By Kim Morrison, Chief Technical Officer, ATC Williams
At ATC Williams, we often speak about technical excellence, innovation, and collaboration. Rather than being starting points, these are the outcomes of a foundation that begins with creating an environment where our people feel empowered to step forward, contribute, and lead.
The Technical Innovation Contest and ATC University (ATCU) are two recent initiatives that illustrate this process. Each is quite different, yet both share a common purpose: enabling our people to take ownership of ideas and capabilities, regardless of their roles in our organisation.
Empowering Grassroots Innovation
The Technical Innovation Contest was established to invite new ideas and to provide people with the opportunity to take them through to implementation.
Amit Hans, a civil and geotechnical engineer on our Perth team, did exactly that when he identified the cumulative administrative burden associated with safety, compliance, and reporting as a persistent friction point in field-based engineering work. Amit saw that while these tasks are essential, the way they are managed has become inefficient, particularly in remote environments.
From that insight, Amit developed the HSE&W Field App. The solution is practical and grounded in how our teams actually work. Most striking, beyond the functionality, was the speed and ownership with which Amit delivered a result. To quote Amit, “Two months from this idea being selected, it is already a working application that our offices are actively using.”
To see this Technical Innovation Contest example brought to life is an example of empowerment in action. Here we have an engineer identifying a problem, being trusted to pursue a solution, and delivering a product of tangible value to the business.
Read more about the HSE&W Field App
Empowering Leadership and Capability
ATC University represents an equally important empowerment initiative: building capability through shared learning and creating space for emerging leaders to step into leadership roles. The recent Geotechnical Field Training 101 workshops provided a strong example.
Led by Asanka Don Peerislage, a civil and geotechnical engineer based in Melbourne, these workshops brought together engineers from multiple offices in a hands-on, outdoor setting to develop core geotechnical field skills. Participants rotated through practical testing stations, focusing on technical execution and consistency with our standards.
I was delighted to hear that the value extended beyond the technical content, with experienced staff sharing insights about site conditions, field challenges and lessons learned from real projects. When knowledge transfer is informal, experience-based, and grounded in practice, it is one of the most effective ways we build capability as an organisation.
Asanka noted, “leading these workshops was as much a development opportunity for me as it was for the participants.” As he delivered the workshops across two states, coordinated staff, and ensured meaningful outcomes for participants, Asanka strengthened his interpersonal skills beyond his technical knowledge.
Providing an emerging leader with the opportunity, support, and trust to lead in a way that strengthens the business is empowerment that returns tenfold.
Read more about the ATCU Geotechnical Field Training
Creating the Conditions for Empowerment
Together, these scenarios highlight that empowerment is central to how we are building capability at ATC Williams:
- Empowerment to innovate — creating pathways for ideas to move from concept to implementation.
- Empowerment to lead — enabling individuals at all levels to take on leadership roles.
- Empowerment to contribute — recognising that value is created across the organisation, not just top-down.
As CTO, my role is not to direct every initiative, but to help create the conditions in which leadership can emerge. Programs such as the Technical Innovation Contest and ATC University are part of a synergistic culture that ensures our people feel confident to step forward and are supported when they do.
Amit’s innovation and Asanka’s leadership demonstrate that the capability we need already exists within our organisation. When we create the right environment, it is unlocked.
We will continue to invest in these initiatives because when our people are empowered, we strengthen not only what we deliver today, but also who we become as an organisation.