Michael Albrecht

Australia’s first pumped hydro project in four decades, the 250MW Kidston Pumped Hydro Project involves the conversion of a disused gold mine into a renewable energy storage system using two existing reservoirs and underground infrastructure. Key Responsibilities and Achievements • Lead all aspects of construction delivery across multiple disciplines, with direct oversight of 3 Area Managers and a General Superintendent. • Fostered a strong team culture focused on accountability, safety, and professional pride, contributing to excellent site morale and a highly organised, safety-conscious work environment. • Empowered graduate, site, and project engineers to take ownership of key processes including monthly cost reviews and forecasting, promoting leadership development. • Oversaw execution of complex construction methodologies, including hard rock drill-and-blast tunnelling, shaft excavation and lining, reinforced concrete works, large-diameter pipe and plate welding, high voltage cable pulling transformer installation and preassembly of heavy mechanical rotating equipment. • Reviewed and approved construction execution plans, SWMS, and resource allocations, proactively driving subcontractor performance to maintain program momentum and meet critical milestones. • Structured daily interdisciplinary coordination meetings to align teams around short-term targets and resolve interface issues efficiently.

20 years’ experience with tier one engineering contractors delivering and leading construction projects in Australia and the GCC region including at the Project Director level. I have worked with a diverse range of stakeholders in a broad range of roles on both building and infrastructure projects covering the full construction project lifecycle from front end tendering and pre‐award negotiations through to delivery phase mobilisation, design development, procurement, site start up, construction, testing and commissioning, close out and handover, final account and claim settlement. I understand the technical and commercial challenges inherent in the design and construct process and have developed strong people and risk management skills that have become my core area of expertise. This includes the ability to build and reinforce strong safety, quality and record keeping cultures, approach challenges pragmatically and build the relationships and trust necessary to negotiate best for project outcomes. STRENGTHS • Results orientated • Resourceful with a ‘can do’ attitude • Systematic and organized • Experienced in the management of multicultural and multidisciplinary work teams • Able to quickly build trust with project stakeholders and negotiate best for project outcomes to minimize cost, delay and dispute

BIC Contracting (BICC), formerly known as HLG Contracting, represents the merger of Al Habtoor Engineering with Gulf Leighton, the CIMIC Group’s original operating company in the Middle East. Jewel of the Creek was a multiphase, 1 million sqm, 17-tower mixed-use development on the north shore of Dubai Creek with BICC contracted to deliver the first five towers comprising a fully fitted-out five-star hotel and 350 apartments in four residential buildings. Key Responsibilities and Achievements • Represented the contractor and held P&L accountability for the mixed-use hotel and residential development. • Turned over circa hundreds of millions in certified works over a 10-month period, bringing the project to a 96 per cent completion status prior to the interruption caused by COVID-19 and the proposed sale of the BICC business. • Successfully refocussed the Contractor’s delivery team following a period of stalled site progress and instability due to changes in management leadership and the removal of the project’s nominated MEP subcontractor. • Managed 120 direct employees, 350 direct tradespeople and labourers and a workforce of around 1,500 indirect subcontractors.

Leighton Contracting Abu Dhabi (LCAD) is part of BIC Contracting (BICC), the CIMIC group’s operating company in the Middle East. The Khalifa Port Industrial Zone (KPIZ) Area A - Secondary Infrastructure Phase 1B encompassed asphalt roads; storm and combined wastewater lifting stations; electrical substations; LV cabling, street lighting and road crossings. Key Responsibilities and Achievements • Represented the Contractor as the Project Director with P&L accountability for this phase of the project. • Led successful negotiations with the employer to remobilise the project following a period of dispute and was subsequently deployed to the Jewel of the Creek Project to perform a similar role.

As the Project Director on the Gate Avenue Shopping Mall, I had P&L accountability for the project, overseeing 120 direct employees, 700 direct tradespeople and labourers, and a peak site contractors’ workforce of 1,500. I am particularly proud of the substantial completion of Gate Avenue’s north and central retail spines, representing 50 per cent of the project site, including overall management of the Contractor’s self-perform MEP procurement and execution with no serious lost time injuries. Prior to deployment to the Gate Avenue project, I was a Senior Project Manager reporting to the General Manager UAE, and primarily responsible for troubleshooting on a diverse range of issues across 15 live building and infrastructure projects.

As the Acting Country Manager Saudi Arabia, I reported to the CEO and was primarily responsible for downsizing the Saudi business to reflect Habtoor Leighton Group’s revised business plan and the challenging trading conditions in the Saudi economy arising from low oil prices. As the Senior Project Manager, I had P&L accountability for Al Habtoor Leighton’s 20 per cent portion of the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar joint venture project in Jeddah. This included overseeing the 80 Al Habtoor Leighton employees seconded to the project to manage day-to-day operations and acting as the Secretary for the joint venture management board. As a Project Development Manager, I established a satellite branch office for Leighton Middle East (LME) and finalised the commercial registration of the Leighton Middle East Contracting Company in Riyadh. I also developed numerous prospective opportunities including the Jeddah Airport 2 Sewage Treatment Plant (STP); and had operational oversight of the soon-to-commence Jeddah Aircraft Maintenance Hangar joint venture. Some highlights associated with this tenure include streamlining business operations within a six-month period to achieve a significant reduction in corporate overhead and a 54 per cent reduction in staff. I also finalised the award of the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar project’s two largest subcontract packages, navigating substantial difficulties to reach agreement. Additional Responsibilities and Achievements • Identified inconsistencies in the preparation of monthly joint venture partner invoices for staff and labour resources, lobbying and winning support to implement an accurate, transparent and administratively efficient billing procedure. • Promoted a positive work culture within the joint venture project team based on clear and forthright communication, mutual respect and the interests of the joint venture as foremost.

The Buildings by Daman high‐rise project was a multimillion-dollar design and construct contract to take over a partially completed, mixed use Property Development. As a Project Manager, I was responsible for the delivery and pre-contract due diligence on ‘link bridge’ works. I successfully coordinated a multidisciplinary team of consulting engineers and worked with the project owners and project manager to develop a safe and viable design for the link bridge structure within five months of project commencement. I also initiated a redesign of the link bridge enabling safer and faster construction.

The Liverpool to Ashfield Pipeline Project for Sydney Water Company was a multimillion-dollar design-and-build project to deliver a 24 km, 1m diameter, 150 megalitre per day sewer rising main across Sydney’s southwest including two new pump stations. In these roles, I worked closely on the original tender documents and post-tender negotiations; led a small team constructing the project’s critical path works; and assisted with the testing, commissioning and final handover of the project. Notably, I established a strong rapport with the client’s Project Manager, ensuring key concerns were robustly addressed in the tender proposal. I also advocated an innovative temporary works solution facilitating connection of the new pipeline to the existing sewer network.

Baulderstone Hornibrook is an Australian Engineering firm specialising in construction and civil infrastructure. As a Project and Site Engineer on the Sydney Cross City Tunnel Project for Cross City Motorway, I was one of two engineers responsible for the delivery of the Druitt Street cut-and-cover portal works at Darling Harbour. This included traffic staging, utility relocations and piling and excavation works. I coordinated the development of 320 design packages, obtaining sign-off on the completed design by the independent design verifier (IDV). I also undertook monthly commercial reporting on some cost codes and oversaw all site safety and quality inspections.