Richard Bowen: bringing clients and stakeholders together to ensure infrastructure success

From the walking the corridors of power to standing in a drafty village hall, stakeholder management technical director Richard’s career is all about talking to people, no matter who or where they are. We spoke to him about his career highlights, the importance of collaboration and how his team’s work is vital to society.

Give us a brief summary of your role

I oversee a team of 45 stakeholder management consultants working on some of the UK’s most high-profile public and private sector infrastructure projects. We support colleagues by engaging and consulting with anyone who has an interest in, or is affected by, proposed developments and ensuring their voices are heard.

Why did you choose your career path?

I’ve always had an interest in politics and communications which are core components of stakeholder management. I studied politics at the University of Liverpool, which was a real hotbed for political activity, and I always wanted a career that involved politics, communications and media. However, stakeholder engagement wasn’t a thing back then so, I started my career at a publishing company that specialised in political titles. This introduced me to the world of Westminster and Whitehall, which I found fascinating.

When stakeholder engagement and consultation became mandatory for some infrastructure projects 20 years ago, this created new opportunities for me to combine my love of politics with my communication skills.

What does it mean to you to be trusted to do brilliant things at Mott MacDonald?

At Mott MacDonald, we have the opportunity to actually make a difference to people’s lives, to society and to the development and direction of the country. Being trusted to work from start to finish on a large project that can bring those benefits is very satisfying. By talking to stakeholders, listening to their views and taking those views back to our technical colleagues, we can influence the design for the better. This also reduces the risk of delays and extra costs to the client caused by objections because people affected by the development have had the opportunity to influence the design. It means a lot to me to see finished projects bringing benefits to society and the economy, knowing my team has been a key part of it.

What does a typical day look like for you at Mott MacDonald and how do you find opportunities to excel in your role?

Every day is different. The nature of the role means that there are always different people to engage with to support vital infrastructure projects. I might be meeting with a client to discuss a stakeholder engagement strategy, working with the Environment Agency to plan potential environmental assessments or hosting a public consultation event in a village hall. My team is spread across the UK and I divide my time between our Manchester and Southampton offices, as well as client offices, so a typical day will almost always involve a train journey.

Can you describe a time when teamwork at Mott MacDonald led to a successful outcome?

Teamwork is vital to all of our projects but it was particularly important on the A46 Newark Bypass project, which involved a road upgrade to alleviate congestion. Mott MacDonald worked closely with the contractor Skanska and client National Highways, collaborating across disciplines including project design, environmental design, traffic and transport and land services.

We also engaged and consulted with external stakeholders, including a well-organised and vocal community group from one of the surrounding villages affected by the new road. Residents were concerned about light pollution and noise from the construction and operation of the bypass. We worked closely with them and the design teams to develop a solution that moved the alignment of the road about 80m further away from the village. That change addressed stakeholder concerns while still delivering the benefits of reduced congestion. The community group had initially objected to the scheme but, through building relationships and revising the design, they became supporters. That turnaround was a great example of successful collaboration.

What inspired you to join Mott MacDonald and how has your career journey evolved since then?

Joining Mott MacDonald gave me the opportunity to take my career up a level. Before then, I’d worked at small agencies but Mott MacDonald offered greater exposure to larger schemes including critical Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) such as HS2, East West Rail and the Heathrow expansion project. Since I started in 2016, I’ve grown the stakeholder engagement team to the 45-strong team we have today. The value of good practice stakeholder engagement and consultation continues to be better understood by clients and Mott MacDonald colleagues, so I see a bright future.

What resources or support at Mott MacDonald have been most beneficial to your growth?

The fact that Mott MacDonald has supported stakeholder engagement, not just as a box-ticking exercise but as the right thing to do, has opened up opportunities for both me and my stakeholder team colleagues to grow our roles. Today, our services are being used across the company in aviation, rail, energy, water and beyond. That commitment and support have been vital to my own professional growth and that of my team.