Paula Walsh becomes UKIMEA chair of Arup
Engineering and environment consultancy Arup has appointed Paula Walsh as its new chair for the UK, Middle East, India and Africa. She takes on the role as the firm plans for a busy 2024.
Walsh commented, “It is a privilege to be appointed as chair in this region. I am passionate about creating teams that work together and look forward to collaborating with colleagues, clients and industry partners as we continue to drive innovative, sustainable solutions that deliver positive outcomes in the short and long term.”
In the role of UK, Middle East, India and Africa (UKIMEA) chair, Walsh will oversee a 7,000 strong team which delivers advisory, planning, engineering, and design services across a wide range of markets including energy, property, and transport. With extensive experience in design across a wide range of sectors, she will continue to work with local, national, and international clients and their collaborators to deliver high impact and quality outcomes that push the boundaries on social value, sustainability and inclusivity.
The promotion comes after spending more than 33 years with the firm – with Walsh having joined Arup as a structural engineering graduate in 1989. In the years since, she has held several leadership positions within the firm including property, science and industry group and team leader. She is currently the London and south-east geography leader with the firm, and a UKIMEA board member.
She will take on the role of regional chair from Jerome Frost, who is the incumbent UKIMEA chair. He is also moving up in the company, as he succeeds Alan Belfield as the global chair of Arup from April 2024.
UK infrastructure project leaders have endured one of the toughest periods in their modern history. While they showed surprising flexibility during the lockdown phase of a global pandemic, three years on, they face complex issues on all fronts. While Arup announced a series of layoffs resulting from this, however, the firm is looking to forge ahead in 2024 with new investment. This includes the refurbishment of its offices in Manchester and Birmingham to help foster client collaboration.