It is no surprise Brendan Lindsey forged a career in the construction industry. From a young age, Brendan went with his carpenter father to building sites, learning, and helping where he could.

Now, aged 35, Brendan credits a lucky break with Multiplex for the start of his successful career in the sector, but says the site work he did with his father gave him a good grounding, and an insight into people and their different personalities. “There are all kinds of different people on site. You learn about human dynamics and team spirit.”

Multiplex employed Brendan to work on its Metropolis Hotel project in Auckland while he was completing a degree in construction management at Unitec; a job, he says, is one of the highlights of his working life to date. “The project team comprised some of the most respected professionals in the industry, who worked on the delivery of safety and project standards we hadn’t seen before in New Zealand.

The Metropolis Hotel project was completed in 2001. I was project co-ordinator. It was a great position that allowed me to see things through from start to finish. The company put a lot of time into pre-construction and planning. We spent months and months doing that before putting a spade into the ground. It’s something we need a lot more emphasis on – the pre-construction phase – in New Zealand.”

In 2003, armed with more experience, Brendan decided to travel abroad and landed what he recalls as a memorable job with Multiplex UK. He was offered a role as site supervisor on the company’s West India Quays project which incorporated a five-star Marriott Hotel, 158 luxury apartments, 47 serviced apartments, and 12 stories of hotel rooms and suites. Coming in at the end, he found himself in a team that “just clicked”. “It was tough but enjoyable … it was important to get the best out of people.” He went on to complete two more projects for Multiplex UK, having been promoted to the role of construction manager.

The final one, the 199 Knightsbridge project in London, was named Residential Development of the Year in 2006 at the UK Property Awards. Brendan enjoyed his time in the UK with the industry’s “work hard, play hard” culture, but a tempting offer from Parsons Brinkerhoff prompted a move to Dubai to work on the Palm Jumeirah development. However, it was a position later on with Nakheel – one of the world’s largest developers – that sticks in Brendan’s mind. Employed as senior project manager on the Trump International Hotel and Tower project in Dubai, Brendan managed more than 160 staff. He says the Trump family involvement was to do with branding rather than anything else. “The work had to comply with Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr.’s project updates.” But the experience did not tempt him to apply for US television show The Apprentice, he says, content just to remember doing a good job. “There is a great sense of satisfaction when you complete a project and you see what you’ve done. When you’re working on it, you’re dealing with problems. When you complete it, you look at it in a different light and see it for what the building is. “You get a great feeling of accomplishment – particularly when you get a client who loves their building. Whether it be a house or a building, it’s great to see that sense of satisfaction when they move into it.”

Despite his many triumphs, Brendan has had low points along the way. He remembers the disappointment of being employed as senior project manager on a US$1.5 billion high-rise development that was cancelled after two years because of the recession. But Brendan’s career has mostly been a series of successes, and he says working with some important mentors enabled him to develop professionally. He cites Multiplex New Zealand site manager Mark Prentice as a key influence who taught him the importance of forward planning and keeping things moving, and says Multiplex UK construction manager Matt Wagstaff showed him how to build “a cool team of guys”.

Brendan has now returned to New Zealand and is one of Dominion Constructors’ youngest senior project managers. He is currently working on Auckland’s Quay Park project opposite the Vector Arena. He says joint director Alf Russell, who died last year, was inspirational. “He always remembered everyone’s name and had an ability to connect with people. He had real integrity. It contributed to the company’s success.”

Brendan and wife Ineke live in the South Auckland suburb of Pukekohe. Their first child, Miles, was born last October. Brendan says it is ideal to be working so close to his home and family at present, and anticipates the project will last around another two years. And while he is glad to be back in New Zealand, he says he is not surprised so many Kiwis choose to work abroad. “We punch above our weight in construction. But the industry is impacted by our size so there are fewer opportunities here. But we’re Kiwis. We think it’s the greatest place to bring up kids. “The Christchurch rebuild will present opportunities we’ve never had in this country. New Zealand should capitalise on it. It’s a prime opportunity for the government to put more into it.” He is excited about his future with Dominion, which he joined two years ago, and says the company has picked up a lot of work over the past two months. And with major changes afoot under new general manager Robert Gibbs, opportunities to redevelop the management structure, systems and business are on the horizon.

Brendan is also enthusiastic about one of Dominion’s latest recruits, Grant Thomas, who was the Supreme Award Winner in this year’s NZIOB Awards for his management of the Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tamaki project when he was with Hawkins Construction. “It’s exciting times,” says Brendan. “I’m lucky to be with the company.” Although he is unlikely to be thinking about any career moves in the near future, Brendan finds the idea of one day owning his own business appealing. In the meantime, he is keen to find out more about the use of off-site prefabrication systems, which he sees as a growing trend. “It’s a philosophy we need to incorporate more into the industry. Do as much off-site as you can. It reduces labour costs because things are done in a factory, and this means better quality and less impact from the weather. Bathrooms done this way are not uncommon. I think we could use it a lot more. “When I worked on the Atlantis Hotel project in the Middle East, all they did was use these pods. There could be opportunities to use them in the Christchurch rebuild. It’s an area I’d like to explore a bit further.”

Brendan is honoured to have won this year’s NZIOB Young Achiever Award, and an unexpected $1000 cheque in the post last month from one of the NZIOB Awards for Excellence sponsors, Progressive Building, was an added bonus, he says. If there was any advice Brendan could give to novices it would be that integrity is important and reputation is everything. “It’s a small market; everyone knows everyone, particularly at senior levels. Enthusiasm, integrity and a brain are three things you need to be successful.”