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n behalf of ACE’s members, the Board, Advisory Board and entire staff, I would
like to thank Nelson for his outstanding contribution to the transformation and development of ACE over the last 14 years.

His achievements and unflinching dedication to the organisation have been both remarkable and inspiring.

He has successfully positioned ACE at the top table where it has been able to influence Government, investor, developer and stakeholder decisions on infrastructure, ensuring a sustainable future for our industry.

Nelson has contributed so much to ACE’s development over the last 14 years. Among the many highlights, he has achieved strong recognition for ACE both in the UK and within the international infrastructure, construction and engineering markets.

Nelson successfully lobbied Government departments and private and public-sector clients to improve the business environment for our members. For ACE itself, Nelson delivered a strategic turnaround and has created a sustainable business platform for the organisation to continue to deliver for its membership.

Whilst we are sad to learn of his decision to leave us, we are delighted that he will be taking up the chief executive officer position at the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) to affect similar change for the global consulting engineering industry. Having Nelson at the helm of FIDIC, working alongside ACE past chairman Gavin English who was elected to FIDIC’s Executive Committee last year – just as the UK is stepping out of the EU – should be immensely reassuring to us all.

The Board has already commenced the search for an appropriate candidate to take over and drive forward ACE’s current corporate plans. As Nelson will also be representing ACE in his role as chief executive officer at FIDIC, we have secured an agreement to ensure a smooth transition between the two organisations.

In addition, we are delighted that Nelson has agreed to serve as a vice chair of ACE’s Advisory Board, so will continue to input into our strategic activities in the future, sharing his global wealth of knowledge and experience of the sector, as well as his industry contacts and relationships, for the benefit of all our members.

We wish Nelson the very best in his new role and look forward to working with him to promote and secure the UK’s consultancy and engineering industry, long into the future.

I will be sharing an update as the search process for the replacement chief executive reaches its conclusion. Meanwhile, I thank you for you in anticipation of your full co-operation during the months ahead.