BIRMINGHAM, England — Burns & McDonnell, the U.S.-based engineering-construction firm, has continued to grow its presence in the U.K. by welcoming two new specialists to its Birmingham headquarters. 

Electrical engineers Ahsan Halim and Arash Nateghi have joined the team and will focus on delivering full-service engineering and consulting solutions to the firm’s clients.

Ahsan is experienced in electrical control system engineering, with a proven track record of taking on and delivering technically challenging projects within the electricity supply industry.  He was instrumental in the introduction of Fault Detection, Isolation & Restoration (FDIR) solutions in his previous role and brings specific expertise in APRS. This will help increase security of supply and reduce the number of customer interruptions on distribution networks.  At Burns & McDonnell, Ahsan will focus on smart grid and automation projects, as well as providing technical input to detailed engineering design projects for the UK electricity transmission and distribution sector.

Ahsan said: “It is an exciting time to be joining Burns & McDonnell. I am really interested in distribution automation; how to make the operators more efficient and how to get things back on track when challenges occur. To be able to make a difference, it is not just about thinking through solutions but being able to implement those ideas and bring them to life. Burns & McDonnell offers clients this holistic approach driving the industry forward. It is great to be part of that growing team.”

Arash will specialize in electrical power engineering and design at Burns & McDonnell. He joins from National Grid and brings specific industry experience and knowledge in the technical aspects of connecting electric vehicle charging infrastructure to the electricity system. At Burns & McDonnell, Arash will provide valuable power system modeling and analysis capability, along with knowledge on how emerging technologies can help bridge the gaps between electricity transmission and distribution systems.

Arash said: “Burns & McDonnell has an unparalleled track record working on some truly remarkable infrastructure projects in North America. The U.K. team understands the complexity of our local clients’ challenges and is able to draw on this breadth of knowledge and expertise to provide our customers with bespoke, customer-centric solutions.”

The 121-year-old global firm announced a record $4 billion in sales and its commitment to hire 1,000 new employees each year for the foreseeable future.

Welcoming the new joiners, Jonathan Chapman, U.K. managing director for Burns & McDonnell, said:

“It has been a fantastic start for Burns & McDonnell operating in the U.K. It’s great to be adding such talented professionals who want to contribute to the industry and build their careers with Burns & McDonnell. People underpin our success, bring our culture to life and are the surefire way to accelerate our plans for growth. Arash and Ahsan bring with them a wealth of experience in the industry and attributes we look for in employees — enabling us to further expand our offering to clients.”

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a private, employee-owned engineering, design and construction firm with 7,000 professionals located in offices throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employees. We are ranked by Engineering News-Record as No. 1 in Power and Electrical Transmission & Distribution.

We develop solutions through creating passionate partnerships, placing client service front and centre, understanding clients’ needs and striving to make them successful. Our employee ownership culture means that our success is closely aligned to our clients’ success. We are bold in how we develop solutions and challenge the norm, drawing from the whole company to find answers to some of the toughest questions. We work on some of the world’s most crucial infrastructure projects, delivering a completely integrated service from concept to completion.

In 2017 Burns & McDonnell opened its first U.K. office in Birmingham. With 121 years of experience designing and building infrastructure throughout the world, Burns & McDonnell is now taking forward a long-term investment plan in the U.K.

With the U.K. energy market undergoing a transformation, our focus is on providing a differentiated service across technical consultancy, engineering services and project delivery as the U.K. adapts to a low carbon future underpinned by smart technologies.