Dèsirèe Houston-Jones
John Oliver
Arabella Rohde
William (Bill) Russell
Désirée is the Regional Technical Director for Planning for RPS assuming national responsibility for the planning group in Australia spanning 5 states, 20 offices. She is a planner and development strategy advisor with 20 years’ experience across most development types and with particular interest in large and complex renewal projects, large residential and mixed-use developments. Her focus is on delivering pragmatic and commercial development strategies and approvals for her urban growth clients.
John held an executive role in a professional cost consultancy practice for 32 years and has experience in every major facet of the profession working on projects with the smallest of budgets through to those in the hundreds of millions.
Arabella is a Project Manager with Lendlease in the ACT. With over 17 years in the property and construction industry, Arabella has held diverse roles across Australia. Her industry experience includes government and private projects in commercial, residential, institutional, recreational, industrial and infrastructure projects. Arabella is the chair of Property Council of Australia’s Planning & Sustainability Committee in the ACT. Arabella has been awarded the recipient of the National Association Women in Construction (NAWIC) ACT in 2013, Achievement in Design and the 2015 Professional Woman of the Year.
Bill is a principal of Russell Harvey & Co, a specialist property advisory firm.
Desiree also works with government and the development industry to provide strategic level input into planning outcomes and policy and has been an active member of the Property Council for many years, most recently as a member of the Qld Planning and Infrastructure committee.
His experience covers projects within the major cities of Australia, isolated civil projects and those overseas. He has lectured in cost planning and economics to graduate and post graduate courses and provided expert witness advice in legal disputes. John’s skills lie in a hands-on approach bringing his experience in contractual and cost planning matters together to provide risk averse strategies.
INNOVATION & EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2016 21 PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA | RIDER LEVETT BUCKNALL
He has over 30 years’ experience in the property industry including extensive overseas experience. Bill specialises in financial structuring and development analysis, corporate real estate consulting, property portfolio investment review and project managing the development of major projects. Bill is the immediate past Chairman of the Building Practitioners Board, a past President (Victorian Division) and a past National Board Member of the Property Council of Australia, the immediate past Chairman of the Abbotsford Convent Foundation and the inaugural Chairman of the Victorian Government’s Implementation Committee for the Melbourne 2030 Planning for Sustainable Growth.