Global professional services firm, Turner & Townsend, has bolstered its UK digital business with two new appointments.

Dr Ade Awonaike joins the firm as director of data and analytics in the company’s real estate team, and Christopher Frost has started as director of data and analytics to support infrastructure clients.

Dr Awonaike has a strong background in geo-sciences, geographical information systems (GIS) and data science and was included in DataIQ’s top 100 influential data and analytics practitioners in 2022.

Frost joins from EY, where he was the data and technology lead for enterprise risk management.

Nathan Marsh, chief digital officer, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ade and Christopher to our digital team. Both are highly skilled, passionate and experienced data leaders who are enormously valuable additions to our industry-leading offer. At a time where our sector is looking for new ways to improve efficiency and do more with less, data and digitalisation are essential to this transition.”

Dr Awonaike said: “I am hugely excited to be joining a business that takes such a leading and proactive role in promoting digitalisation to deliver better outcomes for its clients. There is a great opportunity to create a data-driven culture across the sector ensuring that data is seen as a strategic asset and integrated into all aspects of decision-making processes.”

Frost added: “Data and digital systems are now integral to driving performance and delivery of major infrastructure programmes. I am delighted to join Turner & Townsend’s digital team and look forward to helping develop and nurture a strong and diverse team of data professionals.”

Turner & Townsend’s digital team includes over 250 experts helping clients to embed a ‘digital first’ approach to projects and major programmes.