Meet the Committee
Rob Holland
Chair
Rob has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Auckland and in the early part of his career gained experience in NZ, Australia and the UK as a fluid power engineer and mechanical engineer designing HVAC systems and bulk material handling equipment.
Rob completed his Masters degree in Fire Engineering in 2016 before becoming a Chartered Professional Engineer (Fire) in 2021. He is a Director of a small engineering consultancy firm in Auckland, where the majority of his time is spent completing fire safety designs.
As well as Fire Engineering, Rob specialises in the design of height safety systems, working with most of the country’s leading suppliers and installers of this equipment. ​​
Joe Bain
Vice Chair & Treasurer
Joe Bain is one of the founders of the NZSES having served on the committee for many years since the formation of the group. He holds a BE(Hons) and PhD in mechanical engineering from Canterbury University, is a Chartered Professional Engineer, and a Fellow of Engineering NZ. Joe’s practice focuses on engineering work governed by the health and safety at work act, and includes machinery safety, mechanical equipment design and certification, and expert witness work. Joe also serves on the committee of the Recreation Safety Engineering technical group, and as the Engineering NZ representative to the HASANZ governance group. ​​
John Mitchell
Secretary
John is an experienced Engineering & Operations Manager, with extensive experience in delivering challenging complex engineering solutions from the front line leading a multi-discipline team of engineers, designers, and trades. John can hit the ground running and manage the teams to deliver projects to tight deadlines in challenging environments. John is a Certified Machine Safety Expert, Functional Safety Engineer, a member of Engineering New Zealand and the Institute of Engineering and Technology. ​​
Dirk Pons
Committee Member
Dirk is a professor in mechanical engineering at University of Canterbury. He teaches and conducts research in industrial engineering and engineering management (including professional practice). Much of this work is transdisciplinary and integrates across multiple fields, including Industrial engineering research, Manufacturing engineering research, Engineering safety (risk assessment, human factors, occupational biomechanics, disaster analysis, chronic harm, bowtie analysis) and Engineering professional practice. ​​
Dominique Tharandt
Committee Member
Dominique is a chemical engineer with 25 years of experience in industry including international and New Zealand experience. She has worked as the Sn Process Engineer responsible for all technical support to operations (milk collection, utilities, chemical supply, water and wastewater treatment) to the dairy processing plants of Westland Milk Products and establishing the role as Capital Projects Manager for the Westland District Council overseeing the planning and effective execution of almost 100 annual capital projects in the district (supply water, waste water, storm water, roading infrastructure, buildings, parks and recreation facilities, IT and resilience projects). Currently she is working at Apex Water, project managing the design and construction of water and wastewater treatment plants across the country. ​​
Nicky Turnbull
Committee Member
Hamish Glover
Committee Member
Lilly Peng
Committee Member
Lilly is currently a PhD Candidate in the Chemical & Materials Engineering Department at the University of Auckland. Her research interest is in "process safety under digitalisation". Lilly obtained a Bachelor’s in Engineering (Hons)(Mech) UoA and had three years of industrial work experience before starting her current doctoral study.
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