Over the next few years, one man will become a familiar face on Bridge Street.

Gerald “Ged” Casey, works for Isaac Construction, who are delivering the Bridge Street project, and will be the project’s stakeholder manager - the go-to person for resolving issues, answering questions, and keeping Bridge Street businesses informed.

It’s a role he knows well, having done similar work on Dunedin’s Retail Quarter upgrade, a three-year infrastructure project that transformed four blocks of the city’s central retail area.

“I describe my role as about ‘bridge building and troubleshooting’,” Ged says.

“I don’t sit behind a desk and a telephone. If there is an issue, I’m working with the stakeholders side-by-side.”

Ged’s career spans sales, marketing and business development. He has been Chief Executive of the Eastern Bay Chamber of Commerce and spent three years on the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Board.

He was living in Thornton, Whakatane and running digital business training courses throughout the country when he was shoulder-tapped by one of the Isaac Construction team to help them with their stakeholder management for the Dunedin project.

With two of their four children living in Dunedin at the time, and COVID putting a dampner on his work, Ged was up for the change.

“We learnt a lot of lessons from what was done in George Street. It was a real challenge because it was already going when I came in, and there wasn’t the same pre-engagement that has been done in Nelson down there. But there’s still going to be disruption as fences and diggers go in.”

Whether it’s blocked entryways, noise, or some other frustration, Ged’s up for the challenge.

“I love solving things, especially finding a solution that’s out-of-the-box. I’ve always believed, no matter what the problem, I’ll always find a solution. Sometimes you have to dig deep, but my aim is always to find a solution.

“Some people say they would never do what I do, but for me it's about the people — the stakeholders, the Isaac team, and the relationships you build along the way. That’s what makes the work meaningful.

“But there's also something deeper: being part of a legacy project. There aren’t many roles where, years from now, you and your team will be able to look back and say, ‘We were part of that’. That sense of pride and contribution is rare and powerful.”

Ged and his wife Janet have moved to Nelson from Dunedin, and will be living in the city for the duration of the project. They’ve already fallen in love with their new home, enjoying the close connection between land and sea, and have already made a weekly ritual of visiting the Saturday Market, where they’re already on first-name terms with some of the stallholders.

And, like the Bridge to Better project, Ged’s just getting started.

Get to know Ged quickfire:

Tea or coffee?

Oat milk mocha – or a matcha

Favourite food?

Pork belly and crispy roasted potatoes

The way to my heart is…

A smile and a hug

Morning person or night owl?

Morning person

Dislikes:

Justin Bieber’s music, Broccoli

Favourite band:

Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Eminem