The affairs of the NZ Geotechnical Society are managed by the Management Committee on behalf of the Members. We aim for representation on the Committee that is as broad as possible both geographically and between engineers and geoscientists to ensure that all views are well represented.
The current Committee members are:
- Philip Robins – elected member, Chair
- Ioannis Antonopoulos – elected member, Vice-chair
- Emilia Stocks – elected member, Treasurer
- Martin Larisch- elected member
- Richard Justice – elected member
- Vacant – seat previously held by Liam Wotherspoon
- Jesse Beetham – elected member, Branches Coordinator
- Eleni Gkeli – ex-officio member, Past Chair and ISRM NZ Representative
- Ross Roberts – ex-officio member, IAEG NZ Representative
- Rolando Orense – ex-officio member, ISSMGE NZ representative
- Christoph Krauss – co-opted member, Young Geotechnical Professionals representative
- Camila Gibbons – co-opted member, editor of Geomechanics News
- Robert Kamunhangire – joint co-opted member, co-editor of Geomechanics News
- Jordan Moll – joint co-opted member, Website coordinator
- Luke Storie – joint co-opted member, Technical Working Group Liaison
- Liam Wotherspoon – joint co-opted member, Technical Working Group Liaison
2026/27 election
The terms of six elected members of the 2023/25 Management Committee are coming to an end. This is a call for nominations for the 2026/27 Management Committee. An election for the 2026/27 Management Committee will be held via online ballot if more than six nominations are received.
Results of the election will be announced at the AGM to be held on Thursday 4 December 2025 in Palmerston North.
You can find out more about the process and the role of the committee in our rules.
Why stand?
Joining the NZGS Management Committee is a unique opportunity to shape the future of our profession. You will collaborate with industry leaders, influence central government, and lead the development of training, seminars, and technical guidance. As a committee member, you will play a key role in setting NZGS priorities, attracting international conferences to New Zealand, and fostering the development of our members. This is a chance to work with the leading minds in our field and significantly grow your professional network.
Timeline
The timeline for the election is:
- Call for nominations (opens Wednesday 16 September 2025, closes Friday 10 October 2025)
- Voting (opens Monday 20 October 2025, closes Monday 10 November 2025)
- Announcement of new committee at AGM, Thursday 4 December 2025
Expectations
Being on the Management Committee is rewarding. The benefits that are gained are proportional to the effort put in, and so we encourage people to stand who are able and willing to put in the time and effort required to make the most of their tenure. We strive for a balance of experienced professionals (who may have less time, but who’s advice will be invaluable) and more junior professionals who may be able to spare more time for NZGS activities.
We expect that each elected Committee Member will:
- Aim to attend all the committee meetings. We traditionally hold four full-day committee meetings each year (8hrs each) (often one online and three in person). The total commitment each year is about 36 hours for these meetings including prep time, plus a bit of preparation / pre-reading time.
- Take the lead on one of our core portfolios of work. You can find out more about these in the members only section of the website here. You will take full control of the portfolio (although strategic decisions are always made by the full Committee), and will report on progress at each committee meetings. The amount of time this requires will depend on the portfolio, but could range from 40 hours per year to much more than that if you are keen.
- Take the lead on one or more of our projects. You can find out more about these in the members only section of the website here. You won’t be expected to do all the work, but will be expected to drive the project and report on progress to the committee. The amount of time this takes is really up to you, and varies significantly by project. If it’s something you’re technically interested in it can be a great personal development opportunity, and worth spending considerable time on.
We work as a collaborative team, so expect to make decisions as a group, identify new opportunities together, and to have as much fun as we can along the way.
Committee Members opportunities
Our Committee is currently involved in a whole range of activities:
- Core activities:
- Coordinating local branches
- Arranging touring guest speakers (including overseas speakers)
- Creating and managing short courses
- Leading our awards programme
- working on NZ Geomechanics News and our website
- NZGS led projects
- Piling Specification Review
- NZ Ground Investigation Specification update
- Soil and Rock Description update
- Ground anchor specification
- Slope stability guidelines
- Young Professionals Training Modules
- NZ Earthworks Specification
- Conferences
- 2026 – LaRGE conference
- 2027 – 16th ISRM International Congress on Rock Mechanics
- 2028 – ANZ Conference
- 2029 – 23rd NZGS Symposium
How to apply
Please submit your application by the end of Friday 10 October 2025 to secretary@nzgs.org.
All applications must be on the 2025 election form provided by the Society (link below), and must be signed by the member nominated and two other full members of NZGS.
On behalf of NZGS Management Committee
Philip Robins
NZGS Chair 2023-2025