Tahi Vehikite joined Kramer Ausenco's Tonga office in June 2013 as Office Manager and Senior Engineer. He is a loyal Kramer Ausenco member being the Manager of Kramer Ausenco (Tonga) Ltd from July to September 2010, a position he took up upon his return to the Kingdom of Tonga in early July 2010. Prior to this appointment, Tahi was the Manager of Kramer Group (Solomon Islands) now Kramer Ausenco (Solomon Islands) Ltd for 3.5 years after spending 13 months working for Kramer Group (Vanuatu) now Kramer Ausenco (Vanuatu) Ltd as a Senior Civil/Structural Engineer from March 2006 - April 2007.
He has spent more than 15 years working abroad especially in New Zealand, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands as a consultant civil/structural engineer, project manager and office manager. Tahi worked in the private sector in New Zealand for more than seven years as a professional structural/civil engineer for Apex Consultants Ltd in New Plymouth and MWH New Zealand Ltd (formerly known as Montgomery Watson Harza) in Nelson and Christchurch, New Zealand. It was during this period that Tahi developed his specialist expertise in the design & analysis of bridge structures, design of structures to resist wind load, snow load, earthquake load and other loads due to environmental effects. While working in New Plymouth New Zealand, Tahi also worked closely with the local authorities (New Plymouth City Council and South Taranaki Regional Council) including checking of structural calculations, assessing and approving of consent applications to construct new structures. Tahi was the Principal Bridge Engineer for Apex Consultant Ltd and he had designed and built more than 20 new bridges in New Zealand while with Apex Consultant Ltd and MWH New Zealand Ltd. He had also inspected & structurally analysed and upgraded more than 1,000 bridges of various kinds in New Zealand.
Tahi graduated from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand with a bachelor’s degree in Science in 1992 and a bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering in 1999. He also completed part of his Master in Engineering in 2000. Professionally he is a Technical Member of the Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ). He is also a Member of New Zealand Structural Engineering Society since (IPENZ SESOC).
Tahi married his wife Manu Kailopa in October 1990. They have two girls and three boys. The couple resides in Nukuálofa, Tongatapu.