AtkinsRéalis makes key appointments in Transportation division

Emma Porter has been appointed as Practice Director for Transport Advisory & Consultancy and Alejandro Moreno as Market Director for Rail & Transit. Both highly experienced professionals bring decades of experience to AtkinsRéalis which is playing a key role in driving economic growth through better transport connections across the country.

Colette Carroll OBE, AtkinsRéalis Managing Director – Transportation UK & Ireland, said: “I’m truly pleased to welcome Emma and Alejandro to our Transportation team. Their proven track records in delivering complex infrastructure will enhance our capabilities across rail and advisory services, helping us to address the evolving needs of our clients.

“As we enter 2025 and mark 200 years of the railway, this is a pivotal time for rail and the wider transportation industry. Emma and Alejandro will be instrumental in advancing both our rail expertise and our transportation business as we continue to deliver critical infrastructure that connects communities and drives growth across the UK and Ireland.”

Emma will lead a team of experienced transportation consultants providing specialised advice to a range of clients including Network Rail, rolling stock companies, National Highways, and local authorities. She has 18 years’ experience across the built environment and was most recently a Managing Director at engineering firm Story Contracting. She is also a Director & Founder of The Rebuild Site, a social enterprise which reduces waste in the construction sector and served as a panel member of the independent Rail and Urban Transport Review. Emma has a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD Business School and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Leeds.

Alejandro brings 22 years’ experience in the European rail sector to lead AtkinsRéalis’ rail division across high speed, conventional, very light rail and metro. He joins AtkinsRéalis from Colas Rail, where he held a variety of roles for more than a decade, including Managing Director and Innovation/Digital Transformation lead, as well as Alliance Director for the transformative £1 billion Midland Metro Alliance. Alejandro has a Master of Business Administration from ESIC University and a Mechanical Engineering Master’s degree from the Polytechnic University of Zaragoza.

AtkinsRéalis’ work in the transportation industry spans major rail projects such as HS2, East Coast Digital Programme and East West Rail, through to significant highways programmes, including the M25 junction 10 upgrade, and aviation and maritime projects.

The company delivers end-to-end solutions across the transport ecosystem, from strategic consultancy services to complex engineering and digital transformation projects. Its Transportation division employs around 2,900 people.