Turner & Townsend has announced that Murray Rowden has been appointed as managing director for North America, while continuing to hold his role as global head of infrastructure at the professional services consultancy .

Since joining the consultancy in 1990 as a graduate, Rowden has risen through the ranks to spearhead strategy and drive business growth in its infrastructure and real estate sectors. As current global head of infrastructure and a member of Turner & Townsend’s executive board, he has helped double infrastructure revenue from £59m to £123m in the past five years. Until recently, he was also chairman of the industry body Constructing Excellence, which champions collaborative working and best practice.

Commenting on his appointment, Rowden said : “Turner & Townsend is truly market leading in the real estate, infrastructure and natural resources sectors. Collaboration is key to deliver great client outcomes, and a big part of my new role will be to support our North America team to continue developing our service and enhancing our capability across these sectors.”

“Through our experience on high-profile projects in North America, such as Time Warner’s New York headquarters, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the Toronto Metrolinx Regional Express Rail programme and Freeport LNG’s natural gas liquefaction project in Texas, we will continue to extend our position in the region.”

Vincent Clancy, Turner & Townsend chief executive, said: “We’ve had great success building relationships with some of the world’s top corporate companies. North America continues to present significant opportunities and is a strong growth area for our business. Through Murray’s leadership and passion for delivering excellent service to our clients, we will further grow our reputation in the region, investing in our capability and attracting talent into our business.”

Bruce McAra, who was previously managing director for North America, will move to lead Turner & Townsend’s UK real estate team.