ICE and InstRE Lecture - Engineering in Extreme Environments

Ed McCann

A past ICE President, Ed McCann is an experienced project director. He was fundamental in growing Expedition Engineering from a startup to Building magazine’s Engineering Consultant of the Year in 2012. 

With a deep understanding of the construction process, McCann is particularly skilled in strategic consultancy, feasibility studies and design. He has led projects all over the world, including the award-winning Infinity Bridge at Stockton-on-Tees and London 2012’s Olympic Velodrome. 

In his most recent projects, McCann has worked with infrastructure clients to improve processes and implement new technologies. This has included creating and delivering a productivity workstream for High Speed 2; designing the Rolls-Royce small modular reactors programme factory for BAM Nuttall; and developing the Berkeley Homes modular housing system.

His interests include developing talent in the built environment sector. This led him to co-create the Constructionarium, a not-for-profit provider of education and training. He is also a co-founder of the Get It Right Initiative, an organisation working to eliminate avoidable errors in construction.

A renowned thought leader, McCann is often invited to write articles and speak at industry events. He has also made TV programmes about civil engineering.  

Major General Nick Cavanagh CB

After reading engineering at the University of Cambridge, Nick Cavanagh was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1988. 

Over a full military career, he has commanded engineers in the UK and abroad, including operational tours of Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Northern Ireland. 

Cavanagh has also worked in non-operational roles ranging from assistant head of army infrastructure plans to director of strategy and planning in the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. 

Since 2021, he has been development director for the advisory and programmes division within Mott McDonald’s European arm. 

He was elected InstRE President in 2018 and the following year was made a companion of the Order of the Bath in the Queen’s birthday honours list.

Kit Wolverson

Kit has been working at Mott MacDonald for over six years, based in the North West Bridges Team.

Outside of work, she has held several ICE North West roles. She puts people at the heart of projects and considers the bigger picture through roles on major projects such as Northern Powerhouse Rail, HS2 and East West Rail.

Post chartership she is working in the Health Sector alongside leading Mott MacDonald’s Early Career Professionals in the UK and Europe. 

Colonel Jamie Stuart

Colonel Jamie Stuart commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 2000.  He has deliberately never served twice in the same Regiment, gaining experience with the Queens Gurkha Engineers, Light and Armoured Close Support and Force Support Regiments.  He has commanded at all ranks on operations including multiple tours of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as two tours with the UN.  He commanded 39 Engineer Regiment from October 2018 until Aug 2021, deploying the Regiment as the Commander of the UK Engineer Task Force on Operation TRENTON 6 supporting the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and on multiple UK Resilience Operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also completed a number of staff roles, covering capability acquisition in MOD, operations in PJHQ, as an instructor at staff college and as the lead staff officer for Army plans assisting with the formulation of the Army’s long-term strategy and propositions for the National Security Capability Review in 2017 and the Modernising Defence Programme in 2018.

On promotion to Colonel in Aug 2021 he assumed the post of DACOS Plans in HQ Field Army and is currently responsible for the Fd Army’s strategic planning, financial programming as well as implementing the Future Soldier organisational and transformational changes that followed the 2021 Integrated Review.

Lieutenant Colonel Wayne Meek CEng RE

Lt Col Wayne Meek has spent 20 years delivering infrastructure, combat engineering and equipment solutions supporting military and UN operations worldwide. During his varied deployments he’s provided mobility support in the drained Iraqi Marshes and constructed camps in the heights of Parwan Provence, the isolated reaches of The Sudd as well as on the edges of the River Niger near Gao. Wayne has also been instrumental of the latter parts of construction and handover of the partially completed replacement accommodation for the Remote Radar Heads in the Falkland Islands. He is now focussed on delivering infrastructure in UK – a simpler supply chain!