Top engineering honour to TransGrid chief

One of Australasia's most prestigious engineering honours, the Institution of Electrical Engineers' Sir Lionel Hooke Award, has been won by TransGrid Chief Executive and Managing Director, David Croft AM.

The award is presented annually to an engineer working in Australia or New Zealand for their outstanding professional achievements and their contribution to the profession of electrical engineering.

TransGrid is a state government corporation that owns and operates the New South Wales high voltage electricity transmission network, which is one of the largest networks of its kind in the world and the central element of Australia's national electricity market.

The chairman of The Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) Graeme Kennan said David Croft has a distinguished career on the national and international stage.

"He is the founding chief executive of TransGrid, which was established in 1995 and has played a key role in the structural reform of the Australian electricity supply industry, particularly in the area of transmission entities and the regulatory framework for the disaggregated industry. "He managed the design, implementation and running of the state electricity market in NSW, which was the forerunner of the Australian National Electricity Market," Mr Kennan said. Internationally, David Croft has been an active participant in le Conseil International de Grands Reseaux Electriques (CIGRE) since 1988. He has been a member of the International Executive Committee and Administrative Council of CIGRE since 1995 and in 2001 was elected the first Australian President of this prestigious body. As head of TransGrid he oversees assets of $2.5 billion, including 12,400 km of high voltage transmission lines and a staff of 900 people. Under David Croft, TransGrid has also become an exporter of services in transmission engineering and market reform, particularly in China, Malaysia, and South East Asia.