Healey Brown makes move to AtkinsRéalis
A long-term Arup stalwart who became head of the Manchester office in 2024, Jane Healey Brown has moved to the rival consultancy, immediately taking up a secondment with Homes England.
Posting on Linkedin, Healey Brown said: “I have joined AtkinsRéalis to develop opportunities from the government’s devolution agenda, working with Mayoral Combined Authorities, public sector agencies and key partners.
“I am starting with an incredible secondment to Homes England leading accelerated delivery of homes across Greater Manchester, working alongside GMCA. This pilot will be developed to support the national roll out of housing acceleration.”
Expanding on the theme, she told Place North West that furthering the “good growth” agenda, with strong place-based partnerships, will be crucial as Homes England looks to “capture learnings” and accelerate housing delivery across the country.
A long-time planning and housing commissioner at Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Healey is a fellow both of the Royal Town Planning Institute, and as of September 2025, of the Academy of Social Sciences.
She also serves as a non-executive director with Irwell Valley Homes, and is a visiting professor in geography and planning at the University of Liverpool.
For many years a senior figure at Arup, where she led the planning, policy and economics teams covering the North West and Yorkshire, Healey Brown became office head for Manchester in May 2024.
Another former senior Arup figure, Tom Bridges, moved to Homes England in December last year, becoming one of five executive regional directors with the brief of heading Yorkshire and the North East.
Justin Norman, managing director for transportation at AtkinsRéalis, said: “Jane brings a wealth of regional knowledge, strategic insight and trusted relationships across the North West, which is an area where we have an established presence.
“Her appointment reinforces our commitment to helping regions achieve their growth ambitions and reflects the increasing importance of place-based partnerships in delivering sustainable economic development.”
For AtkinsRéalis’ part, the firm is working on a number of major strategic projects inside and beyond the region.
With ex-Arcadis man Richard Bonner promoted to UK managing director of buildings and places last year, the firm is working with the Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram on what will be one of four national pilots for the new Green Book place-based business case model at Liverpool Central, bringing together the firm’s masterplanning, infrastructure and advisory skills in a single commission.
