Consultancy Ramboll has announced two appointments to further bolster its transport infrastructure business: Graeme Dodds, director, urban and transport planning and Mark Baynham, market director, highways.

With a combined 65 years of experience, Dodds and Baynham bring their expertise to support Ramboll’s growing portfolio of work in major mass transit and large complex highways projects.

Baynham joins Ramboll from Mott MacDonald and has previously served as a civil servant in the Cabinet Office. A recognised industry expert and a chartered engineer and procurement professional, he has more than 36 years of experience in the sector. Whilst based predominantly in Scotland , he has also led complex highways and defence infrastructure projects and operating services across the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe and Australasia.

Dodds is an experienced project director with a skillset focused on strategic planning, solution development and appraisal, governance advice and public policy. He joins Ramboll following 29 years at Jacobs and will play a key role in driving strategic growth across the advisory market and enhancing delivery for new and existing clients, supporting Ramboll in its role as the partner for sustainable change for its clients in urban and transport planning.

The appointments will also support Ramboll’s growing presence in Scotland following a series of project wins in the region, strengthening relationships with Scottish clients and partners and improving the delivery of Scotland’s resilient and sustainable transport infrastructure.

Ann Gordon, transport market director, said: “At Ramboll, we recognise that resilient transport systems have an increasingly important part to play in the future of our local communities and national economy. Mark and Graeme bring with them stellar reputations as leaders and infrastructure experts and will play key roles in delivering the smart, sustainable solutions our clients expect, in Scotland and beyond.”

Ramboll has also made a series of other key appointments including Richard Linacre as director (pharmaceuticals) and Ivana Poparic as director (business development and strategic advisory). They bring expertise that further strengthens Ramboll’s presence across the UK life science and pharmaceuticals market, following a number of recent wins for the business.

Other key appointments across the sector include:

Construction and property management consultant, Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) has appointed Alex Harris as its head of artificial intelligence for UK and Europe.

His appointment reinforces the firm’s commitment to using AI responsibly to deliver the best outcomes for its colleagues, clients and business.

Most recently, Harris led AI strategy and innovation at Volkswagen Financial Services UK, where he established the organisation's AI function, governance model and enterprise-wide adoption programme. Prior to this, he held innovation leadership roles within Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and the BMW Group, delivering large-scale technology and process transformation initiatives.

Mark Wolverson has taken over the construction reins of Willmott Dixon’s North East region, returning to the business he spent 14 years with to lead delivery of a portfolio that includes £58m of civic, defence, transport and education projects currently on site.

He brings more than 16 years of construction industry experience, 14 of which from his time at Willmott Dixon. He rejoins from Wates where he held the role of operations director for the North East.

Willmott Dixon’s North East region has recently completed a run of projects worth around £54m, including the transformation of Eston Pool, the rebuild of Durham’s newest cultural venue The Light, the Maritime Hub in Whitby, and the transformation of Darlington Station.

Wolverson becomes delivery director for a region with five schemes on site. The new Durham Academy, secured through the Department for Education’s Construction Framework, will deliver a 3,538 square metre three-storey secondary school for 500 pupils at Ushaw Moor, designed to target net zero carbon in operation and due for completion in August 2027. Also, the extension to the Rivergreen Centre in Durham will provide new council chambers, meeting space and offices for councillors and staff. Further work includes the redevelopment of Catterick Town Centre, re-cladding works to Durham Bus Station and the refurbishment of The Dolphin Centre in Darlington. 

Balfour Beatty has appointed Emma Loxton as chief strategy officer. She joins from McKinsey & Company, where she spent more than a decade advising major industrial and infrastructure businesses on strategy, transformation and growth.

She was a partner at McKinsey, most recently leading their UK advanced industries and transport and infrastructure practices. Earlier in her career, she was a senior policy advisor in the UK Government’s Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit.

Reporting to Philip Hoare, group chief executive, she will lead Balfour Beatty’s strategy function when she joins in October.

Experienced architectural designer and project manager Aditya Sardesai has joined the Building Safety Act (BSA) team at multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard.

Specialising in high-risk buildings, the senior BSA consultant brings a wealth of expertise from his time working across construction, architecture and property development. He is supporting clients on a variety of projects across disciplines including education and healthcare.