Chris Turton returns to Mott MacDonald to lead aviation in Australia and New Zealand

Chris Turton has been appointed as Mott MacDonald’s aviation leader for Australia and New Zealand. 

Chris rejoins the business from Manchester Airports Group (MAG) where he most recently held the role of transformation development director. In this role, he led the establishment and development of the Stansted Transformation Programme.

In his new role as aviation leader at Mott MacDonald, he will focus on activating his aviation industry experience and airport client insight to grow the aviation and airports business across Australia and New Zealand. Utilising the company's integrated service proposition, combined with global aviation expertise and local knowledge, he aims to deliver exceptional value while promoting best practices and innovation. By prioritising sustainability, he will help mitigate inherent design risks, ensuring the delivery of more efficient, resilient, and future-ready aviation solutions.

Chris’ career spans over 30 years across architectural design, consultancy, and client-side management of large-scale capital programmes. Prior to his tenure with MAG, Chris held various roles with Mott MacDonald in the UK, Singapore and Australia, leading major projects including, Changi T5 and Sydney Metro. He is a Chartered Construction Professional (Chartered Institute of Building) and an expert in leading multi-disciplinary teams to deliver complex, customer-facing aviation infrastructure projects.

Adrian Jones, Mott MacDonald managing director for Asia Pacific, New Zealand and Australia said: “Aviation is a key driver of global mobility and economic growth, bringing benefits to better connected communities around the world. With a number of major airport expansion projects underway in Australia and New Zealand, the breadth and depth of Chris’ experience, his client and people engagement skills, and his business acumen, mean he is well placed to continue the next phase of our aviation growth in this region."

Chris Turton said: “I am grateful for my time at MAG and have been made to feel very welcome on my return to Mott MacDonald. We have an exceptionally talented aviation team, with a long track record in the successful delivery of infrastructure projects for our clients across the region. I am looking forward to leading this team in Australia and New Zealand and delivering great outcomes for our clients.”

Mott MacDonald has a strong track record in aviation, having worked with governments, investors, operators and airlines on projects at more than 250 airports worldwide, from small regional airfields to global hubs such as Singapore Changi, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London Heathrow and New York JFK.