Andrew Wyllie CBE and Kathy Harper have been appointed by Arup Trustees to join a new strategic oversight board as non-executive members
They join other appointments to the firm’s new Arup Group Limited (AGL) Board, as part of its new board structure taking effect from 1 April.
Wyllie spent the majority of his career at Taylor Woodrow Group before 14 years as CEO of Costain Group. He has worked extensively internationally with critical infrastructure contracts across Saudi Arabia, Ghana, the Falklands and Malaysia as well as the UK.
Harper has held chief financial officer roles at BDP International, Tronox, and at Rio Tinto Diamonds and Mineral Group, prior to pursuing a career as a non-executive director.
Wyllie and Harper join an extensively qualified board
Led by Hilde Tonne as non-executive chair, the AGL Board’s role is to provide oversight of strategy, the firm’s financial performance, assurance, and its leadership. Tonne has been serving as a non-executive director on Arup’s Group Board since 2023. She was previously CEO of Norway’s transmission system operator Statnett SF, executive director at Telenor Group and Ramboll Group, in addition to several non-executive board roles.
Cordelia Chung will also join the board, continuing her role as a non-executive director at Arup that she began in 2020. She previously held senior leadership roles at IBM and is currently a non-executive director and chair of several boards.
The other positions on the AGL Board will be filled by executive directors who also sit on Arup’s Executive Board – which is responsible for the firm’s leadership, operations and implementing its strategy. Jerome Frost, the CEO, will be joined by Fiona Cousins, chief operating officer for Total Design.
A further executive director position on the AGL Board will be appointed later in the year.
All appointees to the new board are made by Arup’s Trustees
Hilde Tonne, incoming non-executive chair of Arup, said: “I am thrilled to be joined on the Arup Group Limited Board by a team who exemplify credibility, excellence and strategic leadership. The diversity and calibre of appointments – spanning geographies and sectors – reflects the renewed global outlook and influence of Arup.
“In a changing world there is immense potential for Arup to play an even greater role in addressing the challenges faced by communities, cities, and countries. These new board members will deliver the robust oversight, leadership, and governance to help make that a reality.”
Mahadev Raman, chair of Arup Trustees, said: “As a proudly trust-owned firm we need a balance of professionalism, diversity of perspective, and robust governance experience to meet the needs of a business of our scale – while maintaining our unique culture.
“In this new Arup Group Limited Board I am convinced we have leaders that embody Arup’s values and culture and have the skills and experience needed to take the firm forward in an increasingly complex world.”
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