Meet our board

Keith Howells took over as chairman of the employee-owned Mott MacDonald Group on 1 January 2011 following Peter Wickens’ retirement and now leads the drive to further improve the company’s performance for customers and staff. During Keith’s tenure as managing director from 2004 to 2010, the Group saw major expansion and crossed the £1 billion revenue threshold. Keith first joined the board in 2002 with responsibility for our quality, environment and safety systems, human resources and IT. Previously, he led the Group's worldwide business in water and environment where his own track record includes extensive experience in the urban, environmental, flood management and water resources sectors. Keith's 36-year career with the Group has seen him working on projects in over 20 countries. Keith sits on the advisory board of the Cranfield School of Management, regularly takes part in trade missions and in 2010 was elected Chair of the UK’s Association of Consulting and Engineering (ACE) Large Consultants Group.

Richard Williams succeeded Keith Howells as Group managing director on 1 January 2011, taking over responsibility for the company’s financial performance and general management worldwide. For the previous two years Richard was Group development director. This role included acquisitions and establishment of new offices and markets, as well as the management of work acquisition and the customer relations programme. As a Group board director since 2005, Richard has also been a driving force in strengthening our safety and ethics policies and training, introducing and embedding what is acknowledged as a best in class holistic risk management system. With over 34 years’ experience in the railway industry and half of this time managing large rail engineering businesses, Richard led the direction, development and management of Mott MacDonald’s global transportation business until 2008.

Kevin Stovell became the Group’s strategic development director in January 2011, a role focused on shaping the company’s future global growth. This follows two years as managing director of our regional business in the Middle East and South Asia – now covering all our core sectors and incorporating our global oil, gas and petrochemicals business. For three years from 2002 to 2005 Kevin’s responsibilities as a Group board director included worldwide business development planning – prior to this he led our management services business since 1999. The first 20 years of his career were spent in the offshore oil industry where his most senior role was as projects director of ABB Global Engineering. After joining Ewbank Preece in 1991 to head its oil and gas activities, he became its managing director when the company joined Mott MacDonald in 1994 – a role which involved establishing the focus of the Group’s energy operations.

Mike Haigh is responsible for the Group’s business throughout the Middle East and South Asia region. Prior to this, Mike was a director in Mott MacDonald’s water and environment team and manager of the consultancy’s water division where he was instrumental in developing relationships with partners and clients to create integrated delivery teams. With 30 years experience Mike has a strong background in the general management, planning and implementation of large infrastructure projects, with particular expertise in the water sector. Mike’s commitment to working collaboratively in the industry was demonstrated by his roles as a member of the delivery boards for Anglian Water Special Projects, Severn Trent One Supply Chain and the Thames Water GBM (Galliford Try, Biwater Treatment and Mott MacDonald) joint venture. Mike was also a director of Mott MacDonald Bentley, the multi-award winning integrated joint-venture between Mott MacDonald and contractor JN Bentley Ltd.

Guy Leonard is the board director responsible for leading development of the Group’s multi-sector regional business across Europe, the UK and Africa – a role he assumed in January 2011. Prior to this his Group board remit included eight years leading development of our management, economics and consultancy business – ranging from construction economics and project/programme management to infrastructure finance and business technology consulting – as well as worldwide responsibility for learning and development, internal communications and operational property. Guy’s career goes back to 1977, when he joined the cost consultancy/project management business of Franklin + Andrews, becoming chief executive in 1996. When Franklin + Andrews joined Mott MacDonald in 2002, Guy was appointed managing director of what was the start of our global multi-sector management consultancy business, now among the largest of its kind.

Since January 2009 Kevin Dixon has been responsible for our business throughout Asia Pacific and Australasia, covering all the Group’s sectors and services. In 2010 he led the development and launch of our newly expanded Australia business with a major acquisition and the creation of new operating centres. Much of Kevin's 35 years’ experience has been in the Asia Pacific/Australasia region where he has managed the planning, design and construction phases of major global multi-disciplinary projects, particularly encompassing transportation systems, roads, railways, bridges, viaducts, marine works, utilities and land reclamation and remediation. Kevin has been with the Group for 25 years, during which time he was managing director for our Hong Kong office as well as our buildings and infrastructure business.

Mark Austen has been appointed as a non-executive board director in 2010. An accountant and experienced audit committee chairman, he has had a strong international career managing PwC's financial services consulting practice world-wide and was also a member of their board. Mark was much involved in the sale of the consulting business to IBM where he also served for a period. He also lends his financial, govern-ance and managerial expertise as a non-executive board director to Standard Bank plc, Temenos Group AG, Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited and several charitable organisations. Mark’s invaluable experience and governance expertise will help the Group’s business go from strength to strength.