Sheffield Search congratulates Alan Sutcliffe on his appointment as Chief Executive for Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA).
“It was a pleasure to partner with board members Craig Stevenson (Chair), Jeremy Smith, Dave Anderson and Wayne Carson in the appointment of Alan to the CE role.
The appointment recognised Alan’s track record of highly successful governance and senior executive leadership over many years. Key to this has his been his ability to drive innovation and performance effectively through superior people management skills and process rigour.
His appointment ushers a new and exciting chapter into HERA’s service to members and the industry.” - Ian Taylor, Managing Director, Sheffield North Island.
HERA Announcement
New leadership, new momentum. Nau mai, haere mai Alan!
HERA is pleased to introduce our new Chief Executive, Alan Sutcliffe, a leader who knows this industry from the inside.
Alan has spent the last four years as CEO of one of Aotearoa New Zealand's largest heavy steel fabrication and welding companies. Before that, a career built across complex industrial environments; leading teams, building capability, and delivering projects that required both technical depth and commercial sharpness.
Research and innovation sit at the core of what HERA does, and Alan brings both. He holds an MBA and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Research focused on sustainable leadership, has led factory automation projects, and worked with Callaghan Innovation. He thinks about where industries are heading, not just where they are. That forward focus is exactly what we need.
He also leads with people at the centre. He has built apprentice programmes, led organisational turnarounds grounded in culture, and carries a deep belief that growing people grows organisations. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!
He is a Chartered Engineer and a Chartered Director, with governance experience spanning advanced manufacturing and workforce development.
Ngā mihi nui ki a koe Alan.
Sheffield team: Ian Taylor, Rebecca Jamieson, Tash Wilson, Kelly Smith