Talking Productivity: Q&A with ICE President Ed McCann – Americas East Coast

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.

Phil Holliday

After graduating from University College London Phil Holliday BSc CEng FICE spent ten years working on major civil engineering projects in the UK and Europe. During this time Phil developed technical and professional competencies culminating in membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and recognition as a Chartered Engineer with the UK Engineering Council. Phil was also admitted to the European Federation of National Engineering Associations (Feani) as Eur Ing. Phil worked on projects including the Piccadilly Line Extension to London Heathrow Airport, Heysham Nuclear Power Station Phase 2, A406 Highway Extension in East London, a number of marine works projects to support the redevelopment of London’s Docklands and The Storebaelt Crossing West Bridges in Denmark.

Phil then transitioned into the pre-construction world, developing estimating and bidding skills, eventually leading bid teams and pre-construction teams on numerous major civil engineering projects throughout the UK and Europe. Phil’s significant achievements included Design-Build of widening London’s M25 Orbital Motorway, Design-Build of widening UK’s A2/M2 highway, Design-Build of the Dublin Port Tunnel, DBFOM of Manchester Metrolinx Phase Three, two Design-Build-Finance for the Istanbul-Ankara High-Speed Rail in Turkey and two Rail Remodelling projects for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (now UK High Speed One – HS1).

Since 2013, Phil has been engaged in a senior pre-construction role with Aecon in Toronto, Canada. Acting as Bid Director on several large and complex infrastructure projects. Notable projects were the Waterloo Light Rail DBFOM, Eglinton Crosstown DBFM, Union Station Enhancement Project Alliance and the Ontario Line South Civil, Tunnels and Stations DBF.

Phil is currently Regional Chair for the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in the Americas and is actively involved in the activity of the ICE in Ontario, leading a committee supporting EDI initiatives in the construction community.