Climate resilience & risk

Elliot enjoys helping clients navigate complex development challenges and is passionate about projects that create lasting value for communities, infrastructure networks and the environment.

A Director with more than two decades of experience, Elliot leads our engineering operations and brings extensive experience in civil and geotechnical engineering across the South Island. His work spans residential, commercial, infrastructure, tourism and recreation developments, with expertise including large-scale land development, critical infrastructure, natural hazard resilience, and flood and earthquake recovery.

He has been involved in projects ranging from greenfield developments and transport infrastructure to alpine facilities, tourism destinations and community assets, bringing a wealth of technical expertise to every project.

Known for his collaborative leadership style, Elliot enjoys working alongside clients, councils, contractors and project teams. He's particularly skilled at balancing technical requirements, environmental considerations, stakeholder expectations and long-term project objectives.

Alongside his project work, he's advised councils and national panels, contributed specialist expertise during major earthquake and flood responses, and provided evidence as an expert witness in High Court proceedings. He's also a strong advocate for sustainable engineering and plays a leads our sustainability initiatives.

In 2025, Elliot was appointed an Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau Fellow (learn more), recognising his contribution to the profession and wider industry.

Outside of work, you'll find Elliot and his family in the surf or on the slopes actively relaxing.

Passionate about robust ground investigations, Samantha knows her way around challenging ground conditions. She has a wealth of stopbank experience and a knack for finding solutions that work on site.

An Engineering Geologist and Technical Director with more than 30 years’ experience, Samantha is valued for her technical expertise and ability help clients understand ground conditions and clearly communicate any geotechnical risk.

She excels during construction, finding practical solutions to unforeseen ground conditions. Her experience includes subgrade inspections, earthworks, temporary slope stabilisation with soil anchors and the installation of full-scale working anchors. Samantha also has an incredible amount of investigation experience including shallow penetrometer testing and test pits to rock face logging, risk assessment and ongoing monitoring.

She also has significant experience in stopbank upgrade, design and construction work from the Avon River to the Rangitaiki, Waipaoa and Grey rivers. She has worked in the Christchurch residential sector before, during and since the Canterbury Earthquakes and brings strong local knowledge.

Leading our Wānaka office is Joe Turner, a long-standing member of the DO team and keen mountain biker.

Joe has more than a decade of experience with Davis Ogilvie and has spent the past seven years as West Coast Engineering Manager, delivering projects across a wide range of environments and working closely with councils, contractors and clients. He recently relocated to Wānaka from the West Coast to head up our newest office.

He began his career as a survey assistant before moving into civil engineering as a technician, and has since developed strong expertise in civil engineering design, infrastructure delivery, flood resilience, consent support and project coordination, along with trusted working relationships across regional New Zealand.

He now brings that experience to Wānaka and, with extensive back-country experience including work as an Alpine Guide in Fox Glacier and competition at a national level in downhill mountain biking, is a natural fit for the region.