Dave
Copeland

Dave is a certified civil engineer and spent the early part of his career in operational design and construction before moving to the client side. Working alongside crews on site, understanding where designs meet reality and where assumptions fall apart, gave him a practical grounding that has stayed with him across a career spanning vertical and infrastructure projects overseas and in New Zealand.

Dave has established himself as one of RCP's most experienced infrastructure leaders, with a strength in three waters, local government programmes and advisory where funding, planning, stakeholder management and long timeframes are all in play at once. Working across central and local government, through the three waters reform, large-scale flood recovery and ongoing capital delivery for some of the country's largest water organisations, he has worked across the full spectrum of how these programmes get structured, funded and delivered.

He is particularly focused on the feasibility, planning and set-up phase, where the right structure and procurement approach can make a significant difference to everything that follows. It is a conversation he will always prioritise, regardless of the pressure to move fast.

Dave brings clients, contractors and consultants together as a team from the start, with shared accountability rather than siloed responsibilities. He is known for his calm approach under pressure and for turning complex problems into clear workable plans. Beyond the delivery, what drives him is the tangible difference that well-delivered infrastructure makes to the communities that rely on it every day, and the genuine investment he makes in the people around him reflects that same commitment.

"Planning is everything. I would rather have a direct, upfront conversation with a client to get the setup right than rush into delivery and own the consequences."