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It can sometimes surprise people I speak with to learn that I’m now in my 36th year at WSP. I don’t often reflect on my journey from entry-level civil engineer to chief executive within the same organisation, but so formative were those early years of my career that this week seems a timely opportunity to share my reflections and some advice with those charting their own exciting path.
Mark Naysmith is chief executive for WSP’s UK & EMEA region
It’s an obvious point to make that WSP today is a notably different business to the one I joined in 1987. Our ambition to be the leading professional services consulting firm in the built and natural environments has seen our footprint grow rapidly in the UK in recent years, particularly last year when we welcomed new colleagues from three diverse organisations.
Despite significant growth within our UK business, both organically and through acquisition, a number of values have remained consistent threads from 1987 (and before) through to today: investment in people and careers; a laser focus on clients’ priorities and challenges; and being involved in world-leading projects which improve access to opportunity within our communities.
These are codes which have stuck with me throughout my career. It’s not at all a cliché to say that a business is only as good as its people. Often, in an industry as competitive as ours, it’s people who differentiate the offer and appeal of one organisation from another.
A core strand of this ability is developing graduates and apprentices. This is hugely important and helps businesses avoid gaps in skills and knowledge in the future. Nurturing your own talent helps leaders delegate and impart knowledge, improves business productivity, benefits culture, improves staff morale and provides a better quality of service to clients. Crucially, it helps businesses like WSP remain competitive in the face of challenges from our peers and competing markets, including financial services and telecoms organisations.
As such, my advocacy for investment in early career professionals and affirming the vital role they play in the success of any organisation could not be stronger. I’m always very proud of the excellent programme WSP has which provides support, development and opportunity for hundreds of early career professionals. Within our current UK workforce, we are nurturing the early careers of nearly 900 graduates, apprentices, scholars and year-in-industry students.
This is a significant percentage of our business and supports WSP’s patronage of The 5% Club which requires business to have at least 5% of their workforce in earn-and-learn positions. In October of last year our contribution was closer to 11%, spanning the breadth of our UK business, from planning and transport to environment and local government.
I have a first-hand appreciation of the importance of being able to earn-and-learn when starting off in our industry. My own career began with a Higher National Diploma in Civil Engineering at Edinburgh Napier University, followed by three years at WSP from 1987. The business then provided the opportunity for me to return to university to gain an Honours Degree in Civil & Transportation Engineering, undertaking work experience throughout enabling me to earn whilst studying. After graduating, I moved into highways engineering and subsequently focused on transport planning for the majority of my career.
Throughout, I’ve been fortunate to work on a number of iconic projects and still make time to be involved with our clients and projects. Maintaining a network and close relationships with leaders across our industry is as vital for a CEO to perform his or her role, and I believe this is vitally important for those in the earliest stages of their careers, too.
If I were to offer some advice to current early career professionals or those considering coming into our industry, I’d recommend that building relationships internally and externally and developing people skills are valuable building blocks for an apprentice, graduate or student. This, alongside energy, dedication and enthusiasm, and an ability to listen, understand and learn, will stand you in good stead as you move through your first few years.
More specifically related to your core qualification is gaining good experience in design and consultancy. Use your technical grounding to gain experience in other related disciplines; for instance, structural engineering can take you into building design but also civil and bridge design. Throughout my early career I certainly found that a broad appreciation and understanding of the range of WSP’s services helped me progress and hone further my skills.
I firmly believe it’s vital WSP and our industry as a whole continues to invest in apprentices and graduates as part of a highly skilled workforce. This, coupled with reskilling and upskilling our workforce to solve the challenges posed by global issues, including climate change, is the surest path to creating a future society which is fair, inclusive and prosperous.
*Mark Naysmith is chief executive for WSP’s UK & EMEA region
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