Movers and Shakers in Transport & Infrastructure the Headlines from April 2024

Movers and Shakers in Transport & Infrastructure the Headlines from April 2024

April is always a bumper month for movers and shakers announcements. With the start of a new financial year for many, we tend to see a shake-up of leadership teams!

Want to make changes to your teams? Get in touch and we can find the right people for you.

Royal BAM Group

Kim Sides has been appointed as Executive Director, Construction, for the UK and Ireland division. Sides joins from Mura Technology, where she was Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel.

Heathrow

Have announced that Javier Echave has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer following the resignation of Emma Gilthorpe who is taking up the position of Chief Executive Officer at Royal Mail. Echave has been Chief Financial Officer at Heathrow since 2016.

Sally Ding, Director of Treasury & Corporate Finance will be acting CFO whilst permanent recruitment gets underway.

SES Water

Kate Thornton, Chief Customer Officer has announced that she has left the business. Succeeding her in the role is Debra Goodwin, who was previously Chief Customer Officer at Yell.

Transport for Wales

Have appointed Sarah Higgins as Operations Director, Rail. Higgins joins from West Midlands Trains where she was Head of Drivers.

Morgan Sindall

Kelly Gangotra has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer. The former Skanska CFO succeeds Steve Crummett who is set to retire next month.

Buro Happold

Paul Gough has been appointed as UK Development Director – Infrastructure for Buro Happold. Gough joins from Costain where she was Key Account Director – National Highways.

Sir Robert McAlpine

Have announced that Mike Hickson OBE has been appointed as Managing Director – Defence. Hickson, who has a background in military and defence, joins from HS2 where he was Interim Land and Property Director.

Additionally, Sir Robert McAlpine have appointed Paul Sims as its new Operations Director. Sims joins from Lend Lease, having been at the company for more than 40 years, where he was most recently Operations Director, London.

Anglian Water

Have announced that Andy Alder has been appointed as Managing Director, Major Infrastructure Delivery & Strategic Pipeline Alliance. Alder joins from Jacobs where he was Vice President and Head of Major Programmes, UK and Europe – most recently working as Programme Director, Civil Works Programme for Sizewell C and previously on Thames Tideway.

Network Rail

Have announced several leadership appointments. Anit Chandarana has been appointed as Group Director, System Operator. Chandarana returns to Network Rail following his DfT secondment.

Liam Sumpter has been announced as Managing Director, Scotland.  He is currently Route Director Scotland and will take up his new position on a two-year secondment.

They have appointed Tim Walden as Capital Delivery Director for the Wales and Western Region. Walden has been Capital Delivery Director for the Southern Region since 2022.

Additionally, Network Rail have named three new Non-Executive Directors to their Board.

Dyan Perry OBE joins with over 30 years’ experience including Chief Executive Officer of HS1.

Steve Scrimshaw joins with over 45 years’ experience having most recently been CEO of the UK and Ireland Business at Siemens Energy.

Finally, Stuart Harvey, current Chief Capital Officer at Transport for London, joins having overseen the delivery of multiple major schemes including the Northern Line Extension and Major digital signalling schemes.

Clancy

Have appointed Daniel Tonkin as Operations Director to lead South West Water contracts. Tonkin joins from Morrison Water Services, where he was previously Contract Director.

They have also appointed former Buckingham Group divisional MD for Major Civils Projects, Simon Hyams, as Operations Director in their Major Infrastructure division.

Balfour Beatty Plc

Steve O’Sullivan has been appointed as Project Director for Balfour Beatty VINCI SYSTRA’s £1.6bn HS2 Old Oak Common Station project. O’Sullivan joined Balfour Beatty in 1980 and has most recently been Senior Project Director for Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station.

Additionally, Julian Gatward has been appointed as the new Delivery Director for Sizewell C. Gatward joins from VINCI Construction Grand Projects, where he was Managing Director.

UK Parliament Restoration and Renewal (R&R) Delivery Authority

David Goldstone CBE has submitted his resignation from his role as Chief Executive Officer; his leaving date is yet to be confirmed.

Additionally, Patsy Richards, current Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the R&R Client Team, has announced that she will be retiring this summer.

Have announced the appointment of John Whitehurst as the new Chief Operating Officer. Whitehurst joins from Serco, where he was Managing Director, Transport & Community Services.

This comes with the news of Andy Coulthurst, current Operations Planning Director at GTR, announcing that he will be retiring in July.

East West Rail

Beth West has announced that she will be leaving the company at the end of her contract. West is currently interim Chief Executive Officer.

National Gas

Have appointed Matthew Steele as Chief Operating Officer. Steele joins from Balfour Beatty, where he was Managing Director of the Energy Transition & Security business.

Mace

Have appointed Graham Seage as Head of Defence and National Security at Mace. He moves internally, where he was previously Commercial Director- Mace Dragados JV-Euston for HS2.

They have also appointed Ceri Evans as the Global Lead for its Cost and Commercial division. Evans joins from Bechtel, where she was Regional Manager of Contracts and Procurement Infrastructure (GBU- UK, Ireland, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.)

Finally, Martin Feakes has been appointed as the new Group Head of Civil and Structural Engineering. Feakes joins from Ramboll, where he was Head of Buildings, London.

National Highways

Commercial and Procurement Director, Malcolm Dare, has announced that the is leaving the company after five years as Executive Director, Commercial and Procurement.

United Utilities

Tony Slater is joining as Director of its new Enterprise organisation, established to deliver £2.5bn of complex design and build capital investment improvements during the AMP8. This follows Slater’s announcement last month that he was leaving National Highways where he was Managing Director of the Smart Motorway Programme Alliance.

Metrolinx

Have announced the appointment of Sinisa Galac as the new Executive Vice President. Galac joins from National Highways, where he was previously Project Director, Tunnels for Lower Thames Crossing.

First Rail Consultancy

Have announced that Rebecca Holding has been appointed as Managing Director. Holding has been internally appointed from her role as Director.

Aggregate Industries

Anna Baker has been announced as Sustainability Director. Baker joins from Kier Construction, where she was Head of Sustainability.

McBaines

Have announced the appointment of Grant Harden as Director within its building services engineering division. Harden joins from CalfordSeadon, where he was a Partner.

Geobear

Have appointed Paul Garthwaite as the new UK Director (Infrastructure and Commercial). Garthwaite joins from ARCADIS where he was Senior Technical Director.

Gratte Brothers

Have announced the appointment of Remi Suzan as the new Managing Director. Suzan joins internally, having been at the company for 20 years, most recently as Deputy Managing Director. The senior management change follows Iain Thomson’s decision to step back after 10 years while remaining with the firm as Chairman.

W1 Construction

Have appointed Liam Florey as the new Director of Operations. Florey joins from Mace, where he was previously Project Director.

Fiera Infrastructure

Tim Bowen has joined as the new Senior Director – Operational Excellence. Bowen joins from Cohesive, where he was Regional Director, UKIMEA.

Planning any additions to your senior team? Drop me a message to see if we can help.

Author: Jim Newsom

Jim Newsom

Managing Director