Architects, engineers, designers and energy specialists from across the country are among 16 of the UK’s top young infrastructure professionals selected to sit on a new advisory panel. Launched today by Commission Chair Sir John Armitt, the Young Professionals Panel will inform the Commission’s work and give a strong voice to the infrastructure sector’s future leaders, whilst helping to shape the UK’s infrastructure.

The National Infrastructure Commission, who are supporting our Oxford Cambridge Corridor Economic Growth Conference in June, began the search last year – receiving over 500 applications from across the UK. Entrants had to be in the early stages of their career and submit a detailed application, with shortlisted candidates presenting to a selection panel including Sadie Morgan from the NIC, an external panellist and members of the Commission’s team.

The panel will now meet to discuss their programme of work, which will across the NIC’s full range of work, as well as developing its own ideas and recommendations to Government for meeting the country’s infrastructure up to 2050 and beyong.

Sir John Armitt said: ”The Commission exists to identify what infrastructure the country needs up to 2050. So it’s right we give the next generation of infrastructure leaders a say in our work. I look forward to working with these young professionals, some of whom could end up designing and managing world-leading infrastructure built as a result of Commission recommendations.”

Professor Sadie Morgan, Commissioner and Chair of the YPP Selection Panel and keynote speaker at the Oxford Cambridge Corridor Economic Growth Conference, said: ”The selection team was blown away by the quality of the short-listed candidates. It was tough choosing from over 500 fantastic entries, but in these sixteen young professionals we have a passionate and diverse group which I hope will inspire the Commission with their creative ideas about the UK’s future infrastructure needs.”

The confirmed members of the panel are:

  • Matthew Ball – Manager, Ofgem
  • John Bradburn – Senior Consultant, Atkins
  • Alison Caldwell – Principal Engineer, WSP
  • Laura Daniels – Project Lead of Innovation, UK Power Networks
  • Joshua Dickerson – Associate, Deetu
  • Jennifer Holgate – Managing Associate, Womble Bond Dickinson
  • Dr Rosie Holgate – Innovation & Continuous Improvement Lead, AECOM
  • Annette Jezierska – Co-Founder, The Future Fox
  • Madeleine Kessler – Project Architect, Haptic Architects
  • Petra Marko – Co-Founder, Marko & Placemakers
  • Henry Metcalf – Graduate Engineer, Peter Brett Associates
  • Charlotte Mitchell – Associate, Quod
  • Christian O’Brien – Engineer, Bellway Homes
  • Martin Plant – Civil Engineer, SNL Lavalin Atkins
  • Sakthy Selvakumaran – Civil Engineer & PhD Researcher, University of Cambridge
  • Victor Frebault – Consultant, Arup

 

The Young Professionals Panel is expected to meet formally at least twice a year, but will also have the chance to contribute more widely to the Commission’s thinking. This could include acting as a challenge panel for aspects of the Commission’s work, undertaking its own research on specific issues, or leading stakeholder events.

More information on the members can be found on the Young Professionals Panel page.