Mott MacDonald has appointed Oliver Steele as economic policy manager in its economic and social development team. The move strengthens the consultancy’s position as a leading authority on economic policy, infrastructure economics and project appraisal.
Oliver is a trained economist and professional accountant with a broad range of expertise spanning the strategic planning and development of major infrastructure projects. This includes business case support, economic evaluation and funding and financing advisory, with a particular focus on the transport and regeneration sectors.
He joins Mott MacDonald from Infrastructure NSW in Australia where he was executive director of economics and planning. Oliver led the New South Wales government’s state infrastructure strategy, which generated several high-profile new major transport projects including the WestConnex toll road scheme and Sydney Metro. Oliver also worked on the privatisation of state-owned electricity assets, the redevelopment of the Darling Harbour cultural precinct and the economic and commercial cases for a number of major urban regeneration projects.
Prior to his role in Australia, Oliver spent six years with HM Treasury in London, working on a range of infrastructure financing and economic issues. These included funding arrangements for Crossrail and the restructuring of the London Underground public–private partnership.
At Mott MacDonald, Oliver will be in charge of developing its economic and policy advisory business for London and the south of the United Kingdom. The consultancy has experienced an increased demand for its services in recent years from public and private-sector clients, notably for TEAM (Transparent Economic Assessment Model) its industry-leading economic assessment tool, and wider data analytics products.
Commenting on Oliver’s appointment, Mott MacDonald’s economic and social development director Paul Hammond said: “We are delighted to have Oliver joining the team. His addition brings a wealth of expertise both in the UK and internationally. We expect the demand for high quality, evidence-based policy and economic analysis to continue to grow, not only in infrastructure and transport but also in the energy, water, healthcare and urban regeneration sectors.”
