ICE Strategy Session: How do we prioritise climate resilience in UK infrastructure policy?

Ed McCann

Ed is an experienced project director and is the Immediate Past President of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was fundamental in growing Expedition from a startup to Building Magazine’s Engineering Consultant of the Year in 2012. As a senior director at Expedition, Ed provides invaluable leadership and experience to our organisation.

He is technical, an excellent communicator, enthusiastic, and has a deep understanding of the construction process. He is particularly skilled in strategic consultancy, feasibility studies, and design.

Ed’s career has taken him to lead projects all over the world. He was the project director for the multi award-winning Infinity Bridge and the Olympic 2012 Velodrome. Environmental factors and efficiency are drivers for Ed’s current projects that see him work with infrastructure clients to improve processes and implement new technologies. Projects include creating and delivering a productivity workstream for HS2, designing the Rolls-Royce SMR Program Site Factory for BAM Nuttall, and helping develop the Berkeley Homes modular housing system.

Ed is a founder trustee and trustee board member, former chair of the USL Board.

He is passionate about developing talent in the industry with quality training and education, a passion that led him to become the co-creator of the Constructionarium. This non profit organisation delivers education and training to students and professionals across the built environment sector. He is also co-founder of the Get It Right Initiative which aims to reduce errors in the industry.

As a respected thought leader, Ed is often invited to speak at various events, write articles, and deliver lectures, and has also made television programmes on civil engineering.

Professor Richard Dawson

Professor Richard Dawson CEng FICE is Director of Research & Innovation in the School of Engineering at Newcastle University.

Richard’s research focuses on the analysis and mitigation of environmental risks to catchments, cities, and infrastructure networks.

In 2019 Richard was appointed to the UK’s Committee on Climate Change and he is also a Lead Author of the Cities, Settlements and Infrastructure Chapter of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 6th Assessment Report.

Julia Prescot

Julia Prescot CBE is deputy chair of the National Infrastructure Commission which provides expert, impartial advice to Government on long-term infrastructure planning. The NIC’s work is built around delivering a National Infrastructure Assessment once in every parliament, with recommendations to government on the UK’s infrastructure needs.

Julia is an expert in global investment with over 30 years’ experience in financing and delivering major projects. Julia co-founded Meridiam, one of the world’s leading infrastructure funds, and continues to serve boardroom roles across a number of Meridiam’s UK and European assets. Julia is also the deputy chair of the Port of Tyne.

Julia co-founded the Women Leaders in Infrastructure Group and is passionate about creating a more inclusive and diverse sector so that infrastructure can better reflect the needs of those who use it.

Julia Prescot was awarded a CBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024, recognising her contribution to public service.

Matthew Vickerstaff

Matthew has been Deputy Chief Executive of the IPA since November 2016.

Prior to the IPA he worked in investment banking for 25 years at Hambros Bank PLC and Societe Generale as Global Head of Structured Finance with experience of working in infrastructure across multiple sectors such as health, transport, energy and other social infrastructure, and other structured finance areas including project finance, real estate, asset and export financing.

Matthew has worked and managed teams in London, Paris, New York and Toronto, as well as on multiple cross border transactions in the Americas, Australasia and EMEA.

Shailaja Annamraju

Shailaja is the Deputy Chief Economist for UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB). She is currently on secondment from Foreign Commonwealth Development Office where she led the Economic Growth and Financial Aid team within the Overseas Territories Department, where she also led on the economic development infrastructure and financial aid programmes.  Previously, she headed the team developing the South Asia regional climate change portfolio and led the policy work across FCDO on adaptation financing and resilient infrastructure.  She also formerly led the economics team for our shareholding team for the Multilateral Development Banks.