Business and outreach

As Operations Director at WSP, Joan leads project and commercial services business within WSP delivery consultancy services including:

• Client-side project
• Programme and commercial management
• PMO offering
• Building surveying
• Design leadership risk and asset investment advice in the PPP market.

Working with a variety of clients, within a range of sectors: Transport, property, petrochemical, utilities, energy and industry.

Joan is a member of the Panel of Health and Safety Experts for Institution of Civil Engineers, as well as a fellow of the Institution. An advocate of women in engineering, Joan founded both the award winning Carillion SNOWE Network, (Support Network for Operation Women in Engineering) to support women in engineering roles and the award winning PLEDGE – (Promoting Leadership, Equality Diversity and Gender Equality) for people of all backgrounds in WSP.

Joan represented the construction industry on the “Your Life” national campaign, engaging with representatives from the Cabinet Office, Government and cross-party members as well as the co–sponsors.

This three year campaign involved Joan working with senior officials including the Prime Minister’s Director of National Campaigns.

In 2016, Joan was a finalist in the category of Best Woman in Consultancy for the European Construction and Engineering Awards (WICE).

In 2017, Joan was the Winner of the Global Carillion Group Award for Innovation.

As a graduate civil engineer, Joan is keen to support the next generation of under graduates at the University of Surrey, to be trained to be “future ready” for the new world of engineering and construction.

Liam graduated in July 2019 from the University of Surrey’s MEng Civil Engineering programme with a first and returned to Arcadis Consulting with whom he had a scholarship with and had spent each summer and his placement working for.

Liam has since been working within the Highways Structures sector of the business with a focus on structural design. During his time at the University, Liam accrued a series of awards and upon graduating he was awarded the highly prestigious “Wells Award” for the best overall final result from any of the MEng programmes offered by the Divisions of CCE and MMA. Liam hugely enjoyed his time at the Surrey and is forever grateful for the support and opportunities afforded to him by the academic staff.

Since returning to Arcadis, Liam has led development of a junior staff development group within his business unit and he currently chairs the ICE Thames Valley Graduates, Students and Apprentice Committee which focuses on providing development support to individuals at all levels working towards chartership, including students. Something which Liam has always been passionate about, having been both an Institution of Civil Engineers and Department of Civil Engineering Student Ambassador whilst studying at Surrey.

Colin is a Surrey ‘Civil Engineering with Computing’ MEng graduate with 20 years’ construction industry experience having worked as Contractor on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, and Local Authority Highways, but predominantly as a consultant. As a design consultant he started his career designing buildings, bridges and temporary works.

After a period working in Hong Kong acting as designer’s site representative on numerous post-tensioned segmental concrete bridges as well as managing the team of independent checking engineers responsible for temporary works for the 1km span cable-stayed Stonecutters Bridge, Colin returned to the UK to manage design delivery of major rail schemes including Cannon Street Station Redevelopment, East London Line’s Silwood Grade Separated Junction and London Bridge Station Western Approach Viaducts.

Colin moved into highways 10 years ago managing delivery of large port access infrastructure schemes, notable local authority bypasses schemes such as A142 Ely Southern Bypass, and national major projects.

Colin is now Group Director responsible for Tony Gee’s UK Highway Sector portfolio which includes delivery of Local Authority, private developer and major National Highways infrastructure projects.

Colin is a chartered civil engineer, member and reviewer for the Institution of Civil Engineers, member of the Chartered Institute for Highways and Transportation and has been a member of the University of Surrey Civil Engineering Industrial Advisory Board since 2019.

Michelle graduated from the MEng Civil Engineering course at the University of Surrey in 2014 and joined WSP as a structural engineer where she had the opportunity to work on a number of high profile projects including the redevelopment of London Bridge Station.

She then joined Merlin Entertainments as a project manager where she led the delivery of many successful theme park attractions, including a first of its kind tiger exhibit with bridges connecting three different enclosures constructed around a water flume attraction.

Michelle is now the Co-Owner and Executive Producer of themed attraction design consultancy Firefly Creations where she is working on the design of experiences for theme parks, water parks and other experiential attractions around the world.

Philip graduated from the University of Surrey in 1988 and is now the UK Group Managing Director for Bachy Soletanche, the world leader in foundations and soil technologies.

Paul is a University of Surrey graduate and is currently the Tunnelling Director for Balfour Beatty. He has more than 40 years’ experience of planning, engineering and managing major projects, specialising in tunnelling. He has worked on the Channel Tunnel, Heathrow Express, Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the Lotschberg and Gotthard tunnels (Switzerland).

Over his career Paul has switched between bidding for new work and delivering projects.

He was project director on A3 Hindhead, Crossrail C510 Whitechapel and Liverpool Street Station Tunnels and Hinkley Marine. He has also led tender teams on projects such as Thames Tideway, London Power Tunnels 2 and HS2 (N1 Contract).

Paul is a past chairman of the British Tunnelling Society and has been a member of the University of Surrey Civil Engineering Industrial Advisory Board for over 10 years.

Darren James was appointed Chief Executive of the Keltbray Group in April 2020. Prior to this, he spent 30 Years at Costain Group PLC starting on their graduate development programme and rising through the ranks to be chief operating officer.

An honours graduate in civil engineering from the University of Surrey, Darren has undertaken further postgraduate executive programmes at Harvard, Wharton and London Business Schools.

A Chartered Civil Engineer, Darren is a fellow of the Institute of Directors, the Institution of Civil Engineers and Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation.

Darren is a non-executive director of the Port of London Authority, a director of the Rail Industry Association, a member of the Rail Supply Group Council and industry champion for the Sustainable Railway pillar of the Governments Rail Sector Deal.

Skanska, established in 1887, is one of the world’s leading project development and construction groups. Operating around the world in selected markets in Europe and the US, Skanska is listed on the Stockholm stock exchange and headquartered in Sweden’s capital city. Drawing on our Scandinavian heritage, we are green, innovative, and progressive. We bring together people and technology, as part of our objective to make construction a safer and more collaborative industry.

Nick is a practising civil and structural engineer with Perega who are consulting engineers headquartered in Guildford. As well as being an internationally recognised expert witness Nick has been responsible for many interesting buildings. He has a particular interest in repurposing infrastructure as opposed to renewing it.

Nick has a wide range of professional interests having been the international president of the Institution of Structural Engineers, the Chair of the Joint Board of Moderators (which accredits UK and overseas civil engineering degrees and has sat on the Institution of Structural Engineers’ Trustee Board and its Council.

Nick has been a visiting professor at Surrey since 2015 and a member of its industrial advisory board since 2010. He is also a visiting professor at the University of East London. He has lectured widely both in the UK and overseas.

When not working Nick enjoys cycling, squash, walking and travelling.

Lily studied MEng Civil Engineering at Surrey and graduated with first class honours in 2016. Whilst at university, she was a scholarship student on the Institution of Civil Engineers/University of Surrey Scholarship scheme, gaining 18 months of industry experience across a variety of industry sectors, including overseas site visits in the US, UAE and Hong Kong.

After graduating, Lily pursued her interest in the transportation sector, blending design, engineering and project management to deliver innovative solutions for aviation clients and their local communities at London City Airport and Gatwick Airport. In 2019 she joined Transport for London, leading projects upgrading infrastructure and supporting the modernisation of rolling stock to deliver improved safety and reliability, environmental benefits and transformative customer experiences.