SMEC appoints new MD to drive growth in India

Global engineering and infrastructure advisory firm SMEC has appointed Andrew McKune as its new Managing Director for India, effective immediately. The region is a key area of focus for SMEC as it targets expansion to capitalise on its strong project portfolio, clients and network of local offices established over 40+ years.

Andrew, who joined SMEC in 2011 and has worked in various technical and leadership roles across Africa and South Asia, said he planned to drive growth, signalling the global engineering firm’s commitment to the region.

“Our project experience in India is diverse, reflecting both the depth of our expertise and our strong local roots, having started our first project in 1975,” McKune said.  “We’re proud to have been an integral part of India’s growth story, especially after the Indian Government adopted the economic liberalisation policy in 1991.”

With the infrastructure sector is a key driver of India’s economy, Andrew said SMEC has seen phenomenal growth in the highways sector and more recently, in the water, power and rail and metro sector, “providing us with ample opportunities to contribute our expertise to the development of the country”.

SMEC has recently opened offices in Chennai and Guwahati, with the Mumbai office soon to be launched. The firm’s Global Design Centre is also based in Bangalore and currently services multiple sectors across the globe.

Andrew has more than 12 years’ experience in civil engineering. His technical background pertains primarily to transportation projects, and he has been responsible for management and supervision of various multi-disciplinary projects across Africa and South Asia. Before being appointed as Managing Director India, he was the Director of Operations for SMEC’s South Asia and Middle East regions.