News & Insights
Hawke's Bay Office Opening
Author
Date
- 2026 May
Meet Laura, our new Hawke's Bay Office Manager
We're excited to introduce Laura Hebdon, our new Hawke’s Bay office manager. She joins us from our Wellington team, where she honed her craft on technically demanding projects like the National Archives. We sat down with Laura to find out what's drawing her to the region and asked a few of her most recent clients for the inside word on what it’s like having Laura on your project.
I grew up in a region in Scotland that has a similar population to Hawke’s Bay. It also happens to be the fruit picking region of the country. I’m really looking forward to being part of a regional community again, and the feeling of joint accountability for our shared success – you don’t tend to feel that in a bigger city.
Growing up in a farming family, I have a natural affinity for those who are willing to lean into problems to solve them, and equally those with an internal sense of responsibility to get a job done to a high standard.
“Laura consistently demonstrated professionalism and reliability. She provided timely advice, managed risk pragmatically, and helped coordinate a wide range of stakeholders. Her approach was supportive, measured, and solutions-focused, which was particularly valuable in navigating technical complexity and programme pressures.”
Rob Stevens – Programme Director – National Archives
You see that with people from the Hawke’s Bay, they’re hardworking and resilient, there’s also a natural creativity here that comes from being a bit isolated – that’s very similar to where I grew up. The big difference is Hawke’s Bay’s vulnerability to earthquakes and severe weather events. Knowing how vulnerable food-producing regions are to the impact of climate change is a powerful motivator, it gives me extra motivation when it comes to conversations on infrastructure.
Conversations so far have been clear, we need to get on and fix what is broken because good infrastructure is the backbone to growth. Unreliable or inadequate infrastructure drives additional costs into every aspect of the supply-chain. For example, reliable water infrastructure to support food production.
New infrastructure should be efficient to service the current demand with ability for future capacity, and the ongoing management and maintenance of this infrastructure is critical to prevent previous mistakes. How this is done doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does require us to come together rather than operate in technical silos.
“Given the project demanded such a high-level of detailed coordination, you would ordinarily expect some level of adversarial behaviour to creep in. Laura made sure this didn't happen. She was an oasis of calm and control all in one”.
Bob Hall – Technical Director, National Archives
The region has had to rely on expertise being flown in from the main centres. That works to a point, but when something unexpected comes up on a project, you want people on the ground who know the place. Local presence, local knowledge, backed by national expertise. That's what we can offer.
“Laura’s leadership, professionalism, and collaborative approach were central to the project’s success. She went well beyond meeting immediate objectives and has left a lasting positive legacy for both the project and the people involved.”
Emmet McElhatton - Manager Policy, Metlink
A big part of setting up a successful business in the Hawke’s Bay region is also offering young people from here an opportunity to build great careers. Regional towns tend to lose their young people, changing that would mean a lot.
