Arup has appointed Giles Thomas as Principal – APAC High Speed Rail Technical Director, further strengthening the firm’s high speed rail and major project expertise in the region and globally.

Giles joined Arup in April, bringing nearly four decades of experience delivering complex, city-shaping rail programs across the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia Pacific and the United States.

Giles has held senior leadership roles on some of the world’s most significant rail and transport infrastructure projects, including High Speed Two (HS2) in the United Kingdom and the £6 billion Thameslink Program.

Michael McGowan, Arup’s APAC Transport Leader says: “Giles brings deep global experience in integrating complex systems, aligning stakeholders and making best-for-program decisions at scale.”

Aurecon has made a series of senior leadership appointments in Adelaide as it expands its buildings portfolio.

Peter Burrows joins as Technical Director, Buildings Mechanical, and will work on the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre and the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Appointed Technical Director, Delivery Management, Carla Lepore has more than two decades of experience in commercial management for large-scale design.

John Duffy returns to Aurecon as Technical Director, Buildings, bringing expertise in net zero, digital engineering and infrastructure planning.

Derek Broome has been appointed Director, Precincts, Aviation and Stadia, and had led large-scale national and international developments including the $535 million Adelaide Oval redevelopment.

“Investing in leadership in South Australia is part of our commitment to supporting our clients with the expertise required to deliver projects and support the region’s growth,” explains Aurecon’s Managing Director South Australia and Victoria, Adolfo Fernández Benito.

GHD has named Nick Pohl as Executive General Manager – Business Advisory. Nick will provide global leadership for GHD’s consultancy services spanning commercial advisory, asset management, digital and data science, risk and assurance, stakeholder engagement and communication, and sustainability.

Previously, Nick led GHD's Business Advisory teams across the Asia Pacific region. Based in Geelong, Nick has 25 years’ experience in infrastructure advisory, environmental consulting and business strategy across Australia, Asia and the Middle East.

“As GHD enters our next phase of bold growth, we’re scaling our Business Advisory capability globally – bringing together our deep technical expertise and commercial insight to help clients invest with confidence, unlock better value, and deliver resilient infrastructures that benefits our communities,” Nick says.

Mott MacDonald has appointed Scott Morath as its water, environment and society market leader for Australia. Scott will lead national strategy for the sector team, supporting the delivery of major water security, climate resilience, sustainability and community programs.

Scott brings more than 25 years’ experience to the role. Most recently, Scott held senior executive roles at Jacobs, with accountability for portfolios of up to AU$100 million in revenue and leadership of workforces exceeding 400 people across multiple jurisdictions.

Architectus has promoted 49 designers, digital experts and corporate services staff, including 28 people from Associate to Principal level.

“We’re fortunate to have so much great talent at Architectus,” says Architectus CEO Ray Brown. “This time of year is our chance to acknowledge our team’s professional excellence and dedication to design excellence.”

Among the appointments are two directors: Sydney-based John Jeffrey, who is now a director in Architectus’ public buildings sector, and Pete Mitchell, a director for health in Brisbane.

John has played a crucial role on projects such as the complex, globally significant Sydney Modern. His association with the practice goes back to 1989. Pete’s portfolio features the New Coomera Hospital, Gold Coast University Hospital Extension and the Whitty Building Clinical School.

Associate principals appointed include: Laura Venier, Education (Melbourne); Jonathan Riddle, Delivery (Melbourne); John Paisa, Living (Melbourne); Pedro Villanueva, Aviation (Brisbane); David Holden, Aviation (Sydney); Andrew Dowe, Commercial (Sydney); and Pete Agnew, Health (Sydney)