Hen's Teeth

Confidential submission

Please enter the access code provided by Pete Anderson to view the Engineering Director shortlist.

Gamuda · High Speed Rail

Project Director shortlist.

Ten on the hook. Four withdrew. Another twenty in play. The full picture of a global PD search.

Hey Adrian,

We've put the Project Director search through a proper global sweep — over 130 genuine candidates assessed across Australia, UK (HS2 alumni), Europe, Middle East, North America and Asian HSR programmes. This site is the working output of that search.

Ten candidates remain on the hook and submitted for your review below. Four candidates we'd put forward have since withdrawn from the process — they're listed in the pipeline status table for full transparency. A few CVs on file are placeholder profiles pending the real thing; I'll update each card as they land.

Another twenty or so are still in outreach — accepted InMails, Calendly bookings in progress, or awaiting callbacks. As those progress I'll promote them onto this page. The pipeline status table below shows you everyone we've approached, who's declined us, and who's in the submitted cohort — full transparency on what's been done.

Use the actions on each card to shortlist, request an interview, decline, or leave a comment. I'll be notified and act within a few hours.

Pete Anderson — Director, Hen's Teeth
Client
Gamuda
Location
Sydney
Priority
Critical
Target fill
30 Apr 2026

Must-haves

  • HSR or high-speed transport experience
  • 20+ years in major infrastructure project delivery
  • Director-level P&L accountability on projects >$1B
  • Track record delivering complex civil infrastructure (rail, tunnelling, roads)
  • Strong stakeholder management at government / client board level

Nice-to-haves

  • Tender / bid leadership experience
  • JV governance and partner management
  • Australian or international major project experience

The search, by the numbers

A snapshot of the PD pipeline as at 21 April 2026. Live — updates as the search progresses.

Profiles assessed
133
Directly approached
38
Submitted for review
10
Withdrew from process
4

Pipeline status

Every candidate we’ve approached for this role — live status. Submitted profiles are expanded in full below; in-outreach candidates will be promoted to submitted as they confirm interest and CVs land.

Candidate Current role Company Location Status
Lee Harman Project Director Skanska London Withdrew
Stephen Tomkins Project Director — HS2 Area North Balfour Beatty VINCI Wales / Birmingham Submitted
Santiago Daniele Programme Director EKFB JV — HS2 C23 Section Eiffage Génie Civil UK London Withdrew
Kevin Edwards Construction Director Balfour Beatty VINCI (HS2) Milton Keynes Submitted
Michael Sangdu Han PMC CEO / Project Director Tata Consulting Engineers Gujarat Submitted
Daniel Cruz Senior Project Manager Stacy Witbeck (formerly Flatiron Co Alameda Withdrew
Hisham Sharhawy Project Director Orascom Construction PLC Egypt Submitted
Pawan Gupta Project Director Larsen & Toubro New Delhi Submitted
Raul Pascual Garcia Construction Director Ferrovial Construction United Kingdom Submitted
Mark Ingram International Senior Project Director BAUER Technologies Limited Australia Withdrew
Esmaeil Ghahremani Project Director SYSTRA Dubai Submitted
Ahmed Shouman Project Director National Project Construction Dubai Submitted
Antonio Martínez Varela Lead Construction Manager Ferrovial Construction Keston Submitted
Sean Lind Commercial and Stakeholder Director SACYR USA & CANADA Lafayette Submitted
Dave Murray Project Director Balfour Beatty / HS2 Ltd London In outreach
Sergio Bertolet Project Director, Rail Baltica Riga Central Station Egis Birmingham In outreach
Steve O'Sullivan Project Director – HS2 Old Oak Common Station Balfour Beatty plc (BBVS JV) Greater London In outreach
Oliver Kundigraber Portfolio Delivery Director Transgrid Sydney In outreach
Kevin Traynor Director, Egypt High Speed Rail Siemens Sydney In outreach
Brian Fegan Senior Project Manager Kilnbridge United Kingdom In outreach
Jean-Philippe Salla Middle-East Area Manager VINCI Construction Grands Projets Greater Paris In outreach
Mehmet Baser Project Director: Ankara–İzmir HSR ERG İnşaat Istanbul In outreach
Joe Kemm Programme Director Costain Group PLC United Kingdom In outreach
Nader Henry JV Project Director Orascom Construction PLC Egypt In outreach
Makael Kakakhel Project Director - PMEC Lead Hafeet Rail SYSTRA UAE Abu Dhabi In outreach
Jon Wirth Director - Projects Beyd Asia Sdn Bhd Tanjung Tokong In outreach
Martin Elton Project Manager Planning, Design & Construction PMC Singapore In outreach
Lee Piper Construction Director Costain Group PLC United Kingdom Declined
Gregg Purcell Project Director – Programme Advisory Turner & Townsend London Declined
Dermot O'Meara Executive Director - HSR Etihad Rail Abu Dhabi Declined
Pascal Retornaz Project Director VINCI Construction GeoInfrastructur Australia Declined
Giles Thomas Technical Director - High Speed Rail HS2 Ltd London Declined
Adam Roberts Rail Engineering Director NEOM Sharma Declined
Peter Rigby Programme Director Balfour Beatty plc Llanfairfechan Declined
Gus Scott Director of Delivery, Perth Airport Bechtel Corporation Australia Declined
Jean-Pierre Bergoend Project Director TELT SYSTRA France Lyon Declined
Nad Rajwani Project Director - Major Infrastructure Bird Construction Greater London Declined

Submitted candidates at a glance

Click any row to jump to the full profile. Status updates live as you take action.

Candidate Current role Location Status
1
Stephen Tomkins
 Project Director — HS2 Area North · Balfour Beatty VINCI Wales / Birmingham Pending review
2
Kevin Edwards
 Construction Director · Balfour Beatty VINCI (HS2 Milton Keynes Pending review
3
Michael Sangdu Han
 PMC CEO / Project Director · Tata Consulting Engineers Gujarat Pending review
4
Hisham Sharhawy
 Project Director · Orascom Construction PLC Egypt Pending review
5
Pawan Gupta
 Project Director · Larsen & Toubro New Delhi Pending review
6
Raul Pascual Garcia
 Construction Director · Ferrovial Construction United Kingdom Pending review
7
Esmaeil Ghahremani
 Project Director · SYSTRA Dubai Pending review
8
Ahmed Shouman
 Project Director · National Project Construc Dubai Pending review
9
Antonio Martínez Varela
 Lead Construction Manager · Ferrovial Construction Keston Pending review
10
Sean Lind
 Commercial and Stakeholder Director · SACYR USA & CANADA Lafayette Pending review

Full profiles

Click any card to expand the CV preview, suitability highlights and action buttons. Highest-scoring matches first.

ST
Stephen Tomkins
Project Director — HS2 Area North · Balfour Beatty VINCI
Wales / Birmingham, United Kingdom
▾

Why a fit

Project Director — HS2 Area North · Balfour Beatty VINCI (Wales / Birmingham, United Kingdom).

  • Leading the Balfour Beatty VINCI JV delivering HS2 Area North (Feb 2026 – present)
  • Prior Balfour Beatty Project Director on Hinkley Point C — three seabed tunnels supplying cooling water to the two reactors; “one of the most complex marine and tunnel projects currently taking place in the world”
  • Construction Director at Sellafield — nuclear Box Encapsulation Plant JV (hazardous waste)
  • Operations Director, Balfour Beatty UKCS North and Midlands (2019–2021)
  • Managing Director at Alun Griffiths Contractors (2021–2022)
  • Significant civils career across highways, rail, regeneration, nuclear, EPCC and marine; BEng Civil Engineering (Swansea)

Curriculum vitae — Stephen Tomkins

Download ↓

Specialisms

HS2High-Speed RailMajor CivilsJoint VentureUK Infrastructure
LinkedIn profile ↗
KE
Kevin Edwards
Construction Director · Balfour Beatty VINCI (HS2)
Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
▾

Why a fit

Construction Director · Balfour Beatty VINCI (HS2) (Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom).

  • Construction Director at Balfour Beatty VINCI HS2 (since Jan 2023) — delivering BBV HS2 Sublot 2B, £1.45Bn major infrastructure package
  • Prior Senior Construction Manager at Costain on M1 J13-16 Smart ALR Motorway (£460m, client Highways England)
  • Construction Manager on earlier M1 J13-16 ALR phase (£370m) and M1 J19-16 Senior Agent (£140m)
  • Agent on Hammersmith Flyover Strengthening for TfL (£80m) — retaining walls, deck repair, re-surfacing
  • Sub Agent at BAM Nuttall on MENSA (AWE, £114m) — first class-1 nuclear structure built in UK in 40 years
  • MEng Civil Engineering (University of Surrey)

Curriculum vitae — Kevin Edwards

Download ↓

Specialisms

HS2Construction DeliveryMajor CivilsTier 1 ContractorUK Rail
LinkedIn profile ↗
MH
Michael Sangdu Han
PMC CEO / Project Director · Tata Consulting Engineers
Gujarat, India
▾

Why a fit

PMC CEO / Project Director · Tata Consulting Engineers (Gujarat, India).

  • PMC CEO / Project Director at Tata Consulting Engineers on Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR (508km, 13-contract network, 1,600 PMC staff; Shinkansen E5 rolling-stock interface) — since Oct 2021
  • Prior Employer’s Project Lead at Etihad Rail Stage 2 (UAE, $5.5Bn; Packages 2A+2B, 389km)
  • Senior Project Manager at Hill International on Riyadh Metro Line 5 ($2.5Bn; 13.3km TBM tunnel, 11 deep underground stations)
  • Chief Supervision Engineer (Mott MacDonald) on Zhengzhou-Xuzhou HSR Section 6 (China) — 60km HSR bridge structures & track works
  • Senior Construction Manager on Haramain HSR ($1.8Bn) — 450km Mecca–Jeddah–Madinah
  • Taiwan HSR — Senior Section Engineer on Core Systems Installation; earlier Engineering Manager on Civil Contract C280
  • 25+ years Mega-scale Design & Build HSR/Metro project leadership across Korea, Taiwan, China, UAE, KSA, India

Curriculum vitae — Michael Sangdu Han

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Specialisms

Programme ManagementHigh-Speed RailTransportation EngineeringMAHSR Bullet TrainMultilingual
LinkedIn profile ↗
HS
Hisham Sharhawy
Project Director · Orascom Construction PLC
Egypt
▾

Why a fit

Project Director · Orascom Construction PLC (Egypt).

  • Project Director at Orascom Construction on Egypt HSR (since April 2022) — Siemens / Orascom / Arab Contractors consortium; 250km national high-speed network with Ministry of Transportation & National Authority of Tunnels
  • 12+ years at Orascom across Project Controls, Commercial and Operations management
  • Deputy Project Director on Port Said Tunnels JV (2015–2019)
  • Project Controls Manager, Orascom Algeria — El Merk ($B oil & gas)
  • Prior Planning Manager at Vestas (wind; 2003–2005)
  • MBA Project Management (Arab Academy for Science); BSc Civil Engineering (Helwan University, Cairo)

Curriculum vitae — Hisham Sharhawy

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Specialisms

High-Speed RailEgypt HSRMajor ContractorCivil EngineeringMiddle East
LinkedIn profile ↗
PG
Pawan Gupta
Project Director · Larsen & Toubro
New Delhi, India
▾

Why a fit

Project Director · Larsen & Toubro (New Delhi, India).

  • Project Director at L&T on Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR (MAHSR C-6 Section-2) since July 2021 — viaduct & bridges, crossing bridges, maintenance depot and ramps (Ahmedabad → Vadodara, Bullet Train)
  • Project Head at L&T on Western DFCC CTP-14 — 128km new double railway track (Dadri to Rewari)
  • Project Head on NATRAX High Speed Track, Indore — Asia’s largest High Speed Track for National Automotive Test Tracks
  • State Construction Head (J&K) at Reliance Industries — JIO network build-out
  • General Manager at GMR Group on Eastern DFCC (Kanpur–Mugalsari double-line track)
  • 26 years civil / infrastructure delivery across India; Management Development Programme, IIM Bangalore; BEng Civil Engineering (University of Pune)

Curriculum vitae — Pawan Gupta

Download ↓

Specialisms

InfrastructureEngineeringProject ManagementConstruction
LinkedIn profile ↗
RG
Raul Pascual Garcia
Construction Director · Ferrovial Construction
United Kingdom
▾

Why a fit

Construction Director · Ferrovial Construction (United Kingdom).

  • Construction Director / Alliance Leadership & Performance Director, Ferrovial Construction (UK, since July 2020)
  • Currently leading Ferrovial-BAM JV on HS2 Track Systems — 360 km/h max speed, 407km precast slab track, 54km resilient track, 200+ switches & crossings, rail expansion devices; new infrastructure and maintenance depot
  • Prior Performance Director at EKFB (Ferrovial JV) on HS2 C23 Main Works (2020–2024) — 80km civils, 15 viaducts, 7km green tunnels, 81 bridges, ~70M m³ earthworks
  • Project Director in Sydney (2017–2020) on Northern Beaches Hospital Connectivity ($600m, NSW Government) — led team of 70+
  • Project Director in Scotland (2014–2017) on M8/M73/M74 DBFO Improvements (£450m JV, team of 150+)
  • Segment Manager on LBJ Express, Dallas ($2.7Bn managed lanes) — accountable for a $500m+ budget
  • MSc Civil Engineering (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid); MBA International Executive (IE Business School)

Curriculum vitae — Raul Pascual Garcia

Download ↓

Specialisms

Construction ManagementInfrastructure DeliveryProject DirectionFerrovialMajor ProjectsUK Infrastructure
LinkedIn profile ↗
EG
Esmaeil Ghahremani
Project Director · SYSTRA
Dubai, UAE
▾

Why a fit

Project Director · SYSTRA (Dubai, UAE).

  • Project Director at SYSTRA on Etihad Rail Stage 2 (Packages 2A, 2B, 2D, MBZ) — 650km+ of rail network (6.5Bn AED)
  • HS2 UK — Project Delivery Management / Peer Review via SYSTRA Dubai (Jan 2020 – present, HS2 Ltd)
  • Gulf & Central Asia Director for SYSTRA — overseeing operations across UAE, KSA, Qatar, Oman, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia and more
  • Al Batinah HSR (Oman, 8.0Bn AED) Project Manager — 300km line from UAE border to Muscat, part of GCC network
  • Dubai Metro Red & Green Line extensions Project Director; HSR feasibility work across Egypt (Ain El Sokhna–El Alamein), Moscow-Kazan, Tehran-Esfahan, Tehran-Mashhad
  • 28 years rail / 12 years HSR / 16 years systems integration; MSc Civil Engineering (Soil Mechanics & Foundations)
  • Screening call 17 April — engaged, CV received, open to contractor-side role

Availability & preferences

Screening call 17 Apr 2026 (Granola). SYSTRA PD ~2 decades. UAE HSR $10B. Open to contractor-side Engineering Director. Currently hiring 300 SYSTRA engineers; potential HT collaboration. CV received 17 Apr.

Curriculum vitae — Esmaeil Ghahremani

Download ↓

Specialisms

High-Speed RailSYSTRAInfrastructure EngineeringUAE HSRProject Direction
LinkedIn profile ↗
AS
Ahmed Shouman
Project Director · National Project Construction
Dubai, UAE
▾

Why a fit

Project Director · National Project Construction (Dubai, UAE).

  • Project Director at National Project Construction (Dubai, since April 2025) — infrastructure, bridges and rail
  • Prior Construction Project Manager at Bechtel (Dec 2021 – Dec 2024) on NEOM “The Spine”, Upper Valley Zone — 160km of HSR, GMT and freight rail inside precast and cast-in-situ concrete tunnels
  • Construction Director at CSCEC on Etihad Rail Package 2A (Abu Dhabi) — 130km design-build; rail sleeper factory, bridges, underpasses, culverts, utilities
  • Senior Construction Manager at CSCEC on EXPO 2020 Dubai R1048/2 — 20 post-tensioned cast-in-situ bridges (72 spans, 3km total length)
  • Construction Manager on New Abu Dhabi International Airport — MTL bridges (38 bridges, 2.5km, 1,000 piles)
  • 25+ years Bridges/Tunnels/Rails/Roads across UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt; accepted InMail 16 April — wants to learn more

Availability & preferences

16 Apr 2026 — Accepted InMail: 'I would like to learn more about this opportunity.' Draft Calendly invite reply sent.

Curriculum vitae — Ahmed Shouman

Download ↓

Specialisms

Construction ManagementEngineering ConsultancyProject SupervisionMiddle East / North AfricaInfrastructure Projects
LinkedIn profile ↗
AV
Antonio Martínez Varela
Lead Construction Manager · Ferrovial Construction
Keston, UK
▾

Why a fit

Lead Construction Manager · Ferrovial Construction (Keston, UK).

  • Lead Construction Manager at Ferrovial (since Jan 2025) on HS2 Track Lot 3 (HRS15 North) — 78km corridor including tunnels, viaducts, overbridges; 194km precast slab track, 68 switches & crossings, 22 rail expansion devices
  • Senior Project Manager, HS2 C23 (2024) — 80km section, 15 viaducts, 6.9km green tunnels, 22km road diversions, 81 bridges, ~30M m³ excavation
  • Senior Project Manager on TKRE (2024) — National Grid 400kV tunnel, 2.2km forced-ventilated bore, 35m deep shafts, 12-cable installation
  • Project Manager on Silvertown Tunnel, London (2020–2023) — twin-bore road tunnel, £945m, DfT Development Consent Order
  • Construction Director on D4R7 Bratislava bypass ($1.129Bn PPP) — 27km D4 motorway + 32km R7 expressway, 122 bridges including 3km Danube River Bridge
  • Project Director on Pacific Highway Warrell Creek to Nambucca Heads (NSW, Australia, $579m) — 3.5 years Australia delivery
  • 20+ years across HSR and motorways in Spain, Australia, Slovakia and UK

Curriculum vitae — Antonio Martínez Varela

Download ↓

Specialisms

InfrastructureConstruction ManagementFerrovialUK Infrastructure
LinkedIn profile ↗
SL
Sean Lind
Commercial and Stakeholder Director · SACYR USA & CANADA
Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
▾

Why a fit

Commercial and Stakeholder Director · SACYR USA & CANADA (Lafayette, Louisiana, USA).

  • 25+ years construction executive across multi-billion-dollar design-build, P3 and mega-infrastructure programs in North America
  • Currently Commercial & Stakeholder Director on I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge ($2.2Bn P3, SACYR / Louisiana Bridge Builders JV) — commercial strategy, stakeholder alignment, risk mitigation
  • VP Operations / Project Executive at Flatiron Dragados on Amtrak Susquehanna River Bridge ($3.5Bn CMGC pursuit) — pursuit strategy, delivery planning, risk profile
  • Project Director / VP Operations at Dragados-Flatiron JV on California HSR ($4.1Bn) — executed $1Bn+ in change orders, restored client trust, re-aligned JV
  • Project Manager on SH 288 Toll Lanes ($940m P3 DB) — 900+ personnel
  • Construction / Area Manager on Evergreen LRT ($1.8Bn, SNC-Lavalin, Canada)
  • Screening call 15 April (Granola) — confirmed available to relocate, strong commercial / risk / procurement / legal blend; caveat: no tunnelling experience

Availability & preferences

Screening call 15 Apr 2026 (Granola). VP Ops Dragados 7yrs on Cal HSR CP2-3 ($8B). 56 bridges built, no tunnelling. Now $2.3B I-10 Louisiana. Strong commercial/risk/procurement/legal. Available to relocate — kids grown, wife supportive. Notes: no tunnelling experience.

Curriculum vitae — Sean Lind

Download ↓

Specialisms

California HSRCommercial LeadershipStakeholder ManagementMajor InfrastructureUS Mega-Projects
LinkedIn profile ↗