Strategy Session: Carbon Champions

Ed McCann

Ed is an experienced project director and is the Immediate Past President of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was fundamental in growing Expedition from a startup to Building Magazine’s Engineering Consultant of the Year in 2012. As a senior director at Expedition, Ed provides invaluable leadership and experience to our organisation.

He is technical, an excellent communicator, enthusiastic, and has a deep understanding of the construction process. He is particularly skilled in strategic consultancy, feasibility studies, and design.

Ed’s career has taken him to lead projects all over the world. He was the project director for the multi award-winning Infinity Bridge and the Olympic 2012 Velodrome. Environmental factors and efficiency are drivers for Ed’s current projects that see him work with infrastructure clients to improve processes and implement new technologies. Projects include creating and delivering a productivity workstream for HS2, designing the Rolls-Royce SMR Program Site Factory for BAM Nuttall, and helping develop the Berkeley Homes modular housing system.

Ed is a founder trustee and trustee board member, former chair of the USL Board.

He is passionate about developing talent in the industry with quality training and education, a passion that led him to become the co-creator of the Constructionarium. This non profit organisation delivers education and training to students and professionals across the built environment sector. He is also co-founder of the Get It Right Initiative which aims to reduce errors in the industry.

As a respected thought leader, Ed is often invited to speak at various events, write articles, and deliver lectures, and has also made television programmes on civil engineering.

Lara Young

Lara joined Cromwell Property Group in January 2023 after working in the construction and engineering industry for over 10 years. As Head of ESG, she works on further developing Cromwell’s existing ESG framework and aligning the ESG strategy with the business’s overall strategic objectives.

Prior to joining Cromwell, Lara was the driving force behind establishing and implementing Costain’s Climate Change Action Plan, which set out a detailed 15-year plan to transition to a net-zero organisation by 2035. She was most recently shortlisted as 2023 Net-Zero and Energy leader of the year at the edie sustainability awards (winners to be announced in March) and was named 2022 Young Person of the Year by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and Energy and Carbon Leader of the Year at the 2021 edie Awards. Lara has been the Chair of the Carbon Champion Review Panel since May 2021.

Lee Piper

Lee has recently taken on the role of Construction Director at Costain Group PLC, having held a number of positions at the Group previously. He is responsible for construction delivery, leadership and guidance on numerous projects throughout Costain's Highways England portfolio. Lee is skilled in maintaining programmes and driving projects forward by investigating alternative techniques. He is experienced in leading and working on rail projects, top-down construction, heavy civils, large earthworks, large concrete pours including waterproof concrete, and all types of piling.

Lee is passionate about creating a culture of teamwork on all of projects to empower team members, ensuring safe and effective delivery. Lee and his team specialises in reducing plant and labour costs and focussing on the critical activities to provide the best solutions for clients.

Charlie Bell

“Charlie Bell has been at Mott MacDonald for almost 20 years in a variety of roles, and currently holds the position of Account Leader for Contractors in the Water & Environment sector. He was Mott MacDonald’s EUNA (Europe & North Africa region) Project Manager of the Year 2020, and has been named an ICE Carbon Champion for the Boston Barrier project, which is Building Barriers in Boston to protect 14,300 homes from tidal flooding.”

Matthew Lees CEng MICE