Roger Hawken, Operations Manager / Project Director

Roger started his career studying NZCE and working in precision machining and toolmaking before completing his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at Canterbury University. Roger’s first 20 years was working inside industrial processing and manufacturing industries including steel production, pulp and paper research and plastics, holding multiple asset management, shutdown management, operational management, and capital implementation roles.  He made the change to consulting in 2007 taking on project management, project governance, sector lead and branch management positions for Worley before leaving to become a founding director and shareholder of Artifex Engineering in 2021.

 His experience in processing and manufacturing is wide and includes FMCG (food processing, bottling plants, fruit packhouses, packing lines), steel processing, packaging, pulp and paper, fertiliser, coal and wood processing.

 His specialty is in industrial plant, either design and construction of greenfield plants or the more complex brownfield multidisciplinary projects where the implementation of upgrades or capital projects needs to occur in and around operational plant where any downtime needs to be carefully planned and minimised.

 Career highlights are many, and include managing the design and build of the greenfield Nature’s Flame wood pellet plant in Taupo, and leading the recovery of Pan Pac’s pulp mill, following the devasting effects of Cyclone Gabrielle.