Engineering consultancy Cundall has announced its new global managing partner.

Carole O’Neil steps up to lead the business 15 years after she first joined and takes over from Tomás Neeson, who has been managing partner for eight years and will now act as chair of Cundall’s partners.

O’Neil joined the company as human resources director in 2007. During that time she has helped Cundall grow from 450 people to a global practice of more than 1,000 staff in 21 offices. 

She has been a part of Cundall’s management board for more than a decade and has played a pivotal role supporting the business’ leadership over the years. 

O’Neil has also spent 18 months in Cundall’s Asia Pacific offices in Hong Kong and Australia assisting the local management teams to develop and implement their business strategies.

The appointment coincides with the launch of a new strategy for Cundall, including pledging that all projects will be zero carbon in design by 2030. 

The strategy also sets goals for the practice for the next 10 years, building on the vision set out by previous generations of partners.

This includes a renewed focus on culture and ensuring that Cundall remains a people-focused practice.

O’Neil's experience as a people and culture professional, in addition to her role as a leader on Cundall’s management board, was further proven in November 2021 when she was named the Institute of Directors’ Chartered Director of the Year for Yorkshire and the North East. 

As managing partner she will be responsible for leading the management board, including delivering on Cundall’s new strategy and steering the practice through the next period of development. 

She said: “I am immensely proud to have been part of Cundall’s story over the past 15 years and am looking forward to continuing the good work of Tomás Neeson and the rest of Cundall as we look to the future of our practice. 

“Successive generations of Cundall Partners have built an amazing business, founded on the principle that we will act as custodians of that business for the next generation. Our ethos has always been strongly rooted in sustainability, and our drive toward zero carbon design on all our projects will continue as we commit to it as one of the cornerstones of our business.

“I want everyone to be as excited about working in this business as I am. I have always aimed for excellence in everything that I do, be that work, sport or other activities, and I hope that my time as managing partner of Cundall will be a reflection of my commitment to making our practice one that the next generation will be proud of.”

O’Neil officially steps into the role of global managing partner at Cundall on July 1.

Outgoing global managing partner Neeson added: “Cundall exists to enable our people to design and engineer sustainable solutions for our clients and the planet. Our culture and strength are based on our people, and I am delighted that Carole will continue our focus on this.

“Carole’s greatest attributes are clarity, strength of character and the ability to make a decision and deliver on it. She has been integral to the growth and success of Cundall during my tenure as managing partner, and I, alongside my fellow partners, now look forward to supporting Carole in leading the practice through the next chapter in its development.”