NEC Asia Pacific Conference 2023

In October 2021, Ir Ricky Lau was appointed as the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) to oversee public works policy and infrastructure development.

Ir Lau was the Director of Civil Engineering and Development from October 2018 to October 2021, and was responsible for overseeing the strategic planning and the implementation of various reclamation, new development area and major infrastructure projects. He joined the Hong Kong Government in 1992 as an Assistant Engineer. Before joining the Civil Engineering and Development Department in 2015, he worked in the Highways Department and the Development Bureau.

Robert specialises in NEC contracts, both setting these up and successfully managing them. He has over 30 years’ experience in contract management and carries out training and consultancy around the world. Robert is based in Hong Kong. He is an examiner for the Institution of Civil Engineers Certificate in Law and Contract Management course and has also held the position of NEC Users’ Group Secretary from 2006 to date.

Robert’s publications include NEC3 and NEC4 Compared (2017), NEC2 and NEC3 Compared (2005), joint author in NEC4 Avoiding and Resolving Disputes (2019), NEC4 Practical Solutions (2017) and NEC3 Practical Solutions (2015).

CK is a chartered civil engineer and a BIM specialist with more than 40 years of experience in UK, Canada and HK over the development of numerous digital systems for the AEC industry. He worked in both the public sector for Hong Kong Government, and the private sectors in Hong Kong, UK and Canada.

Ir CK Ng pioneers in “Total Digitalisation”, a concept hinging on ISO19650 requirements emphasising the use of information containers to achieve meaningful collaboration. CK leads an elite team to develop a cloudbased platform called Digital Records of Works (dRoW). dRoW is an integrated, secure, and customisable platform capable of handling NEC, EDMS, DWSS, Quality Assurance Systems, Safety Management Systems, and BIM Document Repositories. CK proposes and develops for clients Just-inTime digitalisation which is the last jigsaw puzzle to fit in, allowing information to be shared at the moment when it is required. dRoW is popular in public works and private projects, catering the needs for not just clients, consultants and contractors, but also sub-consultants, sub-contractors and suppliers.

Gordon is a legally trained chartered Civil Engineer and is currently working as an engineering contract expert, a trained negotiator, and an accredited mediator. He is also an NEC trainer for NEC Project Manager Accreditation for Thomas Telford Limited, Institution of Civil Engineers.

Since early year 2000, Gordon has been working for multiple infrastructure projects involving both New Engineering Contract (NEC) and traditional contracts such as General Conditions of Contract of Hong Kong SAR Government (GCC), and Conditions of Contract in the private sector such as MTR Conditions of Contract, and MTR Target Cost Contract. He has constant dialogues with government policy makers, engineers, quantity surveyors, BIM experts, software developers and expert witnesses and stays very much abreast of the current industrial demand, expectation in contract administration and project management.

He is a frequent speaker in various events for UK and Hong Kong institutes such as Institution of Civil Engineers, Hong Kong Institute of Building Information Modelling, Hong Kong Institute of Construction Managers and many more.

Helen has wide experience working for the NHS directly in NHSE and in consultancy at director level covering capital project management, technical engineering consultancy, estate and facilities services.

Helen will be delivering the keynote speech at this conference to share experience and insights from the NEC award winning project under ProCure23 Framework.

Ken Chan is Director of Arup, qualified professional civil engineer, and NEC ECC Accredited Project Manager with experiences across the whole life-cycle of projects from planning, technical feasibility studies, preliminary design, detailed design, to tender and construction supervision. Ken sits in the leadership role of various complex infrastructure projects including his Arup Project Manager role in the Arup-Mott MacDonald Joint Venture for the Central Kowloon Route project in Hong Kong.

Kevin Suen is an architect by profession and joined the Architectural Services Department in 2011. He has extensive professional experience and handled a number of projects including the Tamar Development Project, the Expansion of the Legislative Council Complex, Kwun Tong Composite Development, the District Court Building, the West Kowloon Law Courts Building and the Drainage Services Department Office Building.

Michael LI is an architect by profession and studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London and joined the Architectural Services Department in 1997. Before returning to the department in 2014, he was posted to the Development Bureau’s Energizing Kowloon East Office in facilitating the transformation of Kowloon East area into another premier Central Business District of Hong Kong.

He has extensive professional experience and handled a number of projects including the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point Complex, Kowloon East Regional Police Operation Base, disciplinary staff quarters at Pak Shing Kok and elderly homes at Kwu Tung North adopting Modular Integrated Construction, Hong Kong Wetland Park, the Improvement to Victoria Park, the Diamond Hill Columbarium and Crematorium, the City Gallery, Quarantine Camps with about 4,100 quarantine units at various locations of Hong Kong in 2020, eight Community Isolation Facilities in 2022 with about 40,000 units completed in four months to combat against COVID-19 and 30,000 units of Light Public Housing by 2027-28.

Tim is a chartered civil engineer and NEC consultant with nearly 30 years of project experience across a wide range of sectors including civil engineering, highway infrastructure, wastewater, energy and building. He has experience of working for contractors, clients, and consultants.

Tim has over 17 years of experience successfully delivering NEC procured projects and supporting clients in the implementation of the NEC. This includes undertaking the role of the Project Manager / Supervisor, providing contract advice, drafting contracts and training on numerous projects in the UK and Hong Kong. Tim has delivered over 350 training courses on behalf of numerous clients in the UK and Hong Kong, including CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd, HyD, ArchSD, DSD and CEDD.

He was a key member of the NEC4 drafting team which included leading the drafting of all the user guides (24 no. books) and drafting key elements of the ECC, and the most recent ECC HK edition.

Wilfred So holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The University of Hong Kong. He is a member of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and a Registered Professional Engineer (CVL). He is a council member and the Vice Chairman for Health & Safety Committee of Hong Kong Construction Association (HKCA). He has over 20 years of experience in civil engineering construction. Mr. So is a Direct at BKCL, Build King Civil and Build King (Zens) Engineering, is responsible for Build King’s civil engineering operation in Hong Kong.

Dr Anne Kerr holds various roles and positions within Mott MacDonald including that of Managing Director Greater China. She arrived in Hong Kong as a graduate and has been involved in many strategic projects which have shaped Hong Kong’s development. Her focus is on developing places and facilities for people! Her involvement in projects which shaped and continued to develop Hong Kong’s international airport continue, and the experience gained through strategic development planning, environmental and sustainability assessments have been transferred to many other jurisdictions.

She is actively involved in professional organisations including the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong where she served on, and chaired the Environment and Energy Committee and the Smart City Forum. She has served as Vice Chair of the General Committee and is currently the Chair having been appointed in September 2022.