Turner & Townsend appoints Managing Director for UK Infrastructure team

UK professional service firm Turner & Townsend has appointed a new Managing Director for its UK Infrastructure team. David Whysall has been promoted to the role having served with the firm for some 14 years.

Turner & Townsend is a consulting and professional services firm which offers independent advisory services, safeguarding the commercial interests of clients embarking on investment programmes across real estate, infrastructure and natural resources. Having launched in the UK one year after the end of the Second World War, the firm has grown to become a world-leading professional services company, with 104 offices around the globe. Turner & Townsend’s Infrastructure team is in particular demand currently, having seen 20% year on year growth over the past 3 years as turnover hit £100 million in 2017/18. As a result, the firm has moved to bolster its booming practice with the hire of a new Managing Partner.

Having been sponsored through university by now-defunct outsourcing firm Carillion, David Whysall has since spent 14 years with Turner & Townsend, after joining as a graduate in 2004. During his career at the firm, he has designed and implemented commercial strategies, assurance functions and managed major programme delivery teams for some of the most high profile capital investment programmes in the UK, including Heathrow Airport’s transformation, Anglian Water, High Speed 2 and Crossrail. Most recently, he headed up Turner & Townsend’s 500 strong Infrastructure South team and is a member of the UK board.

Whysall is also Co-Chair of Constructing Excellence, a group which aims to positively disrupt the UK construction sector, and of its junior arm as the Chair of Generation 4 Change (G4C). Whysall was part of the Government’s 2050 Task Group, advising on a transition to a low carbon future economy, while actively supported the RICS establish its Infrastructure Forum and Steering Group.

Having been part of the Infrastructure leadership team for the past six years, Whysall will now report to Turner & Townsend UK Managing Director and Executive Board Member Patricia Moore. As Managing Director for the UK Infrastructure team, he will manage a 900 people across the UK & Ireland. The infrastructure business covers the transport, power, utilities and defence sectors.

Patricia Moore commented on the appointment, “Over 14 years with Turner & Townsend, David has already made a significant impact in shaping the future of our business. He has always worked to ensure we look to the future. I am delighted that he is taking on the role of UK Infrastructure MD at a very exciting time for our business.”

Whysall himself meanwhile added, “We’re at an important moment for infrastructure in the UK, with a £600 billion investment pipeline and real opportunities to advance our industry. Great infrastructure will be critical to the UK’s future prosperity and if planned, delivered and operated effectively it will change the way our society lives and functions for the better.”

Turner & Townsend was recently highly commended at the 2018 MCA Awards in the Performance Improvement in the Private Sector category. The firm was praised for its work with building materials giant Tarmac to develop an Asphalt Optimisation Programme.

Related: Disruption means $3 trillion global infrastructure investment needed.