Developing the next generation of IEC leaders

3 New Zealand professionals will represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) General Meeting in Hamburg, Germany, in November 2026, highlighting the depth of expertise within New Zealand’s electrotechnical community and the country’s ongoing commitment to international standards development.

Selected to participate in the 2026 IEC Young Professionals (YP) Programme are Gavin Austin, Principal Engineer and South Island Distribution Section Lead at Ergo Consulting, and Storm Holgate, Technical Manager at Master Electricians New Zealand. Joining them in Hamburg will be Daniel Chien, an IEC Young Professionals alumnus selected to participate in the inaugural IEC YP Future Lab 2050, a new global initiative focused on shaping the future of international standardisation and conformity assessment.

Each brings a distinct perspective to international standardisation. Together, their selection showcases New Zealand’s growing engagement with the international standards community and reflects a diverse range of expertise, from electricity infrastructure and energy systems to electrical safety, conformity assessment, engineering innovation and technical leadership.

Supporting New Zealand’s voice in international standardisation

The IEC develops international standards that underpin electrical, electronic and related technologies worldwide. These standards support innovation, safety, interoperability, international trade and sustainable development. New Zealand has been a member of the IEC since 1979 through the IEC National Committee of New Zealand.

Working collaboratively with Standards New Zealand, the IEC National Committee helps represent New Zealand’s interests in international electrotechnical standardisation. The Committee brings together volunteer industry leaders, technical experts and stakeholder representatives to provide advice on national priorities, emerging technologies, expert participation and international engagement opportunities. A key focus of the Committee is encouraging and supporting New Zealand experts to participate in IEC technical committees and other international standards activities.

Programmes such as IEC Young Professionals and Future Lab 2050 play an important role in developing future leaders and ensuring New Zealand expertise continues to contribute to international conversations that shape the technologies and systems of tomorrow.

Gavin Austin: Building the future of energy infrastructure

Christchurch-based engineer Gavin Austin has been selected to represent New Zealand in the 2026 IEC Young Professionals Programme.

Gavin is Principal Engineer and South Island Distribution Section Lead at Ergo Consulting, a New Zealand engineering consultancy specialising in power systems, electrical engineering and critical infrastructure projects. He leads engineering teams delivering projects for electricity networks and major industrial clients and plays an active role in developing the next generation of engineers.

His participation is being supported by the Electricity Engineers’ Association (EEA), New Zealand’s peak industry body for the electricity sector. The EEA plays a key role in supporting industry collaboration, technical leadership, workforce development and the sharing of engineering knowledge across New Zealand’s electricity industry.

What motivated you to apply for the IEC Young Professionals Programme?

“The electricity sector is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history. Standardisation is going to be a large factor in delivering the work that needs to occur over the coming years and ensuring we have a robust, economic and sustainable power system for the future.”

What are you hoping to gain from the experience?

“I believe there is significant value in learning from international best practice and understanding how standards can support innovation while improving interoperability, resilience and project delivery outcomes.”

What perspective will you bring from New Zealand?

“New Zealand offers a unique perspective within the global electricity industry. As an island nation with no interconnections to neighbouring power systems and a highly decentralised industry structure, many of the challenges we face require solutions tailored to local conditions.”

His participation highlights the value of bringing New Zealand’s infrastructure and energy sector experience into international standards discussions.

Storm Holgate: Bringing the standards user perspective

For Storm Holgate, standards are part of his everyday work.

As Technical Manager at Master Electricians New Zealand, Storm provides technical advice on standards and regulations, supports industry consultation processes and helps electrical workers apply technical requirements safely and effectively in the field. His background as a practising electrician, electrical inspector and technical adviser gives him a practical understanding of how standards are implemented and the impact they have on everyday electrical work.

Master Electricians New Zealand, the national association representing electrical contracting businesses across New Zealand, has supported Storm’s participation in the programme. Through technical support, advocacy, training and industry leadership, the organisation plays an important role in promoting electrical safety, professionalism and technical excellence across the sector.

His role also includes engaging with technical groups, responding to standards consultations and helping represent industry perspectives on regulatory and standards issues.

Why did you apply for the IEC Young Professionals Programme?

“I would like further exposure to the world of standards. I believe I can be a useful part of the organisations that create and modify standards for the greater good of welfare and safety.”

What do you hope to gain from the experience?

“I hope to gain insight into how the IEC works from the inside and use that experience to help New Zealand play its part in the world of standards.”

Why is IEC important to your work?

“Our New Zealand standards are based directly off the back of IEC standards, with some local flavour. I have to read and understand the rules set out, and if I can’t do that effectively, then I feel a need to be part of the group that fixes it.”

Storm’s selection reinforces the importance of ensuring that the voices of standards users and industry practitioners are represented in the development of future international standards.

Daniel Chien: Helping Shape the IEC of Tomorrow

While Gavin and Storm represent the next generation entering the IEC Young Professionals Programme, Daniel Chien represents the long-term impact that participation in the programme can create.

DJY Design Engineering Consultants has enabled Daniel’s continued engagement with international standards activities. The consultancy provides specialist electrical engineering services across industrial facilities, hazardous areas, renewable energy projects, substations and emerging technologies.

Daniel participated in the IEC Young Professionals Programme in 2014 and has remained actively engaged in international standards activities ever since. He is a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng), International Professional Engineer (IntPE), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Managing Director of DJY Design Engineering Consultants. His work spans data centres, industrial facilities, substations, solar projects, hazardous area installations and specialist research projects involving universities and research institutions. He regularly works with New Zealand, IEC, IEEE, NFPA, ANSI and CIGRE standards as part of his engineering practice.

Daniel’s involvement with international standards extends beyond his professional work. Since completing the YP Programme, he has continued contributing through EL-014 and its links to IEC TC 31, participated in IECEx activities, attended the IECEx Hydrogen Conference in Singapore in 2024, and remained connected to the New Zealand IEC community and YP alumni network.

His selection for IEC YP Future Lab 2050 recognises this sustained contribution and his ability to bring practical engineering experience to discussions about the future of standardisation.

What attracted you to the Future Lab 2050 initiative?

“The use of standards is evolving, and IEC needs to move with the times. My experience in the workplace and use of standards gives me a breadth of experience and knowledge on how the IEC can be directed towards ease of use and future directions.”

Daniel believes that the future of standards development will require organisations to think differently about how standards are developed, accessed and used.

What perspective do you hope to contribute?

“I’ve worked in a wide range of areas from basic electrical design to electronics, quality assurance, factory inspection, project management and construction. The array of projects that I have participated in will help provide a good discussion for the future direction of IEC.”

The Future Lab 2050 will bring together selected IEC Young Professional alumni and future-focused experts from around the world to explore how standardisation, conformity assessment and standards organisations can remain effective, relevant and attractive through to 2050. Participants will work together on topics including digitalisation, technology adoption, governance, participation models and organisational evolution.

For Daniel, the opportunity is about giving back to a community that has shaped his professional journey.

“I would like to offer my experience, expertise, knowledge and sense of practicality and future outlook towards this event to help further contribute to the IEC and other standards.”

Building New Zealand’s future standards capability

The stories of Gavin Austin, Storm Holgate and Daniel Chien demonstrate the many pathways into international standardisation. Whether applying standards in industry, contributing technical expertise to emerging technologies, or helping shape the future direction of the IEC, each represents the value that New Zealand professionals bring to the global standards community.

Their participation also highlights the importance of investing in future standards leaders and supporting opportunities for New Zealand experts to engage internationally. Through programmes such as the IEC Young Professionals Programme and IEC YP Future Lab 2050, participants gain exposure to global networks, emerging technologies, and the collaborative processes that underpin international standards development.

The IEC National Committee of New Zealand and Standards New Zealand encourage experts from across the electrotechnical sector to get involved in international standardisation activities. New Zealand currently participates in a wide range of IEC technical committees as either a Participating (P) or Observer (O) member, covering areas such as renewable energy, electrical safety, smart technologies, energy storage, conformity assessment, cybersecurity and emerging technologies. Interested experts can explore the committees in which New Zealand currently participates through the IEC committees where New Zealand is a member and browse the full list of IEC technical committees and subcommittees.

New Zealand IEC full member(external link) — International Electrotechnical Commission

Technical committees and subcommittees(external link) — International Electrotechnical Commission

For those interested in contributing their expertise, we welcome expressions of interest from individuals and organisations seeking to become involved in IEC-related activities. Participation offers an opportunity to share New Zealand perspectives, build international networks, influence the development of global standards, and contribute to the technologies and systems that will shape the future.

Interested experts can register their interest through the Standards New Zealand here:

Express your interest in joining a committee: Standards New Zealand

The experiences of Gavin, Storm and Daniel demonstrate the value of international standards engagement and the opportunities available to New Zealand experts. Their participation reflects a shared commitment by industry, professional organisations and technical leaders to strengthening New Zealand’s contribution to the IEC and inspiring the next generation of standards practitioners and international experts.