Balfour beatty has appointed Malcolm Eckersall group managing director with responsibility for civil and specialist engineering and associated services.

Eckersall will join two other group managing directors: Paul Lester, who is responsible for UK construction, and Jim Cohen, responsible for railway engineering and services, and investments. All three will report to chief executive Mike Welton. Eckersall, 53, joins from Amec, where he spent 25 years, most recently as a director.