Personal perspectives on ICE Fellowship journeys

Stuart Allen

Stuart Allen is a deputy director within the Environment Agency’s Flood & Coastal Risk Management Directorate, leading the Risk Management Authority: Programme & Grant Management department.

He has been an ICE Fellow since March 2025 and is also an incorporated civil engineer, chartered manager and member of the Chartered Management Institute.

Stuart has over 20 years of experience in infrastructure delivery and flood and coastal risk management, having held senior leadership roles spanning asset management, project and programme delivery, commercial management, incident response, regulation, investment assurance, and organisational transformation.

Alongside his executive role, Stuart serves as a general member of ICE Council and is a member of both the Nominations Committee (NOMCO) and the Professional Conduct Panel (PCP). Prior to joining ICE Council in 2024, he served as ICE South West regional committee chair from 2021 to 2023. 

Rachel Piper

Rachel Piper is a principal chartered civil engineer at WSP and Fellow of the ICE. She is currently the project manager delivering the independent CAT3 checking works for 80 major assets across HS2.

In recognition of her work improving diversity and inclusion in the industry, Rachel was named as one of the WES Top 50 Women in Engineering 2025. Rachel is the current chair of the WSP UK & Ireland Transport & Infrastructure Inclusion & Belonging Committee and is also passionate about encouraging the next generation into the industry. She has introduced over 40,000 young people across the UK to the world of engineering as an ICE STEM Ambassador.

She also volunteers across a number of ICE Committees, including the Fellowship Panel and Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Committee.

Jola Brown

Jola graduated from Cardiff University with a MEng in civil engineering in 2021. Since then, she has had the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects, including the renovation and extension of heritage railway lines, earthworks design for major highway schemes, and slope stability assessments and soil nail design for unstable cliff faces.

Jola has recently joined the coastal team at Moffatt & Nichol where she works on port and maritime geotechnical structures across the globe.

Jola was awarded the Rising Star Award at the 2025 Ground Engineering ceremony and named one of the Top 20 Women in Ground Engineering in 2026.

Olli Sandercock

Olli is a graduate civil engineer specialising in bridges, having completed his MEng in civil engineering in 2024.

Before beginning his consultancy career, he spent 18 months on site through summer placements and a year in industry, gaining valuable experience in piling, temporary works, and the practical delivery of major infrastructure schemes.

Since joining the bridges team at Mott MacDonald, Olli has contributed to nationally significant infrastructure projects, supporting the design and development of a range of structures. His work includes bridge design, stakeholder engagement, and project management, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver coordinated and technically robust solutions