WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff has announced that it has appointed Greg Kane as its new Middle East managing director.
Mr Kane, who joined WSP as operations director from Hyder Consulting in 2013, replaces Tom Bower, who has managed the business for the past six years. He has recently resigned to spend more time with his family.
Mr Kane now heads a team with 1,400 employees operating from five GCC markets — the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Paul Dollin, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff’s global operations director, said: “I am delighted that Greg has taken on the role to lead our business. I look forward to working with Greg as we continue to focus on our clients and our people to deliver some of the world’s most exciting projects.”
WSP completed an £820m (Dh4.4 billion) acquisition of the Parsons Brinckerhoff engineering consultancy business in 2014, purchasing the business from UK-based contractor Balfour Beatty. Last week, the company also announced that it would be acquiring the remainder of UK-based cost and project management consultancy Sweett Group in a deal worth about £24m.
Sweett Group had been caught up in a bribery scandal in the Middle East which led to it announcing the closure of its business in the region in February and the UK’s Serious Fraud Office imposing £2.25 million in fines and penalties on the business. It also sold off its Asia Pacific and China arm to Currie & Brown.
However, Canada-based WSP said its acquisition of the remainder of the Sweett business would ”strengthen WSP as a leading global professional services firm”.
Mr Dollin said: “This is a transaction that will truly benefit the business, our people and our clients.”
mfahy@thenational.ae
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