Healey Brown becomes head of Arup’s Manchester office

After 23 years with the multidisciplinary firm, Jane Healey Brown will lead the company’s team in the city, taking over the role from Mike Wilton.

Wilton had been the Manchester office lead for six years. He will continue to work at Arup, providing North West clients with his civil engineering expertise.

Healey Brown will take over the Manchester office lead mantle while continuing her work as director of planning, policy, and economics at the employee-owned company. She is a Salford native and passionate about Greater Manchester.

Healey Brown said she was looking forward to continuing Arup’s engagement with local authorities and the private sector to drive investment into the city region.

“Arup has played a key role in Manchester for almost seven decades, helping to shape and deliver some of the most iconic developments – from the Etihad Stadium to Salford Quays and the refurbishments of Manchester Town Hall,” she said.

“Across the city region, we are continuing to drive inclusive regeneration, unlock and design connectivity, invest in innovation, and lead on sustainability. We work with many partners in Greater Manchester to promote these key agendas that affect the city’s future,” Healey Brown continued.

“I’m really excited to represent Arup alongside the wider Manchester public, private, and community partners and look forward to how we can help shape a green and prosperous future for our great city and its people.”

Healey Brown told Place that she been interested in being office lead for a long time.

“It’s that unique opportunity to bring together the place that I care about with the people here in Arup that I care about,” she said.

She recognised that part of the position is being a figurehead and ambassador for the company and its 500 Manchester staff.

In the role, she plans on focussing on boosting Arup’s brand and values, extending Arup’s market influence, and exciting employees about the office. It was only after she set about sharing these goals with the Arup team that she realised she had inadvertently given it a BEE acronym – which, of course, is fitting.

Healey Brown added that the Arup Manchester squad is ready to help the city region explore ways of improving sustainability, solving the housing crisis, and pursuing innovation.

Within the Manchester office, she will explore ways to help foster and strengthen a sense of community. She also wants to ensure that the office is a place of learning and sharing that gives each employee “an opportunity to develop and flourish”.

Current Greater Manchester projects for Arup include the redesign of Piccadilly Gardens, the greening of Trafford Park, the strategic framework for ID Manchester, and the extension of the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan.