MA CEng FICE
Vice President Membership and member of Executive Board
Bill Hewlett is Costain’s Technical Director, a position he has held from 2006. He graduated from Cambridge University in 1984 and then developed his career with Costain. In 1999 he joined the O’Rourke Group, as Group Chief Engineer, before returning to Costain. While at Cambridge Bill held a Queens Jubilee Scholarship, and his interest in arching in soils led to the Cooling Prize in 1986. Working with contractors has given Bill a pragmatic knowledge of construction, of business practice and of people.
Bill’s main career interest is in the safe construction of complex engineering works. He has been responsible for the engineering solutions used to deliver a number of major UK schemes, ensuring that the best approaches are used, communicated and executed. While often leading on the technical detail, Bill works to develop the businesses, research capability and techniques needed to support engineering endeavour. He has an extensive network of contacts across academia and research, and innovation is a particular theme, both its practical implementation and as an academic study. He has founded and currently chairs a national group dedicated to the safety of temporary works design.
Bill has always maintained an interest in the formation and development of professional engineers and technicians. He champions professional development in his firm, placing emphasis on both initial professional development, and mid-career development into technically orientated roles. He sees sound workmanship as a cornerstone of our industry, a necessary foundation for lasting value. He likes to explore what makes an engineer an engineer, and to challenge any boundaries that some might see as to the scope of civil engineering. He sees great value in the approach engineers take to problem solving, and, whilst enjoying teams which bring a diverse group together, likes to see an engineer’s rigour and practicality in the business and political world.
At ICE Bill has the ‘VP Membership’ brief, and chairs the Membership Committee. He is also on the Thomas Telford Board and chairs the New Contracts Board, which has responsibility for the NEC suite of contracts. He sits on the SCOSS Panel.
Bill is a keen cyclist having enjoyed the sport from school age. He met his wife, Anna, through the sport and, with their two sons, they recently cycled across Europe to Rome as a family. Bill also enjoys music, especially opera.