International multidisciplinary engineering consultancy Buro Happold has appointed Roger Nickells as Middle East regional director.

Formally Dubai office director for a major consultancy, Roger has worked on a wide variety of high-profile projects in the Middle East including the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Wild Wadi Waterpark and Barr Al Jissah.

The move follows a series of director-level appointments made by the practice in June to bolster its team in the Middle East. Oliver Plunkett became country director for Saudi Arabia, taking over from Phil Dalglish who was appointed business development director. Meanwhile, the firm named Robert Okpala its new regional discipline leader for Building Environment and Martin Tillman joined to lead its transportation team.

“Roger and the new senior management team will drive our ambitious growth plans for the Middle East business. These appointments are a clear sign of our commitment to international clients, as well as the Middle East market, where we have been active since the practice was founded in 1976,” said Rod Macdonald, Buro Happold’s Riyadh-based chairman and a founding partner.

“The new team will provide a strong platform for the future growth of the practice in the region, as we plan to grow our network of offices and increase the size, reach and expertise of our established teams in response to growing client demand,” added Steve Brown, managing director for the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa zone.-TradeArabia News Service