Thriving as a civil engineer in the 21st century: Q&A with ICE President Ed McCann – Americas West 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.

Julian Lineham

Julian Lineham is the Representative for the USA Rocky Mountain Region, covering Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming.

Julian Lineham PE SECB F.SEI F.ASCE CEng FICE, a founding Principal of Studio NYL, spent the first ten years of his career in London, England.  While in London, Julian led structural engineering teams on many notable UK projects including Microsoft UK’s prestigious headquarters campus and the New British Embassy in Oman.  He worked on several international design competition entries.

In 1997 Julian moved to Boulder, Colorado and led a structural engineering group for a local firm.  In 2004 Julian co-founded Studio NYL Structural Engineers with Christopher O’Hara.  His work includes projects in the USA, UK, Mexico, The Caribbean, Dubai, Oman, Peru and varies in scale from sculpture and art pieces, custom residential homes, schools, higher education buildings, institutional buildings, theatres, offices and stadia. 

Julian is the Americas Representative on the Institutional of Civil Engineers Council (London, UK), and is also the Colorado USA Representative for the Institution. He has served on the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Global Activities Division since 2018 and will be Chair for 2022-2023

Julian is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in 37 states and the District of Columbia, and also holds a Chartered Engineering (CEng) license in England.  He became a Fellow of ICE in 2017 and a Fellow of SEI and ASCE in 2018.