For IPS Managing Director Sascha Kurz, supporting the QMCA Innovation and Excellence Awards is about more than industry recognition. It is also about honouring the legacy of a remarkable engineer and celebrating the people who continue to drive Queensland’s construction and infrastructure sector forward.
IPS sponsors the IPS James Sheldon Construction Professional of the Year Award, named in memory of a respected colleague and friend whose passion for the industry left a lasting impact.
Kurz says the decision to partner with the QMCA awards was an easy one.
“The QMCA is a significant and well-respected industry body in Queensland,” she says. “Being involved with the awards allows us to align our business with the organisation and its membership, and to stay connected with the companies and people shaping the future of our industry.
“Events like these are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the projects and the people behind them.”
Celebrating the people behind the projects
As both a sponsor and a member of the judging panel, Kurz has seen first-hand the calibre of entries submitted to the awards.
“The standard is always incredibly high,” she says. “This year I sat on two judging panels and every entry was impressive. It is often very difficult to separate them.”
An engineer by training, Kurz approaches the judging process with a technical mindset.
“At times, we’ve been scoring submissions down to the second decimal place because the entries are so close. The judging panels challenge each other and test their thinking because the calibre of people and projects is exceptional.”
The IPS James Sheldon Construction Professional of the Year Award is particularly compelling because it is open to professionals at any stage of their career.
“There is no age bracket and no restriction on experience,” Kurz says. “It’s simply about recognising someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry over the past year. That gives you a really interesting mix of people and achievements.”
A legacy that lives on
The award holds deep personal significance for IPS.
James Sheldon was one of the company’s earliest team members and someone Kurz mentored after he graduated from university. Tragically, Sheldon lost his life in a hiking accident.
“He was a great friend and colleague and one of the best construction engineers I’ve worked with,” Kurz says.
“James loved construction. He loved working on site, solving problems and being part of projects that made a difference.”
Supporting the award in his name ensures that his legacy continues.
“When we look at the submissions each year, I often imagine James sitting in front of the judging panel. He was that calibre of engineer, someone who genuinely embodied what this award represents.”
The connection is also meaningful for Sheldon’s family, many of whom attend the awards ceremony each year.
“They know how important the industry was to James, so it means a lot to them to see his name associated with recognising excellence in construction.”
Recognising excellence across the industry
Industry awards play an important role in a sector where people often focus more on delivery than recognition.
“Construction professionals are not always the type to put themselves forward for accolades,” Kurz says. “Awards provide an important opportunity to showcase the people and projects that are shaping our state.”
Even being nominated is a significant achievement.
“Winning a QMCA Award is a big deal in our industry. It is something people remember for the rest of their careers.”
Kurz also believes the awards help shine a light on the complexity behind major infrastructure projects.
“From the outside, people might see a new road or bridge and assume it is straightforward. But when you hear about the challenges around staging, interfaces, environmental considerations and community impacts, you realise just how complex these projects really are.
“The awards help tell those stories.”
Inspiring the next generation
With Queensland entering a period of significant infrastructure investment, including preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, attracting and retaining skilled professionals will be critical.
Kurz believes industry recognition plays an important role in that effort.
“Absolutely. The more we promote construction and infrastructure and highlight the people doing incredible work, the better.”
Celebrating excellence also sends an important message to government, industry partners and the wider community.
“The winners demonstrate the pride and evolution of our industry,” she says. “They highlight the amazing work being done across Queensland and provide confidence that we are in safe hands as we move into a decade of major project delivery.”
Raising the bar for the future
Ultimately, the QMCA Innovation and Excellence Awards are about more than recognising success. They also help drive continuous improvement across the sector.
“The awards showcase best-in-class projects and people each year,” Kurz says. “That raises the benchmark for everyone.
“They provide a platform for excellence and encourage the continued pursuit of improvement and innovation across the construction and infrastructure industry.”
Kurz believes recognition is something the industry should embrace more often.
“We celebrate birthdays every year to honour the people we care about,” she says.
“Celebrating and recognising excellence in our work life is just as important. It builds pride, ownership and a sense of belonging within our teams.”
For IPS, supporting the QMCA awards and the IPS James Sheldon Construction Professional of the Year Award is both a professional commitment and a personal one.
“It is about recognising the incredible people delivering Queensland’s infrastructure,” Kurz says.
“And ensuring that the values and passion that James brought to the industry continue to inspire.”
IPS provides dynamic project management, planning, engineering and asset management services to the water and broader infrastructure sectors. We deliver expert technical and advisory services across the full asset lifecycle. From development, transaction and procurement, through to the design, delivery and optimisation of complex, large-scale and sensitive projects.
Bringing together a team of over 40 highly skilled professionals and a trusted network of industry partners, IPS delivers optimal outcomes on some of the most challenging engineering and infrastructure projects. Our proven difference lies in the powerful blend of project management expertise, deep technical capability, asset lifecycle and stakeholder engagement insight we bring to every assignment, enabling us to respond to a broad range of client needs with clarity, precision and strategic understanding.
Our portfolio spans government agencies, Tier 1 & Tier 2 contractors, local councils, developers and specialist consultants, giving us a 360-degree perspective that drives integrated, transparent and tailored solutions at every stage of an asset’s life.
Maintaining a non-negotiable standard of excellence, IPS is setting a new benchmark for quality across the infrastructure sector.
Read more about our projects at www.ipsorg.com.au/experience
