Delivering complex projects

Since 2015, Graeme Baxter has been Head of Infrastructure for Turner & Townsend Middle East and he is based in Abu Dhabi. Describing his role, he says: “As a  Chartered Quantity Surveyor , I help clients manage their capital assets which could be anything from buildings through to an airport runway. I support the clients to look after these projects by keeping them on programme and within budget which makes the client feel he is in control.   As a business, Turner & Townsend has a strong track record of providing end-to-end service to help the clients manage their capital programmes  from budgets, to scheduling, managing changes and managing risks, so they can make informed decisions.”

Baxter was Turner & Townsend’s Country Manager for Qatar for six years, handing over the reins in 2015 to take up his latest role. When he started in Qatar, he had a single member of staff on his team and the Qatar office now employs over 100, which illustrates well the huge growth of construction in the region.

One of the flagship projects that Baxter was involved with in Qatar was the Lusail City Project, a new development 15km north of Doha. The project covers 38km2 subdivided into 19 districts, which will provide 50,000 homes in a mix of town houses, villas and apartments. Other districts include retail, commercial and office space, civic facilities, golf, entertainment & hospitality and medical facilities – all served by a light railway.

Turner & Townsend was commissioned to provide cost management services to the project, enabling the client to make timely and informed decisions on budgeting and project scheduling.

Baxter’s new project is equally impressive, ambitious and complex. He is leading Turner & Townsend’s team supporting the delivery of a major development, a state-of-the-art terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport.....

The full interview with Graeme Baxter is in the latest issue of Construction Global.