Tristan Lees-Baker

Tristan Lees-Baker

Director

Tristan has almost 30 years’ experience in client, consultant and contractor roles. Tristan’s commercial and technical skills have been developed through a combination of design, project management and leadership roles in a variety of disciplines including roads, ports, airports, water, wastewater and vertical construction. This broad experience enables him to challenge at each stage of the project lifecycle, creating opportunity for improvement and driving innovation.

Tristan has spent a large part of his career in front line senior leadership roles where open communication, consistency and performance are essential. He has demonstrated his ability to develop and lead high performing teams focussed on delivering successful outcomes. Tristan has gravitated towards collaborative styles of delivery and has been involved with some of New Zealand’s early alliances. He led the procurement of the Auckland System Management maintenance alliance which replaced the Auckland Motorway Alliance.

Tristan is a Chartered Engineer in both the UK and New Zealand, an accredited tender evaluator, qualified lead auditor, member of the Institute of Collaborative Working and a member of the Society of Construction Law.

Areas of expertise

  • Project governance

  • Strategic planning including Investment Logic Mapping

  • Project delivery model and procurement process design

  • Tender Evaluation Team lead (qualified)

  • Collaborative relationship contracting

  • Engineer to Contract (accredited)

  • Workshop facilitation

  • Lead reviewer

Relevant projects

  • Northern Pathway Westhaven to Akoranga, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (2020)

    In the role of Project Director, Tristan led the team during specimen design development and resource consent application preparation. He was the Evaluation Team lead for the procurement of an alliance to complete the detailed design and construction of this critical missing link in Auckland’s walking and cycling network.

  • Auckland System Management Alliance, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (2018 – 2019)

    Tristan supported the client team to design a two-contractor alliance delivery model for the operations and maintenance of Auckland’s motorway and state highway network.

  • Northland Delivery Framework, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (2017 – present)

    Tristan co-designed a framework of physical works contractors for the delivery of small to medium projects in Northland. He led the procurement process and advises the client team.

  • Engineer to Contract, KiwiRail and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (2016 – present)

    Tristan is the named Engineer to Contract on a range of physical works contracts for KiwiRail and previously for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency as defined in the conditions of contract for building and civil engineering construction, NZS3910.