Project plans and schedules are essential. But they do not resolve technical clashes, undocumented risks, vendor ambiguity, or design assumptions that fail under real-world conditions. On complex engineering projects, the greatest risk often sits at the interfaces between design and fabrication, procurement and installation, and mechanical and electrical scope. When no one with deep technical grounding owns those interfaces, problems surface late and cost more to fix. This session explores the role of the project engineer as embedded technical leadership, sharing practical case studies that demonstrate how early technical ownership reduces risk, accelerates decisions, and strengthens delivery outcomes.
Daniel du Plessis is Regional Manager for Caliber Design in Auckland and a mechanical engineer with experience across heavy fabrication, advanced manufacturing, biomedical R&D, and marine engineering. He has delivered complex capital upgrades in live operational environments, including airport baggage handling systems and large-scale fabrication projects. Daniel combines first principles design thinking with hands-on project engineering experience, strengthening technical delivery from concept through to commissioning. His background spans machine design, fabrication management, materials investigation, and multidisciplinary coordination.