Multi-disciplinary design and engineering consultancy Morgan Sindall Professional Services (MSPS) has appointed Rob Billingham to the role of director for its aviation sector division.

Rob, who was previously a senior project manager within MSPS’ aviation team, replaces George McBride and brings 30 years of experience to the role, including ten years’ dedicated aviation experience on a number of key projects principally at Heathrow and Gatwick.

His new role will primarily involve business development and operations management for a range of projects being undertaken by MSPS’ dedicated aviation team.

As well as having proven capability within the major international airports in the UK, MSPS is also on the framework agreement for the Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton Airports (AGS) consortium and has recently completed a feasibility project for Sydney Airport in Australia. It has a specialist aviation team of more than 40, with offices across the UK, including Heathrow.

Rob played an integral part in the delivery of a sophisticated new baggage-handling system for Heathrow Terminal 3, overseeing the project from initial concept through to final delivery, and making maximum use of the latest BIM and 3D modelling techniques. Prior to focusing on the aviation sector Rob worked on a number of process engineering projects within the pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries.

He will report to MSPS’ managing director, Martin Lubieniecki.

Commenting on his appointment, Rob said: “I’m delighted to be taking on this role at such an exciting time for the aviation industry. More people are flying than ever before, global competition is driving innovation in infrastructure design and passenger expectations are ever increasing. All of this is creating a need for more capacity and world leading airport design to allow the UK to succeed in a competitive global market. This is opening up numerous opportunities within the sector and I look forward to working with our team of specialists to build on MSPS’ excellent reputation in this area.”

Martin Lubieniecki added: “In today’s connected society where we expect to be able to travel and move goods between continents with ease and speed, it’s crucial to have the right people delivering the infrastructure that supports this. I’m thrilled to welcome Rob to the role of Sector Director – Aviation. He brings extensive experience and a proven track record in delivering top quality, innovative solutions from concept to final delivery. I’m looking forward to working with him to deliver the excellent service our clients expect and take our business forward.”