Deb Cownley

Over her 20-year career in the infrastructure industry, Deb has obtained experience in both the client and construction side, gaining broad experience into what it takes to achieve excellence in major projects and lead business wide change initiatives. She has a passion for inclusive workplaces and leads the way in establishing processes and controls to ensure compliance and risk minimisation to facilitate successful project delivery.

In an impressive career to-date, Deb has learnt all about balancing ambition and wellbeing whilst holding critical roles with John Holland on some iconic projects, including the West Gate Tunnel, Metro Tunnel Early Works, Level Crossing Removals and the Sugarloaf Pipeline. She has also led the delivery of business wide initiatives including the John Holland Way, a business wide initiative to deliver common and simplified ways of working and she is a Co-chair of the John Holland Employee Resource Group, Celebrate Women Network. More recently Deb has moved into the senior leadership team for the Energy portfolio where she is part of the team driving John Holland’s contribution towards Australia’s transition to a renewable energy future.

Prior to this role, she was the Project Manager for the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce initiative to trial and implement a Culture Standard that focuses on improving diversity, wellbeing and time for life across the infrastructure construction industry and she continues to work with the CICT and as part of the Australian Construction Association’s Culture Committee.

Deb is passionate about long term success for those around her and supports others in the industry as a mentor, she is also a mother to two ‘tweens’, is a School Council President and sits on the national board of the not-for-profit service organisation, Kiwanis Australia.