AECOM names Laura Jackson Pugh head of North for project and cost management

AECOM has appointed Laura Jackson Pugh as head of North for project and cost management, giving her responsibility for major programmes and client relationships across the North of England, the firm said on 7 October 2026.

Jackson Pugh is a chartered project manager with 20 years' experience. She joins from Tetra Tech, where she was head of project management profession and most recently programme director for the design and engineering of a civil nuclear infrastructure programme, according to AECOM.

Her brief covers central and local government, healthcare and higher education clients, and AECOM said she will also work to build its presence in energy and defence across the region.

Jo Streeten, managing director, buildings and places at AECOM, said: "As investment across the North of England continues to grow in key sectors such as energy and defence, Laura's strong client relationships and proven track record in delivering complex, high-value infrastructure programmes will be invaluable."

The northern business

AECOM employs about 1,200 people across the North of England, with offices including Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Warrington. Its UK business as a whole has more than 6,500 professionals, according to the firm's UK web pages.

Laura Jackson Pugh, head of North for project and cost management, said: "The North of England continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in the UK, and there is a strong ambition across its towns and cities to deliver major infrastructure programmes."

The CPS2 framework

AECOM linked the appointment to its recent place on the Government Commercial Agency's Construction Professional Services 2 (CPS2) framework, which it described as a key route to market for project and cost management.

The firm announced on 22 June 2026 that it had secured nine lots on CPS2. AECOM put the framework's total value at $4.7bn; the GCA's own agreement page does not state a value.

It is AECOM's second appointment to the four-year framework, having been on the original iteration in 2021. The firm said its lots span general infrastructure, project management, defence, defence enhanced, international, nuclear energy and all three flood risk and asset management lots.

Richard Whitehead, chief executive of AECOM's Europe and India region, said at the time that the appointment deepened the firm's relationship with central government departments, local authorities and the Environment Agency.

According to the GCA, the agreement (reference RM6356) runs from 17 April 2026 to 16 April 2030 and gives access to technical advisory services for building and civil engineering projects of all sizes. It can be used by central government departments and all other UK public sector bodies.

The GCA's page lists 31 suppliers on the project management lot (lot 3) and 24 on the commercial management lot (lot 4). The flood risk lots, 9a to 9c, are reserved for the Environment Agency's exclusive use.

The Government Commercial Agency

The GCA was formed on 1 April 2026 when Crown Commercial Service and several Cabinet Office central commercial teams joined together, according to the agency. It says the public sector spends more than £400bn a year on goods and services.

AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm with revenue of $16.1bn in its 2025 fiscal year. The CPS2 framework it now sits on runs until 16 April 2030.