Hawkins snares top exec from Brookfield Multiplex

Brookfield Multiplex Constructions (NZ) managing director Dan Ashby has gone to rival Hawkins Construction.

Hawkins chief executive Chris Hunter said Ashby would initially work in the company's national "front end" team to win new work for the business, particularly in the Auckland region.

But from April, Ashby will take over running Hawkins in Auckland, becoming its regional manager.

Ashby had strong leadership credentials and an impressive track record at project and business level here and overseas, Hunter said.

Ashby worked on one of the world's most significant construction projects, the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai.

He was with Fletcher Construction when work began on the $2 billion hotel on the shores of the Persian Gulf. The 56-storey building, the world's tallest hotel at the time, is only slightly shorter than Auckland's Sky Tower.

Although Fletchers withdrew from the three-way venture, Ashby stayed on to head the team building the structure for Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Some of the big jobs Brookfield Multiplex scored under Ashby's leadership were the inner-city Chancery retail and commercial precinct, Nelson Street's Zest apartments, the new Deloitte building on Queen St, the 38-level Harbour City apartments in the city, Sylvia Park at Mt Wellington, Sentinel apartment tower at Takapuna and Nautilus apartments at Orewa.

Hunter said Don Young, the Auckland regional manager, would retire at the end of next year.

Australian Tim Pope said he had taken over at Brookfield Multiplex. An organisational restructure would bring the New Zealand business into line with Australia, he said.

Pope has taken a prominent role at Brookfield for many months, fronting publicity on the $200 million 80 Queen St project as construction finished and shops were leased on the ground floor.