Engineering consultancy makes key senior hire
Engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask has has recruited a regional director for its Bristol office to grow its presence in the South West.
Dave Bathurst joins the firm to head up the civil engineering team in the region and will be using his extensive international track record of working in different disciplines, sectors and countries to establish Rodgers Leask the leading engineering consultancy in the area.
A fellow of the Institute of Highway Engineers, Bathurst has more than 30 years of industry experience having worked for local government, Thames Water and multiple engineering consultancies on projects in the UK, Europe, Middle East and USA.
Starting as a trainee technician, his career path has been varied with roles focussing on residential, commercial, industrial, education, public realm and strategic land developments.
He said: “Before identifying the opportunity to join Rodgers Leask, I was aware of the business and its interests in the South West having worked together on projects in the past. It’s a brilliant business and the regional growth strategy is something I know I can support with. I’m looking forward to being able to offer my experience, enthusiasm and industry insight to help Rodgers Leask become even better than it already is.
“It was important that I joined an organisation like Rodgers Leask, which is focusing on the priorities in the world of construction and new development – such as climate resilience and reducing environmental impact – and is adapting to what’s happening to our planet. For example, in the past 15 years, we’ve seen a shift towards sustainable drainage systems in an effort to mitigate flooding, reduce pollution, support wildlife and improve our surroundings, but we can do more to prevent pollutants from reaching our waterways.”
In the South West, Bathurst played a part in the delivery of well-recognised projects including The Eden Project and Shrewsbury Sports Village. Since this earlier stage of his career, his international work as a principal engineer has included a university in Kuwait, a golf resort in Russia and a hospital in Qatar.
More recently, working with urban design specialists on projects funded by the government’s Future High Street Fund, Bathurst’s reputation in the public realm sector has been growing through his work, which is contributing towards the UK’s changing town centres.
Paul Spencer, managing director at Rodgers Leask, said: “We’re very pleased to welcome Dave to the business and begin a new era in the South West. Dave’s experience speaks for itself and is perfectly suited to guide the growth of a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy like Rodgers Leask. It’s an exciting announcement to begin the year with and we look forward to providing updates on the direction in which Dave takes the Bristol-based team.”
