Alex Lane joins as Business Area President for Sweco UK&I

Experienced engineering and business leader Alex Lane officially joins Sweco UK&I today, bringing over 25 years’ experience across the built environment, infrastructure and transport sectors.

Alex joins Sweco following more than a decade at Jacobs, where he held a number of senior leadership, operational, project, client and growth roles, most recently leading its European Cities & Places business.

A Chartered Engineer with a degree in mechanical engineering, Alex has worked across the buildings, environment, rail, highways and aviation sectors, leading multi-disciplinary teams, operations, client relationships and business growth.

It was Sweco’s people and culture, alongside the opportunity to lead a business with significant potential to grow its impact, that attracted Alex to the role.

“From my very first meeting with Åsa Bergman, Sweco Group’s President and CEO, I felt this is a team I want to be part of.”

Building on our strengths

Alex sees an opportunity to build on Sweco’s combination of local, empowered teams and the collective expertise across the business, bringing together different perspectives to respond to increasingly complex client and societal challenges.

“I see huge opportunity for growth for Sweco in the UK&I, organically and acquisitively. I’m excited about building on the great work already done by the team, to grow the business and increase our impact on the UK and Ireland.”

His immediate focus will be on listening and learning: getting to know Sweco’s people, projects, clients and partners, understanding the markets in which the business operates and identifying where Sweco can make the greatest difference.

Understanding what matters to clients

Alex brings experience across a range of sectors and markets, giving him a broad perspective on the challenges facing clients as they respond to the green transition, digitalisation and the changing needs of society.

He sees collaboration as increasingly important as clients tackle complex challenges that cross sectors, disciplines and organisations.

“No big problem in this industry can be solved by one organisation. No project, partnership or alliance can be delivered in isolation. We need collaboration.”

For Alex, this means bringing together Sweco’s breadth of expertise with the knowledge and experience of clients and partners to develop solutions that help create more sustainable and resilient communities.

Giving expertise a stronger voice

Alex also sees an opportunity for Sweco to amplify the expertise already within the business, sharing more of its knowledge and thinking with clients and the wider industry.

He wants his own voice to complement, rather than replace, those of Sweco’s experts: helping colleagues create greater visibility for their expertise while bringing his own perspective to the issues shaping clients, communities and society.

For Alex, effective leadership is about enabling talented people to do their best work, creating an environment built on trust and giving teams the support they need to succeed.

Transforming Society Together

Over the coming months, Alex will be meeting colleagues across Sweco, spending time with clients and partners, and building his understanding of the UK and Ireland markets.

For him, the opportunity is ultimately about people, clients and impact.

“Society is changing. For me, Transforming Society Together is about working with clients to shape the world we live in, to meet the changing needs of society, whilst managing the results of climate change and reducing our negative impacts.”

As he begins his new role, Alex is clear about the opportunity ahead: working with Sweco’s people, clients and partners to create greater impact together.