Jerome Frost has been appointed chair of Arup’s UK, India, Middle East, and Africa (UKIMEA) region to strengthen the firm’s focus on sustainable development.

Leading a 6,500-strong team, Frost will focus Arup’s business on shaping more inclusive, safe, and resilient communities, infrastructure, and cities.

An internationally recognised expert in urban planning, major events, and economic development, Frost has led and delivered major projects that set new standards for sustainable development. 

As the former head of design and regeneration for the Olympic Delivery Authority he played a leading role in the delivery of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games design strategy and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. 

He has also played a key role in other major regeneration schemes across the UK including King’s Cross, Wembley and Bristol Temple Meads, as well as large-scale urban, transport and reconstruction projects globally – in South Africa, South America and East Asia.

He joined Arup in 1997 working for six years in urban planning, economic development and regeneration. After an interval working for English Partnerships and the Olympic Delivery Authority, he re-joined Arup and has since occupied leadership roles including group and region board member and global cities Leader. In 2012, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to urban regeneration.

Frost currently serves on the board of the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) and is a council member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). 

He will continue in his role as a member of Arup’s group board, and replaces Dervilla Mitchell, who has taken up the role of deputy chair for Arup Group overseeing the firm’s global strategy.

Jerome Frost, Arup chair UKIMEA region, said: “Arup was founded on the belief that the built environment has a central role in creating a safer, more sustainable world. The Covid-19 pandemic has made this need even more apparent. As a business and industry, we’ve adapted to change at a speed not previously thought possible. Now we must do the same to address climate change, restore the health of the planet and address the inequity that has become so visible this past year. Sustainable development is about meeting everyone’s needs with finite resources.

“The challenges facing us are immense, but so too are the opportunities. To find the new, sustainable solutions that our clients, communities and the built environment industry urgently require we will need to draw on the innovative and creative thinking that has long been a hallmark of our firm’s approach. Arup has some of the most talented people in the industry, and together, we will rise to this extraordinary moment and seize the opportunity to deliver a sustainable future.”