Steer Davies Gleave hires Keith Whalen and Simon Pringle

Steer Davies Gleave has appointed Keith Whalen and Simon Pringle to leading positions. Whalen will lead the firm’s Business Development and Operations in North America and Pringle will lead of the firm’s Integrated Economic Development practice across the UK and Europe.

Keith Whalen previously worked at First Transit, in his more recent role as Senior Vice President of Operations, focused on, among others, driving operational efficiency across the firm’s global operation. Prior to that, between 2012 and 2016, Whalen was a Senior Vice President of Business Development at the firm. Earlier in his career he worked at MV Transportation as President of Operations. Whalen holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of California, Davis.

Steer Davies Gleave has hired Whalen on the back of Steer Davies Gleave’s growing presence across the North American market, which now numbers six offices, including the recently opened locations in recently Los Angeles and Washington. Whalen’s primary responsibilities are to further grow the operations aspect of the firm’s expanding regional footprint.

Steve Hewitt, Chief Operating Officer at Steer Davies Gleave says, “Keith’s appointment reflects our continued commitment to develop and enrich the services we offer to our North American clients, and to enhance staff development, and grow the business.”

Prior to joining Steer Davies Gleave, Simon Pringle worked at a social and economic development research firm SQW, in his more recent role as a Managing Director. Previously Pringle was a Deputy Managing Director at the firm, which he joined in 1999 as an Associate Director. Earlier in his career, Pringle worked at DTZ Pieda as an Associate Director, and at SQW as a Senior Consultant. Pringle started his career at the UK Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) in 1982, rising through the ranks to the role of Senior Executive Officer & Principal during his more than ten years at the department.

Pringle holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environmental Science, & Advanced Statistics from the University of Bristol.

Pringle joins Steer Davies Gleave as a Director and lead of the firm’s Integrated Economic Development practice. Pringle is responsible for building out the transport side of the practice to include adjacent policy areas such as enterprise, knowledge, skills and governance. He is based out of the firm’s North West of England practice with a UK and Europe wide focus.

A spokesperson for the firm remarks, “With more than 20 years’ experience of appraisal, evaluation, economic impact assessment, strategy development and process consultancy, Simon brings deep experience in building the competitiveness and wealth creating potential of places, markets and industrial sectors.”