Following two-years as Ramboll’s managing principal for the UK environment & health practice, Philippa Spence has now been appointed as managing director for Ramboll’s 1,300-strong UK business.

Spence’s appointment comes hot on the heels of Mathew Riley’s recent ascension from UK MD to Ramboll’s group executive board with responsibility for the UK, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway.

A recognised industry expert and senior leader, Spence was previously a senior partner at ERM and sits on the advisory board of the Environmental Industries Commission. She joined Ramboll in 2019 to grow the environment and health practice, drive greater multi-disciplinary delivery together with the engineering practices, and grow Ramboll’s sustainability consultancy offering.

Now, as Ramboll MD, she will be at the helm of the company’s UK growth, building on their strong project pipeline and drawing on her extensive expertise delivering complex sustainability, environmental and social projects across a wide range of sectors. She will be leading on core challenges such as navigating the changes needed to accelerate the UK’s decarbonisation transition, and the digitalisation of the engineering industry.

Jens-Peter Saul, Ramboll group CEO, said: “I am delighted to see such a talented leader taking the position of UK MD. The UK is a very important and attractive market for Ramboll. We have a strong pipeline of work and are well positioned to support our clients in navigating the changes and opportunities associated with decarbonisation and with the modernisation and digitalisation of the industry. Philippa is an experienced and dynamic leader who brings sharp focus on these big issues and will confidently lead our growth journey in the UK.” 

Commenting on her appointment, Spence said, “I am thrilled to take on the mantle of UK MD. The UK business is well positioned for the rebounding market in the UK. We are growing and continue to invest in innovation and deepening our portfolio of services to meet the sustainability challenges of the future. With the pace of change needed to secure the UK’s successful transition to a low-carbon economy, our role in developing holistic, integrated and future-forward solutions has never been more important”.