| Media
Release
Latest
News | Archives
IPENZ Promotes Robin Kingston to Distinguished Fellow
to
Friday, 26 March 2004
Robin (Bob) Kingston, retired consulting engineer of Kingston, Reynolds
Thom and Allardice (KRTA), was promoted to the class of Distinguished
Fellow of The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ),
for his leadership in the profession of engineering and advancement of
engineering practice, Kingston is promoted to the class of Distinguished
Fellow.
“Bob has always been a man with a vision. From his early career
days as an articled engineer with the legendary bridge designer Stanley
Jones, Bob has striven to realise ideals – more efficient methods
of engineering management, the concept of a multi-discipline consulting
practice, the logic of undertaking overseas consulting work as a counterpoint
to the three-year electoral funding cycle,” said IPENZ Deputy Chief
Executive, John Gardiner.
Bob will be presented with his Distinguished Fellowship at the IPENZ Awards
Dinner held in Christchurch at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, on Thursday,
25 March 2004.
Citation Notes:
In the ‘50s the dairy industry provided the impetus for the development
of the integrated consulting practice. Under Bob’s guidance, KRTA
then offered the only fully multidisciplinary consulting service in New
Zealand.
By the mid-60s, with many mouths to feed in the thriving practice, but
constrained by the electoral cycle and the ups and downs of the building
industry, Bob began to look overseas for work. His first port of call
was the international agencies, but he quickly realised that, given the
fierce international competition for regular building work, something
unique had to be offered – and New Zealand, he realised, had unique
expertise within government agencies in the shape of geothermal power
development experience.
Bob’s vision and hard work with the government agencies led to an
arrangement whereby this expertise was made available for the export sector
through KRTA.
Under Bob’s guidance, and by recruiting and training young scientists
and engineers, KRTA built up an enviable record in geothermal field developments
around the globe which has been continued by its successors. They were
particularly successful in the Philippines, with the initial assistance
of New Zealand Aid – 25% of the Philippines’ electricity now
comes from geothermal sources.
Technology transfer has always been a major component of Bob’s vision,
and the Philippines is now fully self-sufficient in geothermal expertise.
Back
to 2004 Distinguished Fellows list
Back to News and
Views
|
