Campbell Hammond
Senior Project Engineer at Edison
I started my career as an apprentice with Genesis Energy at the Huntly Power Station in 2002. I completed dual trade qualifications as an Electrician and Control & Instrumentation Technician. I also completed a NZ Certificate in Engineering (NZCE) - this is an advance trade qualification that is equivalent to the current Diploma in Engineering (NZDE).
I worked as a dual tradesman until 2006, before gaining direct entry into 2nd Professional Year (now Third Year) BE(Hons) at the University of Canterbury in 2007. In 2008, I was awarded the PSC Undergraduate Scholarship (PSC is a PEET member) and I graduated with Second Class First Division Honours in 2009.
After graduating, I returned to Genesis Energy as an Asset Engineer and took on the Huntly thermal generator asset management portfolio. In this role I was responsible for all aspects of the generator’s life cycles, from maintenance strategies to the delivery of large capital investment projects. In 2012 I was given the opportunity to expand my role to include asset management of all Genesis Energy’s hydro generators. This enabled me to work across the organisation and gain exposure to all levels of the business, literally from the coal face to the Executive team.
I was fortunate to be the Project Manager and Technical Lead on the delivery of some significant generator refurbishment projects that gained international attention. I have enjoyed sharing my experiences and learnings with my engineering peers, having regularly presented papers at conferences throughout New Zealand and Australia.
In 2014 I took on the role of Principal Electrical Engineer, gaining technical oversight across all of Genesis Energy electrical engineering activities. This was a challenging role which helped expand my engineering knowledge and commercial awareness. I can best describe a principal engineering role as “knowing the answers or having built enough relationships and experience to know where to find them”.
In 2019 I was looking to expand my horizons into the wider power industry, and I proudly accepted a role with Edison Consulting Group (Edison). Edison has a unique place in the New Zealand power industry as a practical consultancy. I enjoy the balance of spending as much time on site as I do in the office. Edison continues to allow me to apply my practical engineering background across a wide range of asset owners and engineering challenges, throughout all sectors of the New Zealand power industry.
Published June 2021