Mark Hatcher

Mark is a technical director from AECOM's Transportation business in the United Kingdom and Ireland. With over 30 years’ experience and expertise in the design, construction, maintenance and demolition of structures, Mark Hatcher has been involved in the complete lifecycle of projects across the globe. He has worked on projects ranging from small community development projects in the remote mountain regions of Papua New Guinea, to multi-billion dollar projects in major economies like the UK and Australia. Throughout his career, he has seen how structural engineering projects have the power to transform communities and change lives for the better. Personal career highlights that have turbo-boosted Mark’s enthusiasm for his role included the Akuma wire rope suspension footbridge, deep in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea. Mark had trained local engineers to develop bridge design skills and used this project to oversee one of his trainees to undertake the design work. The experience was transformational for that engineer and the local government technical department he worked for, as well as the community the footbridge served, since the structure allowed a number of villages to cross a deep ravine within the rainforest. With some of the highest rainfalls in the world, the river below could only be waded through one of two days per month. The construction of the footbridge therefore made a key difference to the local communities trading goods, bringing in healthcare and sending many of their children to school. The local community was so pleased at the time of the opening that they created a new cultural song, dance and play about the creation of the bridge and the transformational change it was bringing, which they premiered at the opening ceremony!