By Eamonn Ryan
The technical demands placed on consulting engineers are becoming increasingly intertwined with project management, commercial decision-making, contractual obligations and leadership.
CESA CEO Chris Campbell.
© RACA Journal
This is particularly relevant to building-services disciplines such as HVAC, where engineers must increasingly co-ordinate multidisciplinary teams and balance technical performance with energy efficiency, cost, compliance and client requirements.
These broader professional demands were highlighted at the recent graduation of the 2025 cohort of Consulting Engineers South Africa’s (CESA’s) School of Consulting Engineering (SCE) Business of Consulting Engineering Management Development Programme (BCE MDP). The programme is designed to strengthen the management and leadership capabilities of consulting engineering professionals, complementing their technical education and experience.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, CESA CEO Chris Campbell said technical expertise remained the foundation of the profession, but effective leadership required a wider range of capabilities.
“Technical expertise remains the foundation of our profession, but effective leadership requires much more. Leaders in the engineering and built environment sectors require strong management skills to drive effective project delivery, navigate contractual and financial complexities, and transform technical expertise into meaningful outcomes for their organisations, clients, and society,” he said.
Campbell said the BCE MDP had an important role to play in preparing professionals to lead in an increasingly competitive and challenging infrastructure environment. For HVAC and other building-services engineers, this broader skill set is becoming increasingly important. An HVAC project rarely exists in isolation: engineers must work alongside architects, electrical and structural engineers, contractors, developers and facility owners, while also managing budgets, programmes, procurement and contractual responsibilities.
The ability to translate technical decisions into commercial and operational outcomes is therefore becoming an increasingly important part of an engineer’s professional role.
Making space for the next generation
CESA President Dr Vishal Haripersad encouraged young professionals to take an active role in shaping the future of the profession. “Those coming up in the profession should not be scared to ask questions, but those that have gone before you must also give you space to contribute,” he said.
Haripersad also called on senior professionals to contribute to the development of younger engineers while remaining open to learning from the next generation. He urged young professionals to become active in their regions and professional structures, understand the challenges affecting the communities in which they live and work, and participate in conversations shaping the industry.
“Having committed to invest in your own professional development, the responsibility is now to carry what you have learned in the BCE MDP back into your teams and organisations,” he said. That emphasis on professional participation is relevant across engineering disciplines. In HVAC, for example, technical knowledge is continually evolving as the industry responds to energy efficiency requirements, changing refrigerant technologies, decarbonisation, digitalisation and increasingly sophisticated building systems.
Professional development consequently extends beyond obtaining technical qualifications. It also involves developing the ability to communicate, manage people, make decisions and contribute to the strategic direction of an organisation.
Diversity as a professional strength
CESA Young Professionals chairperson Marizel Pienaar emphasised the commitment required to continue developing professionally after formal education. “Completing a programme such as this requires commitment, discipline and a willingness to continue learning even after formal education has ended,” she said. “You have demonstrated that leadership development is not something that happens automatically with experience. It is something we deliberately pursue.”
Pienaar also highlighted the role of diversity in strengthening the engineering profession. “Growth happens when we continuously challenge ourselves to learn. Diversity strengthens us by exposing us to new perspectives, different experiences, and better ways of thinking,” she said.
She challenged graduates to consider the profession they want to leave behind. “This is not only a celebration of achievement, but also a celebration of the potential of the graduates here and of the engineering profession across South Africa and the continent,” she said.
For the HVAC sector, where projects increasingly demand collaboration between multiple disciplines and stakeholders, such diversity of experience and thinking can contribute directly to better engineering outcomes.
The graduation therefore represents more than the completion of a management programme. It reflects the continuing evolution of the consulting engineering profession, in which technical expertise remains essential but must increasingly be supported by leadership, commercial awareness and the ability to work effectively across disciplines.
