Meet Matt Colon: North American principal project manager, bridges, at Mott MacDonald

Our collaborative culture helps us to combine technical excellence and strategic advice, adding value for clients at every stage, from ideation and delivery to operations and maintenance. We caught up with bridges principal project manager Matt Colon to talk about his role within our business and the importance of taking advantage of unique opportunities when they arise.

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

I lead our New Jersey/New York bridge department and serve as project manager for several key projects in the US. I'm currently leading design efforts for two local bridge projects in NJ, one for the replacement of a county bridge spanning the Passaic River in Newark, and another for the construction of a brand new bridge over a military road in Ocean County. I’m also supporting several large design-build projects as deputy design manager and bridge technical lead.

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

One of the cool things about my 13 years at Mott MacDonald is that I rarely have a “typical” kind of day. I’ve had the opportunity to work on a vast array of different projects of all sizes and with numerous different teams.

From local bridge replacements to major design-build tunnel projects, asset management, and software development, each experience has added a new tool to my toolbox and allowed me to collaborate with incredible teams from around the world.

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

I love solving problems! It has always been a skill of mine and is one of the main reasons why I chose this career path. I enjoy every opportunity to tackle projects with very complex needs and guide a team of creative and talented individuals to deliver solutions that help people.

What opportunities have you had to grow your specialism or develop your career here?

I’ve had the opportunity to develop a strong set of unique skills thanks to my involvement with several of our region’s large transportation design-build projects. Working integrally with both contractors and project owners in fast-paced, delivery-driven environments requires a mindset of perseverance, ingenuity, and collaboration. Successfully navigating complexity of these sorts of projects has been a welcomed challenge and allowed me to grow and take my career to new heights.

What advice would you give to someone looking to build their career at Mott MacDonald?

Take advantage when a new, challenging opportunity presents itself! I've had the opportunity to work on many different types of projects during my 13-year tenure here, each one allowing me to think in new ways, expand my skillset, and help me grow into a more resilient and pragmatic leader.