Movers and shakers: Biggest construction and engineering appointments in October 2022

A round up of the biggest moves and appointments during October is below. To feature on next month’s appointments roundup email robert.hakimian@emap.com.

New senior leadership appointments at Transport for London

Transport for London (TfL) has appointed Rachel McLean as its managing chief financial officer following an open recruitment process. McLean comes directly from her dual role as chief financial officer for Crossrail and London Underground finance director for operations.

She was previously a board member and director general – chief financial officer for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Prior to that she worked at TfL for nine years in various senior asset management and finance roles.

The transport operator has promoted Andy Lord from chief operating officer to interim commissioner to replace the departing Andy Byford. TfL director of network management and resilience Glynn Barton will take up the role of interim chief operating officer while the work to fill the role permanently via an internal selection process takes place.

Patrick Doig has been statutory chief finance officer the long-running negotiations for a long-term funding settlement with the Department for Transport. He will now return to his role as group finance director while remaining statutory chief financial officer.

New chief executive to step up at Scottish Water

Alex Plant has been confirmed as the new chief executive of Scottish Water, taking up the role from Douglas Millican when he steps down on 31 May 2023. Plant is currently Anglian Water director of strategy and regulation and was selected for the role through a recruitment process carried out by Scottish Water’s board. The appointment has been approved by the Scottish government.

Prior to joining Anglian Water, Plant has held positions in the Royal Mail, Cambridgeshire County Council, Civil Aviation Authority, and HM Treasury, as well as having held several non-executive director roles.

WSP picks up two new directors from Stantec

Rahul Patalia has become WSP director and urban regeneration lead within the company’s Building Structures specialism, while Stuart MacDougall has taken up the role of director in the firm’s Building Services specialism. Both were previously working at Stantec; Patalia as national urban regeneration sector lead and MacDougall as leader of the UK Building Services and Energy Engineering group.

Patalia’s new role will see him support WSP in augmenting its capability in the urban regeneration sector, focusing on the renewal of London’s public sector-owned brownfield assets.

As director of WSP’s Business Services specialism, MacDougall will be supporting in the design and delivery of net zero carbon buildings and brings his skills in passive design and low energy net zero carbon masterplanning to the firm.

Executive level shake up at Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty UK has announced a number of changes in the UK Business Unit of its Group Executive Committee.

The company’s major project and highways chief executive Stephen Tarr has been given additional executive responsibility for the ground engineering, power transmission and distribution and rail businesses. This gives him the new title of chief executive of transport, energy and power major projects.

The position of energy transition and security managing director has been taken up by Matt Steele, who was formerly rail and utilities managing director.

Michael Dyke has also assumed additional executive responsibility for Balfour Beatty’s HS2 Old Oak Common joint venture project. This complements his existing role as HS2 major projects chief executive, where he is responsible for the BBV (Balfour Beatty Vinci JV) HS2 Area North civil engineering packages.

Meanwhile, Balfour UK construction services chief executive Mark Bullock has taken on executive responsibility for Omnicom Balfour Beatty.

Sisk gets new director in the south

John Sisk & Son has appointed Ger Hayes as managing director UK south, taking over from Ajaz Shafi who became chief operating officer earlier this year. Hayes joined Sisk as a graduate recruit in Ireland in 2003 and worked across a range of projects in Sligo and Belfast before moving to the UK in 2010 to work on the redevelopment of Wembley Park.

Skanska hires new head of occupational health and wellbeing

Megan Taylor has been snapped up by Skanska as its new head of occupational health and wellbeing, moving across from British Transport Police where she held the role of deputy director of health, safety and wellbeing. Taylor brings with her experience from senior health and wellbeing roles at Network Rail, LNER, Virgin Trains and Southern Railways.

World’s largest offshore wind farm gets new project director

SSE Renewables has appointed Olly Cass as the new project director for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm once complete. Cass has spent the previous three years working as finance director on the project, and now moves into the new role which has been vacated by Steve Wilson as he moves to the role of SSE Renewables director of offshore capital projects.

Mott MacDonald makes two new appointments

Mott MacDonald has appointed Julia Baker as its head of nature services, where she will act as the lead for this dedicated range of services, helping clients integrate, protect and enhance the natural world on their developments. She will work with specialists from across the business to provide a consolidated service line to meet client needs, from strategic advisory to practical implementation of solutions. Julia will also collaborate with a wide range of organisations to bring nature into the mainstream within policy and practice, focusing on the fast-emerging approach of ‘nature positive’.

Meanwhile, Rebecca Shadlock has been appointed as Mott MacDonald environment and sustainability technical director in its UK environment and social business. She will provide technical leadership, supporting clients to achieve their net zero carbon commitments, deliver nature-based solutions and become climate resilient.

Bam puts in place new director of Integrated Facilities Management

Abbe Pickthall is the new Bam managing director for its integrated facilities management business. She has previously held senior roles in a number of global integrated services businesses, including CBRE, Mitie and ENGIE.

Systra expands executive team

Systra has appointed Mike Muldoon as its business development director and as a member of its executive board. Muldoon has over 30 years of transport industry experience serving clients and customers around the world, starting in rail rolling stock before moving into project delivery. He has spent the last 12 years with Alstom, first as tenders director then as head of business development.

Tilbury Douglas makes regional leadership changes

Dave Tighe has been promoted from Tilbury Douglas regional operations director for the Midlands to regional director for the midlands. He has spent the last eight years at Tilbury Douglas and nearly 40 years in total in the construction industry.

Chris Edmonds has also been promoted, taking up the role of regional operations director for South Wales. He has been with Tilbury Douglas since 2006 and overseen flagship projects including the £130M refurbishment of the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.

Severfield appoints new non-executive director

Structural steel group Severfield has appointed Mark Pegler as a non-executive director, and he will serve on the company’s remuneration, nomination and audit committees. The move comes as part of the group’s board succession process, with Pegler earmarked to become audit chair following the retirement of Tony Osbaldiston, who currently holds the role, in July 2023.

Two new directors at RSK Group

RSK has appointed two new directors to its board: chief scientist Lucy Thomas and chief sustainability officer Stephanie Wray.

Thomas has been with RSK for 18 years and held the position of chief scientist for five. She is also managing director of of RSK Uganda, RSK Tanzania and RSK South Africa along with a more recent role as the managing director of the Centre for Sustainability Excellence in Singapore.

Wray became part of RSK when it acquired Biocensus in 2019. In RSK, she has led the formation of Nature Positive, a management consultancy that helps businesses address climate change and biodiversity loss.

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