Julian Gacek

A hydropower engineer and design manager with more than 15 years of international experience in the fields of hydraulic design and hydropower project implementation, I have been involved in the physical and numerical modelling of hydraulic structures, the completion of hydrological studies, energy modelling and prediction, the cost estimation and financial analysis of projects as well as the hydraulic design of structures and hydropower layout design. Throughout my career, I have taken on a variety of roles within the hydropower consulting industry including that of hydraulic engineer, project engineer and technical integrator and design manager for projects of varying degrees of complexity. Most recently I was the National Lead for Design Project Management in Hydro and Dams and Assistant Manager of the Design Project Management Office of the Power Department at WSP Canada Inc. Where I was responsible for developing procedures aligned with the teachings of the Project Management Institute and other international renowned organisations in project management, promoting design project management best-practices, onboarding of new design managers within the office, project reviews, assisting in the development of project management tools and internal manuals, etc. In this capacity, I was also responsible for managing a team of 12 design project managers and project controllers while also actively managing various engineering projects and work packages, and participating in and supervising hydraulic design. I have been involved in a variety of projects, from power potential assessments and master plans to detailed design and construction follow-up, spanning greenfield to brownfield/redfield sites. My experience also involves projects with a wide range of clients including public utilities, independent power producers, large private utilities, developers, contractors, governments, intergovernmental organisations, etc., which has allowed me to gain an overall understanding of the multiple perspectives that exist within the hydropower industry.