Atkins sets up a new structure for Middle East business

As companies worldwide continue laying-off workers, Atkins has unveiled a new business structure for their business in Africa and the Middle East. The new business structure is set to start taking effect from July 1st, 2020, based around two main markets of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This structure will also allow Atkins to align their services with client projects and country priorities.

According to the company, providing a more straightforward and more focused structure will ensure they remain responsive to their customers’ needs. As such, the new structure will also apply to Atkins Acuity brands and Faithful+Gould in Africa and the Middle East.

Speaking to the press, Atkins MEA CEO Cris Dedigama said that offering a focused and straightforward structure will ensure the company is responsive and agile towards customer needs. That will ensure their service delivery model is more responsive to the evolving local market dynamics.

Africa and Middle East regions offer excellent opportunities to the company, and the new structure is set to help them remain laser-focused towards service delivery. Even better, the new business structure is essential for the company to achieve a more future-focused growth. That will only be achieved through a robust presence in these key markets.

According to Dedigama, this market-facing structure was inspired by over half a century of regional track record and strong client relationships. Over the last 50 years, the company has also managed to gain a robust global network through innovation and technology-enabled service delivery.

Johan Hesselsoe will be spearheading the implementation of the new structure as the UAE managing director, while Ian Redmayne will manage the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Hesselsoe has over ten years of working experience in the region, recently working as Faithful+Gould managing director for the Middle East and Africa region.

Previously, Hesselsoe held the role of a managing director at Atkins Acuity for over three years, growing the business tremendously while working with other Atkins business lines. The new UAE region managing director is an MSc holder from the London School of Economics, and his track record at Atkins speaks for itself.

On the other side, Redmayne has been with the company for over three decades, spearheading different projects. During this time, he has worked in transport, infrastructure, aviation, and mixed-use developments in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the UK. Over the last nine years, he has shown his expertise in leading critical projects in Saudi Arabia, making him the right man for this task.

Redmayne is mainly praised for leading key projects like the Riyadh Metro and King Abdulaziz International Airport. The charted civil engineer holds an MBA from the Imperial College Business School, and he’s expected to continue showing his expertise in managing Atkins’ business growth strategy.

Over the last 50 years, Atkins has managed several flagship projects in the Middle East. Currently, the company is currently supporting clients like Modon and Miral and UAE’s Roads and Transport Authority. The company is also highly cited in their work on the Riyadh Metro and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia.