Mott MacDonald appoints Graham Bolton global head of aviation wing

Mott MacDonald has picked up aviation industry expert Graham Bolton, who will lead the firm’s Global Aviation practice from its London office. The role will see him further develop the firm’s business strategy, client relationships and global aviation community.

The global air transport fleet is set to grow add 10,000 new planes by 2027, boosted by China, which is set to see its fleet grow by almost 4,000 planes as consumers become more interested in domestic and international travel. In anticipation of huge boosts to demand, the aviation sector is in the process of completing key upgrades in the realms of security, schedule management, and infrastructure, as new deliveries outpace retirements.

Consultants in the sector are subsequently undergoing a boom in demand. As airports and airlines bid to use digital technology to upgrade their capabilities, firms have been increasingly tapped for their services, prompting them to expand their capacity by way of acquisition. Notably, this recently saw Air Partner acquire UK-based firm Safeskys, and PA Consulting Group break a five-year M&A drought to snap up Nyras at the end of 2017.

Mott MacDonald is another firm working to bolster its aviation offering, and to that end, the group has appointed industry expert Graham Bolton as its new sector leader. Prior to joining Mott MacDonald, Graham Bolton worked at design, engineering and project management consultancy Atkins for three years, where he was the Global Aviation Development Director, responsible for business expansions across the firm’s global aviation footprint.

He was previously at Arup, where he spent more than 26 years, most recently in the role of Director, focused on the Aviation Business in, among others, commercial business development, commercial and technical project review and aviation team mentoring, within the European Region; he previously worked as the global leader of operations consultancy practice at the firm. He holds a Master of Arts and a Master of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cambridge. He has also been Chairman and Board Member for the British Aviation Group from 2008.

Bolton takes on the role of Global Aviation practice leader. His experience will be used by the firm to develop its global aviation practice community and business development, through upholding client relationship and developing practice strategy.

Brad Moyes, Mott MacDonald’s global sector leader for transportation, said, “Graham is someone we have known for many years as a result of working together on various projects. He is a fantastic addition to the team and the perfect person to continue the expansion our world class aviation capability that Chris has developed over the years.”

Commenting on his appointment, Bolton added, “Having collaborated with Mott MacDonald on major airport programmes over many years, I’m delighted to have this opportunity to join the team. I’m looking forward to working with my new colleagues to build on an already great international portfolio and reputation in the global aviation market.”