Electrical engineer award

The Chief Operating Officer for Powerlink Queensland, Simon Bartlett, has been named National Professional Electrical Engineer of the Year 2009.

In announcing the award, the Chair of Engineers Australia’s Electrical College Board, Albert Koenig, highlighted Bartlett’s electrical engineering experience, forward-looking vision and leadership skills: “For over 35 years, Bartlett has been the initiator and driving force behind a range of new technologies and innovative design, maintenance and work practices in the Queensland electricity supply industry.

“His outstanding engineering skills, strategic thinking and leadership of significant engineering workforces has drawn the highest respect across Australia and internationally; and his advice is highly regarded across government, universities and key stakeholders across the electricity industry.

“Bartlett is a passionate promoter of the engineering profession and engineering education, and consistently makes the time to mentor engineering graduates and to reenforce the critical value of continuing professional development throughout a career.”

As Powerlink’s Chief Operating Officer, Bartlett is responsible for managing and coordinating all aspects of high-voltage electricity transmission that includes 12,000 km of transmission lines and more than 100 major substations throughout Queensland. Powerlink provides, operates and maintains the essential ‘backbone’ of Queensland’s electricity grid.

Also, as Chairman of the recently formed Power Engineering Alliance and Director of the Australian Power Institute, Bartlett has been the driving force behind achieving the reinvigoration of power engineering education across Australia.

While the annual award by the Electrical College Board of Engineers Australia has been instigated to recognise the professional excellence of an individual senior electrical engineer, it is also an opportunity to highlight the contribution the engineering profession makes across the community, and to encourage young females and males look to electrical engineering as a highly desirable career.