Rand Watkins has been appointed by Atkins as client director for the UK Government Property Agency (GPA).
The role will bring together Atkins’ different work streams for the GPA – which include capital projects, net zero and digital information management services – into a single account.
Watkins, who joined Atkins in 2018, previously spent nine years working for Transport for London (TfL), leading the engineering team for TfL’s Future Stations Programme.
Prior to taking up the GPA client director role, she worked as part of Atkins’ transport-oriented development market, leading a number of projects including the Elephant & Castle Station Upgrade and Hounslow West Site Redevelopment.
Mike McNicholas, managing director – infrastructure at Atkins, said: “Rand brings a wealth of experience with public sector clients and will help us continue to build our relationship with the GPA to deliver a future-proofed government estate.”
Watkins’ appointment follows the announcement that Atkins and Faithful+Gould have been selected as the GPA’s Net Zero and Lifecycle Replacement Programme Delivery Partner, as part of a major investment to accelerate the government’s net zero agenda.
They are tasked with ensuring over four million square feet of public sector office space is brought to enhanced sustainability standards.
Richard Robinson, CEO UK & Europe at Atkins, said: “Reaching net zero is one of the toughest challenges of our time and engineering sits at the heart of achieving it. This appointment puts Atkins at the forefront of the Government’s net zero agenda and will see our experts pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology to help transform public sector office space.”
Working alongside the GPA, Atkins and Faithful+Gould will provide technical delivery services, including design, identification of decarbonisation interventions and priorities, as well as programme and supply chain management.
The programme, which will run until 2027, builds on the work Atkins has been delivering as Design & Engineering Services Partner to the GPA since 2018.
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