Highlights from our Annual Technical Seminar
It’s Technical Seminar time, and can you believe we have been running our annual event for 24 years? This event is a timely opportunity to share knowledge across the company and ensure technical excellence in service delivery to our clients locally and internationally.
Behrooz Ghahreman-Nejad, Chief Technical Officer, chairs this two-day program of presentations and workshops, summarised below.
Day One – Presentation Highlights
Laura Fidel – WSP Canada Ltd
First up was our guest speaker Laura Fidel from WSP Canada Ltd. Laura is a Lead Geotechnical Engineer and has extensive experience in Mine Waste Management. She shared her valuable lessons, experiences and personal perspective on the role of Engineer of Record (EOR).
Our Technical Communities
As the first technical seminar since launching our 21 Technical Communities, the event allowed each community to share their progress. These presentations covered topics such as tailings management, mine closure, water impact assessments and innovative infrastructure designs, reflecting the diversity of challenges we face and solutions we deliver.
Business Updates
Several managers and leaders provided business updates, including CEO Darren Watt, CTO Behrooz Ghahreman Nejad, WHSE Manager Terri-lee Morris, Commercial Manager Dushan Silva, and Senior Associate Dayjil Buhle, who is leading a Project Management initiative.
Team Reflection #1
Dr Behrooz Ghahreman-Nejad – CTO/Principal Engineer
Technical seminars attended: 20
Why do you think it’s important to hold these seminars each year?
“It’s essential that once a year, we all stop work, gather together and take the time to share projects, business updates and technical knowledge. Where possible, we try to have staff together in the same room, which creates a social element and allows time to catch up with our colleagues.”
What was your highlight from this year’s seminar?
“Mahdi Naeini’s technical presentation on the Numerical Modelling of Seismic and Static Liquefaction was my favourite. He was this year’s winner of the best presentation from day one of the seminar. I also enjoyed the presentation from Laura Fidel, whose story was great for our staff to hear.”
Meri Sadeghipour – Associate Engineer
Technical seminars attended: 4
Did you find the event valuable for knowledge sharing across the company?
“It is one of our strengths as a company that we hold events where we share and learn from our colleagues. Learning about other projects is always interesting, even if you are not involved with the project yourself.”
What was your highlight from this year’s seminar?
“I found the Seepage and Stability Analysis, presented by Arun Muhunthan (Tailings Management Technical Community Lead) and Behrooz Ghahreman-Nejad (CTO) most valuable.
I also loved the hands-on part of Credible Dam Failure Modes presented by Arezoo Farhadi (Governance and Risk Technical Community Lead) and Alex Campbell (Senior Engineer).”
Day Two – Workshop Wrap Up
We offered seven concurrent workshops, including Seepage and Stability Analysis, Stormwater Design on Waste Landforms, and Dam Safety Inspections and Review.
Our CAD team benefited from a full day of learning about 12D and Civil Site Design, Civil 3D, Visualisation Showcase, and MUK3D Modelling.
Team Reflection #2
Dale Ross – Senior Associate Engineer
Technical seminars attended: 11
Do you think the technical seminar is a valuable learning opportunity?
“Yes, as it allows the opportunity to learn about the technical capabilities of the business outside of the areas we typically work in and meet the leaders in those fields. The seminar provides a platform to present lessons learned from past projects so that we can improve the quality of future work.”
What was your highlight from this year’s seminar?
“I enjoyed the Stability and Seepage Analyses workshop by Arun Muhunthan and Behrooz Ghahreman-Nejad. It was engaging and interactive with multiple speakers and good discussions and deserves a spot at every technical seminar.”
Jacob Holder – Level 1 Engineer
Technical seminars attended: 3
How are these annual seminars valuable to your learning and career development as a new engineer?
“The annual seminars provide a unique opportunity to learn from peers who are leading experts in the industry. The speakers cover highly technical and specialised topics, which enriches my knowledge and supports professional growth.”
What was your highlight from this year’s seminar?
“Alex Campbell and Arezoo Farhadi’s workshop on Credible Dam Failure Modes was especially relevant to the work I’ve been engaged in recently. I appreciated the chance to explore a comprehensive presentation on the theory and methods for assessing credible dam failure modes.”
