National engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask has announced the appointment of a new, highly experienced regional director for its Bristol office in order to grow its presence in the South West
Dave Bathurst joins the firm to head up the civil engineering team in the region and will be using his extensive international track record of working in different disciplines, sectors and countries to make Rodgers Leask the leading engineering consultancy in the area.
A fellow of the Institute of Highway Engineers, Dave boasts more than 30 years of industry experience having worked for local government, Thames Water and multiple engineering consultancies on projects in the UK, Europe, Middle East and USA. Starting as a trainee technician, his career path has been varied with roles focussing on residential, commercial, industrial, education, public realm and strategic land developments.
Dave said: “Before identifying the opportunity to join Rodgers Leask, I was aware of the business and its interests in the South West having worked together on projects in the past. It’s a brilliant business and the regional growth strategy is something I know I can support with. I’m looking forward to being able to offer my experience, enthusiasm and industry insight to help Rodgers Leask become even better than it already is.
“It was important that I joined an organisation like Rodgers Leask, which is focusing on the priorities in the world of construction and new development – such as climate resilience and reducing environmental impact – and is adapting to what’s happening to our planet. For example, in the past 15 years, we’ve seen a shift towards sustainable drainage systems in an effort to mitigate flooding, reduce pollution, support wildlife and improve our surroundings, but we can do more to prevent pollutants from reaching our waterways.”
In the South West, Dave played a part in the delivery of well-recognised projects including The Eden Project and Shrewsbury Sports Village. Since this earlier stage of his career, his international work as a principal engineer has included a university in Kuwait, a golf resort in Russia and a hospital in Qatar.
More recently, working with urban design specialists on projects funded by the government’s Future High Street Fund, Dave Bathurst’s reputation in the public realm sector has been growing through his work, which is contributing towards the UK’s changing town centres.
Dave continued: “A shortage of skilled professionals in our industry makes it very challenging to meet current demand for engineering services. One of my main objectives will be to attract engineering talent to Rodgers Leask by speaking to existing contacts, universities and colleges. Not only will I be highlighting the great work that the company does, I will be raising awareness of how fulfilling a career in engineering can be. The built environment is a significant part of all our lives and creating infrastructure that supports communities is an essential part of the development jigsaw.”
Paul Spencer, managing director at Rodgers Leask, said: “We’re very pleased to welcome Dave to the business and begin a new era in the South West. Dave’s experience speaks for itself and is perfectly suited to guide the growth of a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy like Rodgers Leask. It’s an exciting announcement to begin the year with and we look forward to providing updates on the direction in which Dave takes the Bristol-based team.”
Civil, structural, geo-environmental and transport planning consultancy Rodgers Leask has maintained a presence in the South West since 2015 and has been in its current location in Bristol since 2018 – which has led to involvement in various successful projects in the region and across the border in South Wales. For example, geo-environmental services were provided on the award-winning Access 18 scheme on the site of the former smelting plant in Avonmouth, while all Rodgers Leask’s services were provided on the billion-pound regeneration of the former steelworks site to create Glan Llyn mixed-use scheme in Llanwern.
