Global Head of Design Transformation at Atkins

Lesley Waud

Lesley Waud is a seasoned business and project leader with over three decades of experience in the construction space. She started her professional career at Atkins, where she presently serves as the global head of design transformation. Her profound knowledge and visionary leadership skills, with a focus on digital evolution, have helped her become a prominent name in the transportation and infrastructure sectors.

In an interview with the editorial team at Construction Tech Review Europe, Waud sheds light on some of the challenges prevailing in the construction space and how effective collaborations hold the key to accelerating the industry’s growth.

Could you walk me through your roles and responsibilities at Atkins?

I hold a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and have worked in the construction industry for over three decades. I started my career from the drawing board and moved to different roles like technical design and delivery, project and construction management, and leadership positions like market and client director. I have gained a lot of experience working closely with clients and understanding what drives them. I took up the opportunity to lead the global design transformation program at Atkins as I am very passionate about it. My focus has always been on finding strategies for the industry to improve by eliminating the unnecessary friction that hinders progress.

How would you define design transformation, and what significance does it hold for Atkins as a company?

When it comes to design transformation, the primary concern is on delivering all the requirements for our clients within specific parameters. This can be achieved by focusing on certain key areas.

Efficient planning and management of our own delivery as an organization is very important. Another aspect is recognizing the impact of our decision on our clients. The adoption of advanced technologies like data automation, AI, and machine learning, along with parametric and generative designs to leverage additional value during solution development, is fast becoming a necessity. The whole focus of design transformation revolves around the certainty and predictability of the outcomes that we provide our clients.

Could you shed light on one of your recent projects and the process you followed to achieve the desired outcomes?

One of our projects involved setting up digital models and working on tolerances for a contractor and manufacturer of precast concrete products. 

We collaborated with the client and helped them leverage digital models and techniques in their processes. By the end of the project, the client witnessed a threefold increase in product orders.

All the assets in our designs are digitally rehearsed before it goes onsite. A collaborative environment creates a better impact than a traditional contract. We have successfully delivered on contracts where the cost was 24 percent lower compared to traditional methods. This demonstrates the endless possibilities that can be unlocked with collaboration.

We have also helped a client bring embodied carbon to life through building information modeling (BIM). This enables designers to understand the impact of their decision-making. By assessing the issues of embodied carbon, they have been able to modify the design to reduce its impact on the environment. This would not have been possible through traditional methods.

What are some of the challenges you face while implementing design transformation for your clients?

The challenges encountered are mainly cultural and not limited to Atkins but the industry as a whole. The fear of not understanding new technologies and changing job roles cannot be underestimated. It is important to assess the right amount of stakeholder engagement.

There are a lot of engineers and architects who hold strong views on the way they showcase creativity in their work. Managing this creative group of employees while remaining focused on producing the best results for our clients is a major challenge. It is essential that organizations set aside their differences and dedicate their efforts toward adding value to the industry.

How do you envision the future of design transformation at Atkins and in the industry as a whole?

The industry still has a long way to go, in my opinion. Different organizations experience pockets of excellence during the project life cycle that are not necessarily transferred. The conflict arises when everyone tries to reinvent the wheel and create their own version of business. We need to come together as an industry and collaborate, keeping all differences aside.

What is your sage advice to budding professionals in the industry?

Always be open to learning, and do not refrain from asking questions. We need to be more inquisitive. However, there is still a looming fear of trying different things. The tolerance is much lower in certain areas owing to safety concerns. But we, as a group, need to develop the appetite to keep learning and innovating without the fear of failure