Our Management Team

Prior to AusConnect, Ben worked extensively in the construction industry in various public and private sectors. He has over 20 years of experience working in all areas from Directional Drilling, Civil Construction and Project Management.

Ben prides himself on reliability, safe working methods and quality assurance and this is evident throughout the business.

Prior to AusConnect, David worked extensively in the construction industry. He has over 20 years of experience working in all areas from Directional Drilling, Civil Construction and Project Management.

David prides himself on his problem solving ability, believing there is no such thing as a problem, only solutions. David is a qualified Plumber bringing his experience in this area to AusConnect.

Mario De Costa joins Ausconnect Underground Services as Chief Financial Officer, bringing over 13 years of finance leadership across infrastructure, civil construction, private equity backed businesses, retail, and funds management. With extensive experience managing complex financial operations, capital strategy, and enterprise growth, Mario has a proven track record of building robust financial frameworks and modernising reporting systems from the ground up.  

His background spans key finance management and executive positions at Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), Fulton Hogan, EY, and Woolworths Group, where he specialised in driving commercial performance, optimising capital allocation, and partnering with leadership teams to scale operations. At Ausconnect, Mario leads the company’s overall financial strategy, governance, and commercial planning to support sustainable growth and long term operational success.

Stephen has over 18 years of experience working in the civil industry. He had worked in a breadth of roles, gaining extensive experience before commencing work with AusConnect. Stephen’s knowledge of all sectors of Civil Construction is second to none, and prides himself on going above and beyond which is ingrained into all our staff.

Stephen was quickly promoted to Supervisor, then General Manager of AusConnect in 2018 which is a testament to his hard working nature.

Bringing with him over 20 years of experience working within the Telecommunications and Civil Construction industries, Shawn’s expansive knowledge of each stage of construction and its requirements facilitates our ability to deliver not only well-built projects but also assist in consultation and design requirements where needed.

Shawn’s career has seen him work in various parts of the industry, specifically Directional Drilling, Project Management and General Management.

Ben brings over 20 years of hands-on experience in the drilling and construction industry, having worked across a wide range of equipment – from 9×23 Little Drills to Maxi Rigs. His deep technical knowledge and practical expertise make him a standout professional in the field.

Joining AusConnect in early 2020 as the first employee of the QLD Division, Ben quickly demonstrated a strong commitment to growth and development. His proactive approach to upskilling and leadership made his promotion to NSW Division Manager a natural progression.

Ben’s comprehensive understanding of all major service builds, coupled with his prior experience working in Sydney, gives him a unique advantage in navigating the local landscape. His regional insight and industry-wide knowledge continue to be invaluable assets to the team.

Richie has been in the Civil Construction industry for over 20 years, an expert in Directional Drilling/excavations works. Richie took on the Project Supervisor role over 2 years ago with AusConnect as his expertise & understanding of any project in the space is second to none.

Richie has also developed into our Operations Manager ensuring all of our crews are completing jobs efficiently, on time, on budget all while having safety and quality as our number one priority.

With over 25 years of experience in the utility construction industry, Scott brings with him a strong knowledge and thorough understanding of underground power infrastructure.

Starting his career in the industry as a civil pipelayer, Scott has experienced firsthand, all facets of the construction process and applies this understanding to his site-management processes.

Of his 25 years, 15 have been spent in the power industry. During this time Scott has worked on numerous projects including public lighting installs; substation rebuilds; cable hauling and even in the design side of construction.

Scott’s understanding of estimating, quoting and sticking to budgets is what has helped AusConnect deliver projects efficiently, on time and on budget.

Shanon brings a wealth of knowledge to AusConnect, with over 25 years of experience and recognised credentials collectively across Human Resources, Administration, and Project Administrator roles.

Prior to commencing with AusConnect, Shanon’s most recent role focused on the compliance and maintenance of HR and Payroll systems and processes for 130+ employees, volunteers and trainees.

This, along with previous experience in the telecommunications industry has enabled Shanon to substantially contribute to AusConnect in many aspects, including HR/Administration, Project requirements and providing support in the field.

Nita comes to AusConnect with over 20 years of administration and bookkeeping experience across a variety of industries.

During her career, Nita has worked for a range of companies from large corporations to smaller family-owned businesses in both the private and public sector, and holds a wealth of practical knowledge that is backed up by her Certificate IV in Accounting as well as a Diploma of Financial Services.

Her area of expertise includes but is not limited to Accounts Payable/Receivable, Payroll Processing/ Superannuation, Bank & Credit Card Reconciliation, BAS, IAS and the use of the Xero Accounting Software Package.

Nita is a very valuable member of AusConnect and provides seamless support to the entire Management Team.

Having commenced with AusConnect in 2015, for the past 7 years Joanne has provided vital administrative assistance to Management and Staff nationwide, and successfully undertaken a variety of responsibilities.

Her industry knowledge is a great asset to our company and her skills are pivotal to the management of projects by ensuring end-to-end project processing, project compliance, claims and administration of projects through our job management software Aroflo.

Having commenced with AusConnect 12 months ago, Sasha is new to the industry but brings strong skills in project processing, claims, compliance, and overall project administration.

She understands the importance of efficiency, accuracy, and compliance in managing projects from beginning to end. Sasha is eager to grow and expand her knowledge within AusConnect.