Global engineering and construction firm Burns & McDonnell has strengthened its UK Transmission & Distribution (T&D) practice with the appointment of Gareth James as Head of Civils, Transmission & Distribution.

The role supports the delivery of complex energy infrastructure projects across the company’s Glasgow, Birmingham and India operations.

Gareth brings 28 years’ experience across multi-disciplinary engineering consultancies in the UK and Australia. He has led high-performing teams across the built environment, aviation and defence sectors, and has a strong track record in people development and cross-discipline coordination. Prior to joining Burns & McDonnell, he served as Head of Civil and Structural Engineering in Scotland for a major European engineering and project delivery firm.

Based in the company’s Scotland office, Gareth will oversee civils teams in Glasgow and Birmingham, supported by colleagues in India. His remit includes developing and expanding the team, strengthening technical capability, and ensuring high-quality civil engineering delivery for major clients including SSE and National Grid.

The appointment comes at a time of significant growth across the UK energy sector. With demand increasing for resilient, low-carbon infrastructure, the ability to deliver complex projects efficiently and to a consistently high standard is becoming ever more critical, as Burns & McDonnell expands its supply chains across Glasgow, Birmingham and India.

Gareth James, UK Head of Civils, Transmission & Distribution at Burns & McDonnell, said:

“I’m excited to be joining Burns & McDonnell at such a critical time for the UK’s energy transition, with energy security and resilience high on the national agenda.

“My main responsibility at Burns & McDonnell will be enhancing coordination across our wider engineering team. The high-quality EPC projects the organisation delivers depend on effective cross-discipline collaboration, and my background in multidisciplinary environments means this way of working is second nature.”

Jason Chandler, UK Transmission & Distribution Managing Director at Burns & McDonnell, said:

“Gareth brings invaluable leadership experience and a strong record of building and developing high-performing teams. His understanding of multi-disciplinary delivery and his people-focused approach will be instrumental as we continue to expand our T&D capabilities and respond to increasing demand from clients.”

Shawn Briggs, Managing Director, EPC Projects at Burns & McDonnell, said:

“Civil engineering is the backbone of successful infrastructure delivery, and Gareth’s technical experience, combined with his ability to lead and grow teams, will significantly strengthen our offering. We are delighted to welcome him to Burns & McDonnell.”