Arup’s First Nations leadership builds in strength in Australia and New Zealand

The newly established position reports directly to the Managing Principal, ANZ, Liam O’Donohue, who celebrated the significance of Melanie’s appointment to the firm, its clients, and the broader community.

Liam said: “Melanie’s new role¹ is a testament to her commitment to cultural integrity, as well as the success of our First Nations workstreams which have matured into established and impactful business functions.”

Melanie (pictured above on the right) said: “I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made in deepening relationships with First Nations communities and businesses, and in embedding cultural knowledge through our work. This puts us in a strong position to further bolster these connections, foster true partnerships, and ensure Arup’s commitments continue to translate into meaningful outcomes.”

In her newly established position, Melanie will oversee all First Nations workstreams across ANZ, including First Nations Project Services, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employee Network, Arup’s Reconciliation Action Plan, and the firm’s Indigenous Procurement Strategy.

Arup also welcomes a new First Nations Strategic Design Lead, Shay McMahon, a Yuin woman with a decade of experience across architecture, urban design, and planning. With a strong focus on Indigenous knowledge systems and participatory design, she has contributed to several frameworks and documents that have shaped culturally responsive design practices we see today.

The First Nations Strategic Design Lead will support clients through Arup’s Designing with Country Offering, leading design strategy across key projects, embedding Country-centred design thinking, and collaborating with Traditional Custodians and knowledge holders to shape environments that reflect and respect Aboriginal ways of living, cultural values, and identity.

Shay (pictured above on the left) said: “I’m excited to join a company that values cultural integrity and design excellence. I believe there’s a delicate interplay of exploration through engagement required to understand design outcomes, one that honours the rich intersection of cultural, ecological, and place-based principles.”

Liam concluded: “These changes mark an important milestone in our reconciliation journey, recognising that First Nations leadership is not only central to our firm’s commitments, but is also an increasing priority for our people, clients, and the communities we serve. We reaffirm our collective responsibility to nurture cultural understanding, drive positive impact, and embed First Nations principles across our business.”

1. In this role, “First Nations” refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, and Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand.