Bill Syme awarded 2022 Flood Risk Manager of the Year
On 19 May 2022, Bill Syme (TUFLOW’s Software Business Manager) won the prestigious award for Flood Risk Manager of the Year at the National Floodplain Management Australia conference.
The Flood Risk Manager of the Year Award recognises the outstanding contribution of an individual towards reducing or managing flood risks in Australia.
Bill is one of the most influential flood professionals in Australia. Bill started development of the TUFLOW flood modelling software in 1989. It has since become the most widely used flood modelling software in Australia and is expanding internationally. Today Bill manages the TUFLOW software team, spread across three continents globally.
Bill regularly defines technical approaches that years later become industry best practice. For example, Bill's work on 1D/2D model linking was a world first. Similarly, Bill's leadership in the development of TUFLOW HPC by the broader TUFLOW Team has created one of the world’s fastest, most accurate flood risk computational engines. TUFLOW HPCs speed has enabled Floodplain Management Australia (FMA) practitioners to more practically implement the computationally intensive methodologies of ARR2016/2019. Bill also demonstrates best practice in practical applications. As the consultant project manager for the Brisbane River Catchment Flood Study he led the execution of one of the most technically advanced flood risk studies in Australia.
Bills development focus is result accuracy and ease of use. His attention to these items has increased the accuracy of flood estimation in Australia, to the betterment of all flood risk management activities. TUFLOW’s widespread use by Australian practitioners directly influences the planning and sustainability of future landuse, development and infrastructure nationally. It allows appropriate placement and design of developments to increase their design life (and sustainability), including resilience to future climate conditions, and allows mitigation of adverse flood impacts on communities and the natural and built environment in the floodplain.
This award is the result of almost four decades of dedicated positive impact in the field of flood risk management globally. Congratulations Bill.
