National capability. Local ADVANTAGE.

Will Pennington is the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Construction Alliance, bringing more than two decades of experience across construction, property development, infrastructure delivery, and executive leadership.

Will began his career on the tools, completing a building apprenticeship before progressing into construction management and large-scale project delivery. He has worked across the private sector, consultancy and government, leading complex projects and programmes of work. He brings a strong focus on practical outcomes and long-term value.

Prior to joining NZCA, Will held senior executive and governance roles across the construction and property sectors, including leadership of major construction, commercial interiors, urban regeneration and infrastructure programmes. 

He is widely recognised for his ability to bridge industry, government, and community interests, and for building trusted relationships across the sector.

As CEO of Home Ground Construction Alliance, Will is focused on strengthening collaboration across the construction industry, lifting delivery performance, and ensuring HGCA continues to provide tangible value to its members and partners. He is a strong advocate for people-centred leadership, capability development, and alliance-based ways of working.

Will holds a Bachelor of Construction Management and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.

With over 20 years of project management experience spanning multinational companies and global projects, Lawrie is equipped with extensive expertise in Lean/Six Sigma methodologies, honed during seven years of training in a Japanese learning environment. By deeply understanding client needs and focusing on key deliverables, Lawrie adopts a "Can Do" approach to ensure successful project outcomes. 

Lawrie is a dynamic leader who excels in driving change, improving business outcomes, and delivering client-centric solutions. Passionate about streamlining processes and fostering innovation, he has successfully managed multiple sites across Australia for BlueScope.

Before joining Home Ground Construction Alliance (HGCA), Lawrie served as Chief Operations Officer at TRT. In this role, he worked alongside Executive directors as part of the Leadership Team to achieve strategic growth and objectives set by the Board. Lawrie’s responsibilities spanned key support functions, including:

• Finance
• IT
• Marketing
• Human Resources
• Design
• Manufacturing
• Supply Chain
• OEM Projects and Technical Support 

Additionally, he spearheaded the implementation of company-wide strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and objectives.

Allan joined NZCA in 2018, with over 40 years in the industry. He immediately established himself as a talented account manager and has been key with the procurement of work for Home Ground Construction Alliance, with considerable experience and exceptional relationship management skills.

Allan has worked in both the delivery and client sides of asset and property management and started out as a carpenter so has a broad understanding of all facets of the industry. He has managed teams and developed relationships at organisations including Chorus, Trustpower and the Wellington International Airport. His skills in project and stakeholder management have led to a number of positive partnerships over the years and Allan prides himself on his ability to find common ground and work for the good of all parties.

Allan’s range of experience, dedication to client communication and satisfaction as well as his drive to deliver successful construction projects make him an integral part of the HGCA team.

Mitch Sun is an accomplished finance professional with more than eight years of experience in the construction industry. He is passionate about building strong relationships and providing clear, commercially focused financial insights that support confident decision-making and long-term business success.

He is known for his analytical expertise, attention to detail, and practical approach to problem-solving.

Mitch began his career in the construction industry in 2018 and holds a Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS), majoring in Accounting and Finance, and is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ).

Phill is a quantity surveyor and has been a senior member of ABL's management team, working across the Dunedin, Queenstown and Christchurch branches.

He trained first in civil engineering, then retrained in quantity surveying, and holds a B.Eng (Hons) Civil, a National Diploma in Quantity Surveying and a National Diploma in Construction Management.

His projects include Superlot 4 at Latimer Terraces at $15 million, Riverlands House at $10 million, Lincoln New World at $6 million, the George Forbes Building at $5 million, 136 Moorhouse Avenue and CB Norwood.

Clients know him for a hands-on approach and for being straight with them on cost and programme.

Tessa is a bid strategist and writer whose background spans architectural drafting, project management, executive support and graphic design. She thinks about tenders strategically and visually at the same time, focusing on both what a response says and how it lands with the evaluator.

Tessa leads the development of our tender responses, from bid strategy through to final submission. She starts with what the client actually cares about, develops win themes that run through the whole response, and makes sure every section is written for the evaluator. She combines strategic thinking, clear writing and professional design so our submissions reflect the quality of the work our partners deliver.

Wayne is our dedicated Health & Safety Manager, bringing over a decade of expertise in the construction industry's health and safety field. His extensive background includes system administration, policy development, incident investigation, and risk management. Wayne's proactive strategies prioritise team health, safety, and wellbeing. He thrives in construction's

complexity and high-risk environments. Wayne's passion for people and safety drives his commitment to enhancing our health and safety standards.

Wayne holds a Diploma in Workplace Health & Safety Management, registration with ProfNZSIM (NZ Institute of Safety Management), and membership on the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ) register.

Bern is a senior health, safety and wellbeing professional with 16 years of specialist experience in complex construction environments. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, is a Professional Member of NZISM, and is trained in ICAM incident investigation. Bern has led on-site health and safety management on major projects, including the Invercargill CBD development.

Bern builds proactive safety cultures in which workers take personal accountability and are actively involved in keeping work safe and healthy. She is known for a calm, practical approach and for quickly earning the trust of site teams. Worker wellbeing is central to her approach, and she has helped strengthen mental health awareness and support across workforces.

Louise is an environmental and sustainability professional whose background spans environmental management, policy, waste management and business operations in New Zealand and the UK. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Earth & Environmental Science. She began her career in environmental management in the UK, where she developed Environmental Management Systems, worked within environmental regulatory frameworks, and led environmental improvement projects.

As a Business Operations Manager, Louise leads environmental and sustainability programmes, embedding practical initiatives across the business and monitoring performance. She supported Toitū CarbonZero accreditation and to Toitū EnviroMark Gold. Louise takes a collaborative approach, working across the business to improve systems and turn sustainability goals into results that are realistic for a construction business.

Leone has worked as a Technical Writer for Carter Holt Harvey LVL in Marsden Point, writing standard operating procedures, and the Client Liaison and Construction Administrator at Signature Homes Northland.

Ray has worked in construction since his student days in Wellington, starting as a labourer with James Wallace and moving to Mainzeal after leaving school. Mainzeal supported him through his NZCB studies and he worked up through site management roles, later running projects with Mark Hamilton in Hawke's Bay.

He joined Alexander in 1998 as Project Manager on the Splash Planet redevelopment and the National Aquarium. He spent the following years as a contracts manager with a general and civil contractor, then in business for himself.

Tom is a senior construction professional with over 30 years of experience delivering complex, high-profile projects in New Zealand and overseas. His career spans senior management, project leadership and pre-construction roles across the commercial, civil, residential and specialist sectors. Tom has led multidisciplinary teams on landmark developments including the Auckland Art Gallery, New Zealand International Convention Centre, Pacifica Tower, major data centres and large-scale retirement villages.

As Clelands' Project Director, Tom draws on deep expertise in project and contract management, design coordination, risk mitigation and safety leadership. He is known for his strategic thinking, collaborative approach and ability to guide projects from concept to completion while maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety and delivery. Passionate about mentoring, Tom fosters high-performing teams and builds strong client and stakeholder relationships, ensuring each project achieves its goals and delivers enduring value.

Kim brings a strategic and people-focused approach to her role as Marketing & Communications Lead. With experience across brand development, corporate communications, and stakeholder engagement, she ensures Home Ground’s story is shared with clarity and purpose.

Kim works closely with teams across the business to support internal culture, strengthen customer relationships, and showcase the work we’re proud of.