You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
Meet Andy Pomfret
Job:
Senior Geotechnical Engineer and Team Leader at Tonkin & Taylor (T&T).
Job description:
My main role at T&T is to develop clients and keep them happy in terms of T&T’s engineering recommendations for their projects. My other role at T&T is a team leader, which involves the development of younger staff.
Work background:
Geotechnical Engineering degree from the UK and worked in the UK for 8 years before being offered a job at T&T in Auckland. The last 14 years I have been based in Auckland. This time has gone very quickly due to the range of great projects that I have worked on since moving to NZ.
Favourite part of job:
Travelling and working in different regions (and countries).
Least favourite part of job:
Timesheets but unfortunately it’s how we get paid!!
What I am working on now:
I have just completed a range of projects in Nauru, Fiji and Tonga. We are also currently involved in a bridges project in Vanuatu.
A quick story about a job well done:
Cape Kidnappers Golf Course Villas in Hawkes Bay. High profile job under time pressure to open the villas for a golf tournament. Looked amazing on completion of the development.
A (humorous) story about a job that went badly and what you learned:
Drilling in the Caribbean Sea in hurricane season; we lost the drilling rig and the barge overnight due to very strong winds – always check the seasons before arrange the work.
Qualifications:
Engineering Geology and Geotechnics.
Interests outside work:
Travelling, soccer, squash and golf.
Andy Pomfret, a geotechnical engineer, holds a core sample. Image: Tonkin and Taylor.