Department of Civil Engineering Alumnus of the Year

The Department of Civil Engineering at Monash University has been producing outstanding engineering graduates for over half a century. Here we profile some of our most prominent graduates – each has made their mark in Australia and around the world.

Congratulations to our 2019 Civil Engineering Alumnus of the Year Lucia Cade.

Lucia Cade

Lucia Cade

Lucia graduated from Monash University with a BE Civil (Hons) and Bachelor of Economics double degree in 1990. She subsequently continued her engineering studies at Monash gaining a Master of Engineering Science in 1993.

Her working career started as a hydraulics research assistant for Associate Professor Bob Keller in the Department of Civil Engineering at Monash. She then moved into industry, holding many management roles. These included Manager, Hydraulic Assessment Team, Melbourne Water Corporation; and Acting General Manager, Engineering in City West Water.

In 2004 she moved into Private enterprise starting her company Cade and Associates Advisory where she was involved in advising on incentivisation schemes. Lucia then joined Comdain Infrastructure and AECOM in executive roles in infrastructure development and construction. However, Lucia retained an interest in the public sector, holding roles as National President of the Australian Water Association, and Director and Chair of Western Water Corporation.

Her present roles include Chair of South East Water Ltd and Non-Executive Director of Engineers Australia, Carbon Revolution, Purifloh and the Cooperative Research Centre for Future Fuels. She is also a Global Advisor to the United Nations Global Compact Cities Program.

As Chair at South East Water, Lucia Cade brings her engineering skills to the boardroom, where she leads in overseeing the performance of the organisation. Her engineering expertise informs how she synthesizes information into recommendations on how to best meet customer needs and environmental obligations.

As Global Advisor to the United Nations Global Compact – Cities Programme, which promotes urban development partnerships to meet the sustainable development goals – her role is to bring parties together through her infrastructure and water backgrounds.

Although Lucia has worked across infrastructure and various utilities, as well as professional services and construction, she doesn’t express a preference for a particular area. Instead, she maintains that her enjoyment of a role relates more to the purpose, leadership and culture of the organisation.

Lucia’s career has thrived through three periods of maternity leave and working part-time, all of which has made her resilient and adaptable, even fearless, to seize opportunities when they arise. However, underlying Lucia’s success is a strong belief in the power of mentors, offering a different perspective and a critical review of one’s experience and aspirations. She is an advocate for women in STEM actively promoting initiatives such as the Women in the Pipeline Program developed by the Education Team at South East Water.

Alumnus of the Year – our previous winners