Storrie sets out vision as Project Centre's new MD

Project Centre has appointed Graham Storrie as its new managing director, following the move of Keith Hanshaw to sister company NSL.

Storrie has worked for Project Centre as both regional director and director of operations for more than three years, working closely with clients across the country.

A proud Dundonian, Storrie's engineering career spans more than 25 years, working in the Middle East and the UK, in the public and private sectors. A Chartered Civil Engineer with significant technical knowledge he has worked across highways and infrastructure, transportation, structural engineering and the built environment.

After eight years at Project Centre, Keith Hanshaw has taken up the new role of NSL's managing director of transportation. Both companies are owned by Marston Holdings. 

Here, Project Centre's director of marketing Nichola Mansfield talks to Graham Storrie about his vision for the future.

Nichola Mansfield: First and foremost, congratulations on your appointment. How are you feeling?

Graham Storrie: Thank you! I’m extremely pleased and very excited about taking on this new role and leading Project Centre as we enter a new chapter. I've spent more than three years here as Regional and Operations Director, roles which have given me a fantastic opportunity to connect with clients nationally and with colleagues in Project Centre and across our group companies.

NM: You’ve certainly made a great impression in the north region.

GS: It’s a great region to work with, we’ve got some fantastic talent in both the Manchester and Edinburgh offices, great clients, and the opportunity for growth there is enormous.

NM: I’m sensing an aspiration as the new managing director to grow the north even more?

GS: Definitely! The past couple of years have been great. We've brought in amazing talent and landed exciting projects with new clients. Our hard work has resulted in key framework wins, including single source frameworks, fantastic roles and projects with excellent clients in Liverpool, new clients in North Lanarkshire, Glasgow, Manchester, St Helens, and most recently, Knowsley. We're proud of the excellent projects we've delivered in the North so to further invest in that region is an easy decision, but we’ll also look to maintain these high standards with Clients elsewhere in the UK!

NM: That’s not the only aspiration though, is it?

GS: I’m definitely open to exploring all opportunities! It’s an exciting time to be working within the built environment, the three pillars of sustainability are at the forefront of everything that Project Centre is involved in and we’re seeing this as a focus on all our projects. As a company we’re promoting more environmentally responsible practices and actively participating in industry-wide collaborations to positively contribute to as many of the UN sustainability goals as possible.

NM: It's becoming increasingly clear that climate resilience will play a significant role in our line of work.

GS: Agreed. I think 325 out of 404 councils have declared a climate emergency, almost two thirds are aiming for Net Zero by 2030, so a lot needs to happen to achieve those targets. We’re committed to working with our sister companies to utilise data across the transport, technology and environmental sectors. Almost everything we do across these sectors can be digitised and using this data will be critical in driving forward change so it’s important we continue as thought leaders.

NM: So, let’s talk about investing in the people at Project Centre. I know that development and mentoring are important to you.

GS: One of my most satisfying contributions to the industry comes from the creation of energised, thriving environments where high motivational states and confidence are the norm. Developing people at all levels within Project Centre remains a priority for me, particularly as I see their careers advance within the business.

We’re committed to helping people identify their potential and achieve their goals, whether it’s technical development, professional recognition or academic qualifications, we have a fantastic structure in place to support development and career progression, including an ICE Approved Training Scheme. There is so much support for all our disciplines.

We don’t just develop technical capabilities, we also have our Women’s Learning and Development Network and our EDI Group, both of which bring about positive change.

NM: We had our People of Project Centre Awards last week, hosted by our Women’s Network which I think really demonstrated our cultural diversity. I’m looking forward to seeing this grow.

GS: A great night celebrating our people and their achievements, for sure we’ll need a bigger dance floor for the macarena next year. It was a fantastic opportunity to put our people, teams and projects in the spotlight and well deserved, it’s important for us to recognise their valuable contribution.

NM: I totally agree, and I look forward to seeing more success in the future.

GS: The future for our people, clients and wider business is full of promise and I’m excited to really get things going.

www.marstonholdings.co.uk/projectcentre