Initiative Member Spotlight: Alan Swan, Regional Operations Director for the South West at Stantec

As part of our ongoing series spotlighting members of the Bristol Initiative, we had the opportunity to speak with Alan Swan, Regional Operations Director for the South West at Stantec.

Stantec, a global leader in design and engineering, is dedicated to creating sustainable communities, and its work aligns closely with the objectives of Business West and the Bristol Initiative. We sat down with Alan to explore his role at Stantec, the company's impact in the region, and how their involvement with the Bristol Initiative supports the continued growth and prosperity of the South West.

Tell us about your role – what do you have responsibility for? What does a typical day look like? 

I am the Stantec UK & Ireland Regional Director for Infrastructure for South West and Wales.  I have responsibility for operational delivery and growth across the region, which includes winning work and managing the delivery of projects. A typical day for me involves engaging with clients and senior leaders in the industry, leading bids and working with technical teams to ensure effective project delivery.

What does your organisation do? Why do you like working for them?

Stantec UK&I employs around 4000 people in the UK across four business sectors: Water, Energy, Buildings and Infrastructure.  Within the region we have over 200 people across Water, Infrastructure and Energy.  We act as consultants to a range of private and public sector clients delivering development and infrastructure projects. My role within the city is to provide the highest level of consultancy support alongside professionals who are passionate about delivering high quality services and working proactively with our clients to solve their problems.

Why have you joined the Bristol Initiative? 

As a business, Stantec’s promise is that "with every community, we redefine what's possible." We want to be part of the Bristol community so we can deliver on this promise for the place in which our teams live, work, and play. Much of what I do is about talking and engaging with people to deliver local improvements and the Bristol Initiative is a great place to engage with likeminded people who share a common goal of making our great city even better!

What are the key agendas that you’re looking forward to getting involved with?

As a transport planner, I am passionate about transport and see it as the glue which holds the whole city, both old and new, together. The way we move across our communities hasn’t evolved much in the last 100 years and, in some regards, is returning to its roots as we re-embrace walking and cycling; we just call it active travel now!  We need a significant shift in how we use our spaces and everyone needs to get on board with this no matter what you do or how you travel.  At Stantec we blend planning and design with engineering, science and, modelling so we can visualise places which work and are deliverable. We would love to spend time with our partners from 'The Initiative' to work out what the vision for our city is and how we get there.

Where is your favourite place to visit in Bristol?

I have been travelling in, around, and through Bristol since I was a child. I love to visit the spaces I used to pass through and visualise how they looked then to remind myself of the positive changes that have already been realised. Stantec’s Bristol office is in Queens Square and I can hardly imagine how that used to look with a main road passing through the centre of what is now such a welcoming place. I love to visit the regenerated harbourside and the city centre and never cease to be amazed by the transformation that has turned it into the attractive and entertaining space is has become.

For more information on Stantec, check out their website here. If you're a Bristol Initiative Member and would like to be featured in a spotlight article like this, get in touch with Jenny Ablett.