AECOM swoops for new regional projects boss

The global infrastructure consultancy has tempted Laura Jackson Pugh away from Tetra Tech to become its head of North for project and cost management.

Jackson Pugh will be responsible for delivering major programmes and managing client relationships across AECOM’s project and cost management portfolio in the North of England.

She will be based from the Manchester office, heading operations in the division across its Northern bases, which also includes Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Warrington. AECOM employs around 1,200 people in the North.

Jackson Pugh’s role will focus on sectors including central and local government, healthcare and higher education as well as accelerating AECOM’s presence across energy and defence in the region.

A chartered project manager with 20 years’ experience, she joins AECOM from Tetra Tech, where she was head of project management, most recently serving as programme director for the multi-disciplinary design and engineering of a multi-million-pound civil nuclear infrastructure programme.

Jo Streeton, managing director of buildings and places at AECOM, said: “Whether accelerating delivery, decarbonising the built environment, embedding digital technologies or managing assets efficiently across their whole life, our commercial and public sector clients across the North of England share common ambitions and challenges.

“As investment across the North of England continues to grow in key sectors such as energy and defence, Laura’s strong client relationships and proven track record in delivering complex, high-value infrastructure programmes will be invaluable. I am delighted to welcome her to AECOM.”

Jackson Pugh spent 12 years with Tetra Tech, the first part under the guide of WYG before it was bought out in 2019.

She said: “The North of England continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in the UK, and there is a strong ambition across its towns and cities to deliver major infrastructure programmes.

“I am incredibly excited to draw on AECOM’s broad range of global, multi-disciplinary capabilities and bring them to clients through our local teams. Through a commitment to technical excellence and a client-first approach, I look forward to expanding AECOM’s footprint across the region.”

The news follows AECOM’s appointment to the UK Government Commercial Agency CPS2 Framework, a key route to market for project and cost management.