John Leeves is a Geotechnical Discipline Manager

John has worked on disaster recovery projects in NZ, United Kingdom and the Pacific. His dedication to disaster risk reduction and recovery is inspired by his experience in the wake of numerous natural disasters over his career having witnessed, first hand, the effects natural hazards have on communities. He now works closely with public and private sectors, NGOs and aid agencies fostering collaboration on disaster mitigation and recovery strategies.

John is a passionate engineer whose pragmatic approach was born out of his experience as a builder on construction sites as a teenager.  He is wholeheartedly committed to working with clients, understanding their needs and then following up with practical engineering advice. His superb communication skills enable clients to quickly act and implement solutions.

In 2016, John led Tonkin + Taylor’s pro-bono support for the Government of Fiji, UNOCHA & the major aid agencies after Tropical Cyclone Winston swept through the islands of Fiji, taking 43 lives and causing hundreds of millions of dollars of damage. John’s team conducted a Rapid Mapping and Digital Damage Assessment of the cyclone within days of the event in order to expedite and prioritise the delivery of aid to devastated communities. T+T, together with the Earthquake Commission, developed the rapid damage technology/skills in Christchurch during the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence in 2010-2011. 

John is a founding member of the NZ Government’s Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment Engineering Advisory Group.

Expertise:

• Natural hazards mapping
• Rapid Mapping & Digital Damage Assessment
• Disaster response engineering
• Disaster risk reduction advice
• Geotechnical engineering
• Landslide Risk Assessment
• Natural hazards risk management
• Project management