Anton Benadie's journey from carpenter to senior project manager on one of Auckland's most complex infrastructure programmes is a story of grit, innovation, and leadership.
Now seconded to the Eastern Busway Alliance from Higgins Contractors, Benadie is driving change that's reshaping how New Zealand builds roads - and how teams work together to do it.
Originally from South Africa, Benadie immigrated to New Zealand eight years ago, bringing with him a wealth of experience in civil and commercial infrastructure. His early career included managing pavement delivery at the Kusile Power Station, one of South Africa's largest projects. That foundation of technical excellence and stakeholder management has proven invaluable in his current role.
At the alliance, Benadie has spearheaded an operational excellence programme rooted in Lean Six Sigma principles. Since earning his Green Belt certification in 2024, he's led initiatives that have delivered a 20 per cent increase in efficiency, an eight-week reduction in programme time, and a defect rate of just 0.21 per cent - well below industry benchmarks.
These gains were achieved through smarter sequencing, collaborative design refinement and improved shift coordination.
One of his most effective contributions was optimising the Pakuranga intersection. Originally designed for full reconstruction, Benadie proposed a surface renewal strategy based on rigorous site investigations.
The result was $1.2 million in forecast savings, 12 weeks less traffic disruption, and a four-month acceleration of the Rahihi Bridge opening. Sustainability gains included avoiding 1400 cubic metres of pavement removal and cutting carbon emissions by the equivalent of 170 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Benadie's leadership style is defined by empathy, clarity and empowerment. He's known as "the calm in the storm," mentoring engineers across departments and developing succession plans that have already seen junior staff step confidently into leadership roles. His team's engagement score rose by 40 points in just six months - a testament to the culture he's built.
Beyond project delivery, he plays a key role in governance, representing multiple departments and leading cross-functional collaboration. His influence extends industry-wide, with speaking engagements at the NZTA Pavement Conference and Black Art 2025, where he shared insights on alliance delivery and pavement optimisation.
Benadie's commitment to safety is deeply personal. Early in his career, he witnessed the impact of a workplace fatality - an experience that shaped his lifelong dedication to protecting his team. At the alliance, he's implemented robust safety controls and led investigations to ensure lessons are learned and shared.
His innovations - from digitised snagging processes to interactive dashboards for project tracking - are now being rolled out across Higgins, institutionalising his approach to operational excellence.
Benadie isn't just building roads: he's building resilient teams, sustainable solutions and a smarter future for New Zealand's infrastructure. His story embodies the spirit of the Rising Star Award - a leader who lifts others while driving meaningful change.
The roading industry Rising Star Award is for the standout person aged under 40 in the New Zealand roading sector, defined by their achievements during their career to-date. It is awarded annually at the Future Roads conference dinner. There are four finalists for 2025. See more here.
The New Zealand roading industry Rising Star Award is sponsored by Jacobs.