Northern cities executive named at Arcadis

Richard Jones will work with local authority leaders and the business community to capitalise on the opportunities available to the region in terms of placemaking, devolution, and infrastructure investment.

Arcadis announced Jones’s appointment as Northern cities executive this week. Jones has been with the global design and consultancy company since February 2021. Prior to taking on his new role, he was the head of development-led infrastructure.

With several decades’ worth of experience, Jones has also worked at WSP, Capita Symonds, and Scott Wilson. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and a chartered engineer.

Past projects for Jones include Liverpool ONE and Stockport Interchange. He is currently a member of the Rochdale Stations Alliance Board, which is advising on the delivery of more than 7,000 homes along the Calder Valley rail corridor.

“Having lived and worked in the North for most of my career I am excited to be taking on this role during an important period for our great Northern cities,” Jones said.

“With a renewed focus on the devolution agenda, there is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in allowing the North to realise its vast potential, working across the public and private sector,” he continued.

“The opportunity, in critical areas including transport, energy, and net zero, is immense and I am hugely looking forward to taking on this challenging and rewarding role.”

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Peter Hogg, UK cities director at Arcadis, described why Jones was the right candidate for the Northern cities executive position.

“Richard brings a wealth of experience, connections, and passion to this role, and I look forward to working closely with him to ensure all of our cities across the country are able to thrive,” Hogg said.

“Arcadis has a strong and important presence across the North, and Richard will be a fantastic figurehead for our wide and varied client base,” Hogg continued.

“His expertise in transport and infrastructure, in particular, will be invaluable in the drive to better connect Northern cities and create an economic whole greater than the sum of its parts.”

In addition to leading Arcadis’s regional presence in the North, Jones will be the company’s representative at the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

NPP is a think tank dedicated to advocating for the North on a national and international stage.

NPP chief executive Henri Murison praised Jones’ appointment.

“Richard brings a huge amount of knowledge and experience to the role at what is a critical time for the North of England,” Murison said.

“Arcadis is a long-standing supporter of the Northern Powerhouse and their expertise in issues such as transport infrastructure, regeneration, and the net zero agenda is invaluable to us as we work together to close the North-South divide.”