Wickens made chairman to replace Mike Blackburn and three new board directors appointed at consultancy group

Peter Wickens has been appointed chairman of multi-disciplinary consultancy group Mott MacDonald. He replace Mike Blackburn, who is moving to Beijing to spearhead the group’s expansion plans in China.

Peter Wickens

Wickens led the ten-fold growth of the group’s North America business during the last decade, and will be responsible for doubling the group’s turnover in the next five years.

Current managing director Keith Howells and group business development director Kevin Stovell will remain but they will be joined by three new group board directors.

Richard Williams, manager of Mott MacDonald’s transportation business, becomes responsible for safety and risk management. Guy Leonard, who currently heads the company’s management and construction economics business now also leads on learning and development and internal communications. And, Kevin Dixon, head of buildings and infrastructure, takes on property and the group’s sustainability commitment. Dame Tessa Blackstone and Jermyn Brooks continue to provide independent advice and support as non-executive group board directors.

On being selected as head of the board tasked with continuing the group’s rapid growth, Wickens said: “The buoyant world economy is driving demand for all of our services and business is surging ahead across all sectors and in almost all corners of the globe. Our biggest challenge over the next few years is to grow and keep our talent.”

The management, engineering and development consultancy is one of the largest employee-owned companies in the UK. It has more than trebled in size to a current 12,000-strong £700m employee-owned business spanning 140 countries.