James Bruce has been announced today as Buro Happold’s new Chief Executive Officer, with a strong message that the business will strengthen its global presence and, in doing so, create a better, more sustainable world.
Buro Happold is one of the world’s leading engineering consultancies and has helped create many of the most recognised and innovative places across the globe including, London’s Olympic Park and Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the World Towers in Mumbai, New York’s High Line and Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore, home to the tallest indoor waterfall on the planet.
James has announced plans to grow the business, which is active in 26 locations worldwide, doubling from 2,000 to 4,000 employees in six years, creating a better balance and resilience across regions, making Buro Happold a truly global organisation.
“It is a really exciting time for Buro Happold. By expanding our international markets where we believe there is the best potential for us to grow, it will create significant opportunity for our fantastic people and our clients”, said James.
Alongside organic growth, Buro Happold will be driving expansion through acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships in key regions across all markets.
“Our heritage of tackling complex engineering challenges in the built environment puts us in the perfect position to advise and design exceptional solutions for our clients, anywhere in the world. We are enhancing our consultancy capabilities in addition to our world-renowned engineering expertise for a period of rapid acceleration in our industry”, continued James.
“The business has delivered consistent global growth by strongly promoting a strategic focus on design, consultancy, sustainability, equity above all else, and driving best use of technology. What will not change as we move forward is any deviation from our principles of caring deeply about the legacy of our work and a collective courage and passion to create; this is what drives our culture”, continued James. “Where we have plans to grow, we will only do that by acquiring businesses that share our values and vision”.
“The Middle East is one of the key areas we expect to see major growth in. Our world leading experience in consultancy and sustainable design, underpinned by our solid use of leading-edge technology, will see us continue to advise on the transition to sustainable urbanism for future generations whilst preserving cultural identity. Numerous exciting and ambitious masterplans for sustainable development have been announced in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and we are eager to continue and increase our engagement and support for meaningful societal impacts” said Gareth Kirkwood, Middle East Managing Director.
Prior to joining Buro Happold as COO/CFO in 2018, James’s background is in building businesses outside of building engineering and consultancy. He has previously been CFO for a number of Omnicom and WPP subsidiaries, including Interbrand and Landor, and believes his track record in delivering growth in design focused businesses will add a fresh dynamic to Buro Happold’s expansion plans.
Buro Happold has also appointed New York based Craig Schwitter as Senior Partner, with effect from 1 May. Craig is a champion of integrated engineering and the appropriate use of technology, which allows his projects to be flexible, efficient, and engaging for users. Craig’s portfolio of signature projects to date includes Singapore’s Jewel Changi, New York City’s iconic High Line and Harvard University’s Science and Engineering Complex.