Paul McCormick: building the next phase of transport capability in Australia

A career built on complex transport projects

Paul is our transport market leader for Australia, working with teams nationwide to deliver the next generation of transport infrastructure. His career spans more than four decades and multiple continents, with hands‑on experience across roads, rail, aviation and major infrastructure delivery, shaped by some of the world’s most demanding projects. A strong advocate for lifelong learning and building professional networks, Paul is passionate about developing young professionals, supporting collaboration and creating the conditions for rewarding, long-term careers.

What do you do at Mott MacDonald and what are you working on?

I’m the transport market leader for Australia. At the moment, I’m focused on presenting a coordinated transport offering that creates real value for our clients and communities. Over the next few years, my goal is pretty simple: to secure major projects and help deliver them successfully by contributing my expertise and partnering with colleagues across the organisation. Win great work, do great work. That’s the goal.

Tell us about your career history and experience

I began my career at 17 in local government in the UK, working on major motorway programmes. I started in design offices before moving onto construction sites, first in site setting-out then later in supervision. Forty-two years on, I’ve been fortunate to work for consultancies in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, South Korea, Africa and the United States.

I moved to Australia seven years ago after being headhunted by Transport NSW to help establish the Sydney Gateway Airport project and prepare it for contract award and construction. After that, I led several other major government programmes, including the Western Harbour Tunnel in Sydney. Towards the end of last year, I felt ready for a fresh challenge and joined Mott MacDonald, which has been fantastic.

I’ve always been a bit of an engineering geek. I’ve long been interested in vehicles – cars, trains, planes – and the way people move. Around 80% of my career has been in roads and highways, with the remainder in rail. Although I could retire, I genuinely enjoy what I do. I like meeting brilliant people, discussing exciting opportunities and look forward to playing a part in Mott MacDonald’s next phase of growth in Australia.

What inspired you to join Mott MacDonald?

I used to run into wise and impressive Mott MacDonald engineers in the Middle East, in London and at industry events. David Tarrant, who has since retired, was one of them. I always thought that if I were ever going to work for a consultancy again, it would be a gold-standard one like Mott MacDonald. Aside from the people, what really attracted me was the focus on technical excellence and doing the right thing for clients. The employee-owned model reinforces that. We’re not solely focused on profit and place greater emphasis on outcomes.

“I bought my first electric UTE to feel more Aussie!”

Are there any projects from your career that truly stand out?

The Sydney Gateway Airport project stands out – it’s what brought me to Australia. They needed someone who wasn’t intimidated by complexity and had experience across roads, rail, ports, aviation and canals. The project required us to stage construction for 19 bridges, manage land acquisition and minimise disruption around one of New South Wales’ most important transport hubs. Even after 35 years in the industry, I learned a great deal in Australia, including planning and land acquisition processes, and I appreciated the intricacies of working with state and Federal Government.

What does technical excellence mean to you?

It means lifelong learning and building networks. Early in my career, I became heavily involved with the Institution of Civil Engineers. The relationships I formed still support me today – those friends are for life – and many colleagues from then are now international senior leaders. That’s really important because success isn’t just about your day job; it’s about developing friendships across the profession so you can reach out for help on projects if you get stuck.

What opportunities do you see in Australia’s transport market?

Federal and state governments are increasingly prioritising high-speed rail. It has to happen eventually in such a vast country with cities far apart. The Federal Government’s investment in business cases and early-stage planning is promising. Globally – in Japan, China, Europe and the US – high-speed rail is essential for connectivity. When combined with strong urban networks and well-designed major roads, it’s faster, moves more people and improves safety outcomes. Clients are also more sophisticated now. It’s not just about delivering a railway, station or motorway; it’s about connected cities, electric cars, buses and ferries, and integration across all modes, including for vulnerable users. That’s where Mott MacDonald creates real value.

“Our dogs Snoop, the Cavalier King Charles, and Milo, the Chihuahua Papillon, moved with us from the UK to Australia in 2019.”

What are your thoughts on AI and its impact on the industry?

AI will reshape engineering, just as computers replaced drawing boards. Soon, engineers will be able to upload hundreds of design precedents, set standards and constraints and produce a first-pass design in hours instead of weeks. AI won’t replace engineers; people will still refine, test and apply judgement, but design stages will be much faster. Engineering will always involve designing and creating complex solutions, here on Earth, or one day on the moon or Mars. The profession is global – universal even – and the opportunities are endless.

People worry about job losses, but the AI revolution is no different from the Industrial Revolution. Yes, roles will change, but new ones will emerge. AI will create specialisms that we can’t yet imagine. It will help to grow our business and industry in ways we can’t quite see yet.

What advice do you have for someone starting their careers?

Build digital skills alongside your engineering qualification, such as coding and data literacy. Earning your degree or TAFE certificate is the bare minimum; it’s just the beginning. You also need professional certifications and global real-world experience in your chosen specialism. And never stop learning. I still learn something new each week, from projects, capability statements, engineering magazines, or revisiting work I did 20 years ago and seeing how the industry has evolved. That’s the exciting part of our industry; there’s always something new to discover.

How do you collaborate across disciplines and teams?

Major projects involve many disciplines. Collaboration means bringing people together, ideally in person. Remote working makes building connections harder, but you learn so much just from sitting next to another engineer, seeing how they deal with clients, projects, politicians. We lost some of that in Covid, so we need to bring people together for regular “anchor days” for in-person interaction, while respecting outside commitments.

Collaboration is also about being open and honest and setting clear objectives for a project or, in my case, a business unit. It’s about harnessing our people’s strengths and taking everyone forward together.

What Mott MacDonald value do you resonate with most and why?

Integrity. Ethics and doing the right thing matter, even when no one is watching. There’s no point doing anything dodgy; you only get one life.