

Learning Outcomes: 

By attending this workshop, you will:

• Understand the key factors driving construction productivity and why they matter.
• Identify common sources of waste, inefficiency, and uncertainty across the project lifecycle.
• Explore how standardisation can improve delivery consistency and project performance.
• Gain insights into procurement and contracting strategies that better align project outcomes.
• Learn how design decisions influence productivity, cost, and risk.
• Discover practical ways technology can support more efficient project delivery.
• Leave with actionable strategies that can be applied immediately to projects of any scale.

Suitable For: 

This workshop is ideal for:

• Project Managers
• Construction Managers
• Client-Side Project Managers
• Property and Infrastructure Clients
• Consultants and Professional Advisers
• Engineers and Design Professionals
• Contractors and Subcontractors
• Commercial Managers
• Quantity Surveyors
• Development Managers
• Asset Owners and Portfolio Managers
• Anyone involved in planning, procuring, designing, or delivering construction and infrastructure projects

Speaker Profiles: 

David Wilkie is a seasoned construction and infrastructure leader with more than 30 years’ experience across New Zealand and Australia. A founding director of what is now TSA Riley NZ, he helped grow the business from its start-up beginnings into a major trans-Tasman consultancy. His career spans complex projects in health, education, transport, aviation, and civic infrastructure, with a particular focus on procurement strategy, contract frameworks, and driving productivity improvements. He recently chaired the committee responsible for updating NZS 3910, New Zealand’s standard construction contract.

Having stepped away from TSA Riley in late 2025 after 15 years, David is now pursuing new opportunities where he can continue to influence better project delivery and smarter procurement. He remains deeply engaged with the construction community and is passionate about raising capability and performance across Aotearoa.

Gary Walker brings more than three decades of leadership experience across the construction and infrastructure sectors in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. His career includes CEO of Leighs Construction, Executive General Manager at Hawkins, and General Manager at Fletcher Construction, where he oversaw major projects and led significant organisational change. Today, Gary advises clients through his own firm, Balanced Advisory Ltd, focusing on strategic leadership, major project delivery, and commercial and contractual risk.

Gary holds a Master’s in Applied Leadership (NZ), a Postgraduate Diploma in Building Economics (UK), and has completed executive programmes at Melbourne Business School and Harvard University. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and has served in governance roles including Deputy Chair of SiteSafe NZ and Chair of both the New Zealand Green Building Council and the Construction Strategy Group. His key interests lie in construction contracts, risk management, market economics, and dispute resolution.

Moderator: 
Simone Sharp, is a Certified Project Director and National Health Sector Lead at Rubix, where she provides client-side project management leadership across complex healthcare programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand. In this role, she shapes strategy, capability, and delivery for major health projects, working closely with clients to improve outcomes for communities. Her experience spans healthcare, aviation, commercial, specialty retail, and complex refurbishments and new builds, giving her strong cross-sector insight into delivering within live, highly regulated environments.

Originally trained as a registered pharmacist, Simone brings a practitioner-informed perspective to healthcare infrastructure and service delivery. She is known for her ability to distil complexity, navigate competing priorities, and guide stakeholders through difficult decisions to achieve durable, well-considered outcomes. A respected leader and trusted advisor, Simone is passionate about elevating the standard of health project delivery and contributing to a system that is resilient, future-focused, and fit for purpose.

Pricing Structure: 

• Individual Member - $239 + GST per session
• Individual Non-Member - $289 + GST per session 
  
  
• Individual Member (Series Booking) - $645 + GST for series booking
• Individual Non-Member (Series Booking) - $780 + GST for series booking
  
  
• Group Booking – 5 Seats at all three sessions - $3,150 + GST (Member pricing + 12.5% discount)
• Group Booking – 10 seats at all three sessions = $6,275 + GST (Member pricing + 12.5% discount)