Our Team
Adam Rankin
National Defence Leader
Adam has a strong background in project direction and management for multidisciplinary building and infrastructure projects in Australia and abroad.
His success as a leader stems from excellent communication skills and the ability to flexibly and systematically manage teams and projects. Adam’s collaborative approach fosters success for clients and the company.
With 13 years in the Australian Army focusing on operational and project delivery, he developed strong project management skills, particularly in planning major projects. Additionally, his 17 years as a consultant in the property and construction industry further refined his project management and consulting capabilities.
Darren Taylor
National Growth Leader
Darren brings over 20 years of experience in the Defence industry, including leading major programs in the fuel, dangerous goods and hazardous areas, maintenance, and major capital sectors. His experience includes managing and delivering capital projects, developing and leading repeatable work programs, leading facilities maintenance design teams, asset management, explosive ordnance and dangerous goods consulting.
Darren brings expertise in risk consulting, program planning, and delivery. He has extensive experience in petroleum construction management with various Australian contractors and has overseen the delivery of all ACOR services in the Defence sector for the past three years, guiding our growth and strategic pursuits.
Stephen Lau
Estate Works Program Leader
Stephen is a Principal of ACOR Consultants who has worked in the consulting engineering industry for over 30 years and with ACOR since 1998. Stephen has led the ACOR Estate Works Program (EWP) business since 2020 and oversees our multidisciplinary design teams. Stephen’s role is to work closely with our clients to forecast their needs, support our PMO and delivery teams, and ensure the ACOR business continually improves to meet Defence’s needs.
Playing a “hands-on” role allows Stephen to develop a deep understanding of the unique capability and facility needs for Defence. Combined with his 20 years of experience delivering some of Australia’s most prominent defence projects, Stephen is a recognised leader in engineering and technical services for defence projects.
Gerard Koen
Client Leader - Defence Facilities Management
Gerard brings over 20 years of experience in Defence and the private sector, gaining a strategic understanding of government operations through his strong client and industry relationships as a veteran while still serving as an Army Reservist (Major) in the Royal Australian Engineers. He has planned and led complex infrastructure projects for Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory and across the Defence Estate in Western Australia, as well as in the Middle East, the South West Pacific and South East Asia.
Gerard has excelled in various roles throughout his career, including consultancy and project leadership across different contracting models and the full project life cycle. He received a Secretary of Defence/Chief of Defence Force Joint Commendation in 2022 for his outstanding contributions to the Pacific Step-Up infrastructure projects in Fiji and Vanuatu.
Willie Malherbe
Civil & Major Project Lead
Willie is a Principal of ACOR Consultants and possesses over 30 years of experience in the consulting engineering field, including 16 years as a consulting engineer in the Defence sector. Willie leads our industry engagement, pursuits and service delivery on major capital projects.
Willie has significant experience as a Project Director on major Defence infrastructure projects, including national programs, capability and training projects, security upgrades, base sustainment upgrades and expansions, and greenfield facility projects.
Imran Shaik
Fuel, DG and EO
Imran boasts over 17 years of extensive experience in Defence, specialising in roles encompassing Dangerous Goods (DG), Explosives Ordnance (EO), Hazardous Area Classification (HAC), and Fuel Design Consultant. As an Accredited Dangerous Goods and Explosives Consultant recognised by the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulations and Safety (DEMIRS) in WA, Imran is equipped with a comprehensive understanding of regulatory frameworks and safety standards. He is also a distinguished member of the Australasian Institute of Dangerous Goods Consultants (AIDGC), further solidifying his expertise in the field.
As Principal Engineer, Imran undertakes the pivotal National Service Leader for the Energy Discipline role at ACOR. His extensive portfolio includes serving as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on numerous high-profile Defence projects nationwide.
Emma Bell
Design Management
Based in Darwin, Emma is an experienced project leader specialising in design and stakeholder management for Defence projects. She is security-cleared with over 15 years of experience working across all Defence Project Life Cycle phases. This is evidenced by her experience successfully delivering capital works projects across NT, performing the NSW EWP Regional Program Manager role, and working to deliver significant capital projects in NSW and QLD.
In 2021, Emma received the Charles Darwin University Alumni Award for Industry Excellence in recognition of her continuous dedication and contribution to delivering predominantly Defence projects nationally and her thirst for learning and upskilling in the sustainability arena.
Grant Potter
Hydraulic
Grant is a hydraulic subject matter expert and leading ACOR design manager delivering integrated infrastructure solutions to support Defence activities over various design briefs. Grant is a Principal in ACOR with over 35 years of experience; he has extensive experience within the Defence Sector, delivering technical and design services on major redevelopments involving the full suite of facility and capability project types.
Recognised as a “safe pair of hands,” Grant acts as discipline representative and multidisciplinary lead on our complex and technically challenging projects.
Reece Liddy
Fire
For over 12 years, Reece has been involved in various projects, developing technical expertise in the design, documentation, audits, and commissioning automatic fire sprinkler systems, smoke detection and alarm systems, building occupant warning systems, and portable fire extinguishers. He is intimately familiar with the Building Code of Australia (BCA), the Defence Manual of Fire Protection Engineering (MFPE), and Australian Standards.
Reece has been ACOR’s fire services lead on over a dozen facility and capability projects across Australia.
Lizzy Dobson
Project Engineer
As ACOR’s Security Officer (SO), Lizzy is responsible for promoting and maintaining a protective security culture across the business and ensuring that ACOR meets their security obligations as a Defence Industry Partner. Lizzy’s role involves coordinating the mandatory security training for ACOR, delivering security briefings, assisting clearance subjects through the clearance process, verifying clearances, maintaining a security register, and supporting/advising the ACOR Defence team.
Tom Christie
Mechanical
With over 15 years of experience, Tom has delivered several complex Defence projects across Australia. He is currently leading ACOR’s multi-discipline team on a billion+ multidisciplinary project in NSW and has held a vital role in delivering similar estate and capability projects.
As either the Mechanical discipline lead or ACOR’s design manager, he has delivered projects across the Defence estate. This experience complements the breadth of industry sectors Tom has operated, including commercial, retail, multi-residential, hospitality, education, and public facilities. Tom is directly involved in all aspects of project delivery, including client and architect briefing, design, documentation, and project administration.
Corey Rogers
Fuel
A Navy Veteran with 30+ years of experience in leadership, operational and project management, Corey is a senior principal consultant for ACOR, leading our fuel business. His experiences include delivering international and domestic consulting services in the construction, energy, mining, and Defence sectors.
Since 2019, Corey has led ACOR’s Fuel leader on national programs. His relationships, technical knowledge, and supply chain connections make him an industry leader in delivering fuel projects to Defence.
Vanessa Roberts
Defence Administration
Vanessa has over 15 years of experience working for international consultancy firms such as KPMG and within Government agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission. This blend of experience provides her with a balanced industry perspective and diverse skill set in support of the ACOR Defence leadership and service delivery teams.
Vanessa works closely with our National Defence Leadership team to foster industry engagement and report/administer ACOR Defence operations and service delivery.
Warwick Meadows
Mechanical
Warwick is a Principal of ACOR with over 35 years of experience. He is a Senior Mechanical Engineer keen to tackle the more challenging and unusual building services projects, which has secured him a reputation for diligence, accuracy, and a methodical approach to project design. Each project has both technical challenges and desired Client outcomes. The engineer’s skill is to marry both needs into the design and ensure delivery matches the intent.
Warwick has over 18 years of significant and continued exposure to Defence projects and extensive experience delivering major Defence projects involving both Head Contractor and Managing Contractor. During his extensive career, he has developed a working knowledge of and experience at numerous Defence Bases and establishments across Australia.
Zaheer Mamujee
Design Management
Zaheer has 20 years of experience in the consulting engineering industry. His experience includes overseeing multi-discipline design, coordination, and construction management for infrastructure and building projects. He has managed ACOR teams through all facets of the planning, design and construction activities for Defence and complex infrastructure projects.
Zaheer is an industry leader in the design management of Defence projects due to his extensive experience in the redevelopment of Army and Naval bases, RAAF bases or airfields, logistic storage and distribution centres, fuel farms, transport compounds, special training facilities, basewide water, fire, sewerage upgrades, and other system upgrades including AFFF Treatment Systems.
Mark Coyte
Design Management
Mark has 26 years of experience, starting with Civil and Civic and more recently with Project Management companies: Carson Group / Coffey Projects, Cadence (QLD), APP and Loyalty Management Solutions.
For the past 20 years, Mark has been a specialist project manager/contract administrator, delivering major facility and infrastructure upgrades across the Defence estate. He worked for Lendlease as a Design Manager and APP’s Panel Manager across various delivery roles. Mark has delivered 11 business cases on capability and sustainment projects ranging from $10m to $430m. Mark operates as one of the ACOR design managers supporting service delivery on complex Defence commissions for either CFI or under the PDS program.
