Meet the Speakers
CEO
Sensum
Nick Strongman
Nick is an experienced consultant with deep expertise in delivering public sector projects. As the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sensum, Nick provides strategic oversight and guidance across all projects and programs led by the business.
Since founding Sensum in 2015, Nick has grown the company from a small team in a shared office to a multi-state operation with offices in Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales. Under his leadership, Sensum has successfully delivered over 500 Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) buildings for government clients, contributing significantly to the development of Australia’s MMC sector. In recognition of this impact, Sensum was named the Victorian Emerging and Energised Business of the Year at the 2018 Telstra Business Awards.
Nick is particularly passionate about social infrastructure and is committed to using business as a force for good. He champions a “profit for purpose” approach, leading Sensum to drive innovation and deliver better outcomes for clients through collaboration, clear communication, and value for money.
He serves as a Director on the board of prefabAUS, is a graduate and ongoing member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), and an Associate of the Australian Institute of Project Management. Nick actively contributes to industry advancement through speaking engagements and government advisory work.
Scott Hearne
Scott Hearne is the Director Integration & Innovation at Sensum, he leads the advisory arm specialising in the strategy, planning and delivery of projects using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Working with Government Agencies, Community Housing Providers (CHPs), Head Contractors, Manufacturers, consultants and the broader supply chain to move the dial in MMC adoption.
Scott’s recent roles including MMC Strategic Advisor at Homes NSW and QBuild has seen him providing program leadership, strategy development, industry and stakeholder engagement to support and accelerate the adoption of modern methods of construction to deliver more social, affordable and key worker homes. Scott has been involved across Housing, Education and Health sector projects seeking to benefit from MMC.
A well-known and friendly face in the sector from his countless roles facilitating sessions and panels. Scott is always up for chat and a laugh and dedicates his time to mentoring emerging professionals and leaders.
Scott is a seasoned leader with deep expertise in strategy design and delivery in government, consulting, construction and infrastructure sectors. Scott is most known for his ability to foster collaboration between diverse teams and organisations to build understanding and promote innovation in the adoption, growth and sustainability of the construction industry using MMC.
This year Scott launched a podcast Constructive Candour where frank conversations meet epic reflections leading industry thinkers and agitators who are breaking down barriers with modern mindsets and methods of construction.
Together, they explore bold ideas and practical solutions for building a better future for Australia and the next generation. From tackling the housing crisis to creating sustainable and impactful innovations, every episode inspires collaboration, challenges assumptions, and ignites action.
Director Integration & Innovation
Sensum
Founder & Director
Offsite Design
Johann Betz
Johann Betz is Founder and Director of Offsite Design Ltd (www.offsitedesign.co.nz), a consultancy providing world-class off-site manufacturing and design expertise to help deliver modern timber buildings.
Johann has a degree in timber engineering and prefabrication and holds a Masters of Engineering in Wood Technology focusing on the industrial engineering of off-site manufacturing operations.
In New Zealand Johann has worked as tireless advocate for off-site manufactured timber construction. Offsite Design has worked with start-ups and some of the largest prefabricators and mass timber contractors in this part of the world.
Current and former clients include Red Stag Timberlab, Naylor Love, Hawkins, CleverCore, Concision (now called Innofab), Nelson Pine Industries, Ecopanel and many more.
Johann is a founding member of PrefabNZ (now called OffsiteNZ) and currently serving his second term as member of the board.
Gareth Jew
Gareth is an experienced structural engineer with a keen interest in all things related to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). He has been involved in many MMC projects over the course of his career and have always enjoyed the challenge that innovation brings.
Gareth is currently trying to bring his UK MMC experience to the New Zealand market to help address the lack of productivity improvement in the construction industry and change the way we build.
Senior Structural Engineer
WSP
Daiman Otto
Daiman Otto has 20 years of experience in MMC, Mass Timber and OSM, with the last 10 years focused on developing opportunities & operationalizing scalable building system development in NZ/AU/USA.
Daiman, co-founder of Known Entity, a trans-tasman tech startup focusing on developing proprietary, expert-driven and AI/Data-augmented tools for solving construction risk.
General Manager Projects & Advisory
DK Otto Ltd
Andrew Todd
Andrew has previously held Senior Executive positions in the telecommunications and infrastructure delivery sectors across Australia and New Zealand. Responsible for revenues of over $300m p/a, Andrew was a highly influential and respected leader for over 2,000 people. His philosophy focusses on building very engaged and high performing teams.
Andrew joined Tawera Group in 2019 as General Manager to lead the strategy and execution of Tawera’s drive into the affordable housing, leveraging the extensive knowledge and experience that Tawera Group has developed over the past 2 decades. Andrew is working closely with Kainga Ora, developing solutions to enable more efficient and productive supply of housing in New Zealand.
General Manager
Tawera Group
Contracts Manager, Senior Quantity Surveyor
Niche Group
Stu Watson
Stu Watson is a Registered Quantity Surveyor and experienced Contracts Manager with two decades of expertise in commercial construction across New Zealand and Australia. He has worked with leading firms including Modern Consulting, Strait Construction, Holmes Wellington, SX Projects, and Mainzeal Property & Construction, developing deep knowledge in contract administration, construction cost control, and project delivery.
Currently the Quantity Surveyor Team Lead at Niche Group, Stu leads complex projects with a focus on accuracy, accountability, and cost efficiency. His career has been built on managing high-value contracts, mitigating risk, and ensuring client objectives are met without compromise.
Stu is the current President of the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NZIQS), following his term as Vice President, where he continues to advocate for the profession, champion standards of practice, and mentor the next generation of surveyors.
He holds a degree from Massey University and is recognised for his ability to combine technical precision with practical problem-solving, making him a trusted voice in New Zealand’s construction industry.
General Manager
Tawera Group
Jimmy Corric
With over 20 years in the industry, Jimmy Corric has built a career around doing things smarter. He’s led some of Aotearoa’s most complex prefabricated and modular builds — from Air New Zealand’s Hangar 4 to the Elam Hall student accommodation project, then the largest prefabricated building in the Southern Hemisphere.
Earlier in his career with Stanley Construction, Jimmy helped pioneer modular delivery solutions across multiple sectors, shaping the systems that drive his work today. Now at NZ Strong, he champions sustainable, off-site, and DfMA-led approaches that make construction faster, safer, and more predictable.
Pre-Construction & Innovation Manager
NZ Strong Group
Programme Manager
Alana Reid
Alana Reid joined the Ministry of Education in 2019 and currently serves as Programme Manager for the Offsite Manufactured Building Programme. Over the past three years, she has led the development of a strategic approach to integrating offsite manufacturing (OSM) into the Ministry’s business-as-usual property operations. Her work has been influential in shaping how innovative construction methods are adopted across the Ministry’s portfolio.
Prior to joining the Ministry, Alana held a range of commercial advisory roles across both Christchurch and Wellington, bringing a strong background in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement to her current position.
Ministry of Education
Luke Allen
Luke leads the NZDF accommodation modernisation (AMDM) programme. He will be presenting on where NZDF sees the opportunities and benefits for MMC/OSM in its property portfolio, and reflect on its experience so far.
Luke’s background is in property and construction consulting, and he has over twenty years of experience working in both public and private sectors. This includes leadership and advisory roles on nationwide government infrastructure programmes for NZDF, Ministry of Education, and Department of Corrections; and significant experience with volumetric OSM solutions for classrooms and student accommodation.
Programme Director
NZ Defence Force
Heiko Jonkers
Heiko has almost 20 years’ risk management experience across property finance, equipment finance, credit restructuring, small business and consumer lending. Heiko is passionate about creating new pathways to finance, particularly in the affordable housing space. He has developed market leading solutions for financing of prefabricated housing, shared equity home ownership, leasehold and papakāinga models for Māori and Iwi.
In his spare time Heiko indulges his other passions of photography and motorsport.
Senior Manager Credit Strategy & Policy
Westpac NZ