A chat with... David Carter

As part of a series of stories profiling people of influence from around Beca, we asked Executive Chair David Carter, winner of the Outstanding Leadership and Contribution to Infrastructure Award at Building Nations 2024, to tell us about his career journey and life outside of work. 
 

Tell us about your childhood. Were you born in Auckland?  

Actually I was born in London. Soon after getting married, my parents embarked on a working holiday to the UK. Sadly for them, their visions of a four-year honeymoon encountered a dose of reality when I came along. As the first grandchild, my grandparents wanted us back in New Zealand. So there I was on a plane, winging my way home, at the tender age of six weeks. Upon entry into the States, the required proof of vaccination couldn’t be found, so following a second vaccination in short succession, I allegedly screamed my way back to Auckland! 

I grew up around boats – and have always felt at home on the sea. I have early memories of going away on my grandfather’s yacht. And then Dad had boats, and now so do I. The challenge when you have teenage kids is making the time. They still come away with us every Christmas - long may that last.  

My father [Sir Ron Carter] travelled a lot for work, but when he was in town, he’d always make the time to drive me to school or university. Each car ride provided half an hour of private coaching on business or principles of engineering. While I may not have recognised it at the time, it provided a kind of mentorship that you’d struggle to get any other way.  

How did you decide what to study?  

It was going to be either marine biology or engineering. I figured I could be an engineer and still have marine biology as a hobby.  

I completed a Bachelors in Civil Engineering followed by a Masters of Engineering in geotechnical at the University of Auckland. I could have stayed in Auckland, but opted for a PhD in California. The twin benefits of deferring work, plus lounging on California beaches and racing yachts on San Francisco Bay.  

Upon graduating in the US, the local job offers were attractive, but I chose to come home and Beca seemed to offer the widest choice. I joined in 1987 – I would have been 26, almost 27, at the time. I started in the Geotech section. We had just started an airside pavement project for Auckland Airport, which in turn would lead to working on airports throughout the Pacific.  

What was it like to work in the same company as your father?  

There are challenges with joining a company of which your father is a named partner [Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner], but there are advantages too. For example, wandering into directors’ offices never seemed like an issue. I knew them personally - many had been at our house for dinner. 

Conversely others didn’t seem to hesitate to offer their opinion on how you got your job, or your capability – but that’s almost always healthy. Knowing what people think is helpful and a sign of trust that people feel comfortable telling you.  

Did you spend much time living overseas?  

We lived in Jakarta for a few months when I was 11, as Dad was travelling to Indonesia multiple times a year. I remember snippets of all sorts of eclectic things from that time – baby elephants; people with leprosy; competing to hold your breath as you drove past the durian market; us kids squabbling in the car over a bunch of bananas only for the monkeys to steal them. I still feel at home in places like Indonesia and Thailand, with their juxtaposition of modern high rises and villages.  

I lived in Melbourne for a few years when I was Managing Director of Beca’s Australian business. It’s a stunning city.  

Starting a family late in life, having my first child at 46, meant that I was spoilt for opportunity to work away from home before I had family commitments. There have been so many adventures through work, and I embraced every one of them. Feeling like an overgrown child in a sandpit – just with bigger toys. Why would I want to do anything else?  

Tell us about your other roles outside of Beca 

I have been particularly fortunate with my career, so giving back is important. I see education as a key enabler of equality - and we only have one planet.  

In terms of pro bono activities related to Beca, I chair the University of Auckland Foundation and am an advisory board member for the Engineering Faculty. I also serve as a Guardian of Aotearoa Circle and recently became a Guardian of Koi Tū, a part of the University focused on getting people to re-engage with democracy. Being involved with Aotearoa Circle is about giving back to nature and ultimately helping to regenerate Aotearoa.  

My Meridian Energy board role wasn’t something that I went looking for, rather it found me – and the opportunity to learn from some of New Zealand’s most respected directors hugely appealed, not to mention helping our country decarbonise. In keeping with the time commitment, I reduced my Beca hours accordingly – this was all about being fair to my Beca colleagues.  

Where does your interest in sustainability come from?  

I have always loved the sea – it is my happy place. Within my lifetime, I have witnessed the biodiversity loss that’s occurred around our coastline. I learned to scuba dive at 14. Where crayfish, scallops and mussel beds used to abound, they are scarce in comparison. 

Nature needs a chance to recover, to re-establish healthy populations so that ultimately it can provide sustainably for everyone – going beyond simply stopping biodiversity loss, to helping it to regenerate.   

The drive to decarbonise is vital and it is awe-inspiring to see what we can achieve when clear targets are set, committed to and held over time - as humans we can achieve amazing outcomes. However, decarbonisation by itself won’t solve the nature challenge. After all, nature is a system that doesn’t accord with defined geographic boundaries. We need to work to restore all of the elements - forests, water, air quality - to provide a healthy environment for nature (and us) to thrive.  

Too often there is talk about one precluding the other, but I am confident that we can restore nature and have a thriving economy. Inevitably it will involve trade-offs, along with a healthy dose of creative thinking.   

What is the most rewarding aspect of your work at Beca? 

Beca was founded on the principle of being employee-owned, meaning collectively as shareholders we control our destiny and share in the profits we generate. The fact that the company continues to be purpose-driven, continues to thrive, and people seem genuinely committed to continuing the employee ownership model is probably the thing I’m most proud of about Beca.