Ridge appoints Graham Sant as partner to lead engineering and environmental infrastructure teams

Ridge has appointed Graham Sant as a partner to lead its engineering and environmental infrastructure services nationally, adding to a run of acquisitions and senior hires in the consultancy's infrastructure business.

Sant is based in Manchester and will work nationally, the firm said. He will oversee a team covering civil engineering, transport planning, pre-planning, flood risk, geo-environmental and geotechnical services.

Ridge said the appointment supports its ambition to take a bigger role on infrastructure projects across transport, energy, water, data centres, strategic land and defence.

Sant, who joins as a partner, said: "The opportunity now is to build on that expertise and establish Ridge more firmly in the major projects arena."

The role

Sant will work with Steve Williams, who joined Ridge as head of infrastructure earlier in 2026.

According to Ridge, Sant will lead the engineering and environmental disciplines, while Williams focuses on programme and project management, project controls and cost management. The two teams will work together on client development, bids and project pipelines.

Andy Cleevely, partner in civil and structural engineering at Ridge, said: "Major projects increasingly require coordinated thinking across design, planning, environmental risk and delivery."

Ridge said Sant has more than 35 years of experience in engineering consultancy and infrastructure projects in the UK and internationally. The programmes he has led or advised on include HS2, Radlett Strategic Rail Freight Interchange, the National Highways CDF Framework, the Feeder 9 gas pipeline beneath the Humber and the A50 South Derby Growth Zone, according to the firm.

Background

Ridge said it has expanded its infrastructure offer over the past two years by acquiring civil and structural engineering consultancy Jubb and transport planning specialist Hub Transport Planning.

Jubb, founded in 1963 as a small partnership, had offices in Bristol, Winchester, Plymouth and Cardiff when Ridge bought it. At the time of that deal, Ridge said it had grown by more than 50% since 2022. Once Jubb was fully integrated, Ridge said the combined business had more than 1,300 people.

Ridge has also acquired Adept Management, which specialises in programme management, including project controls and design management.

Williams was director of programme and project management at Turner & Townsend before joining Ridge, and has held senior roles at Thames Water and Santec, according to the firm's announcement of his appointment. Ridge said his remit includes positioning the firm as an independent adviser to large infrastructure clients.

Hub Transport Planning has nearly two decades of experience in transport assessment, strategy and design, Ridge said when it announced that acquisition. Hub's 17 staff were to be based in Ridge's Birmingham office, taking the firm's transport planning team to 40 people across the UK.

Ridge put its turnover at about £170m at the time of the Hub deal.