About Parsons Brinckerhoff

Vincent is the Managing Director for Buildings, China Region, where he has managed and contributed to the design of skyscrapers throughout Asia, including many mega-size and super-tall buildings.

His portfolio of world-class projects, built over a 30-year international career, includes such notable projects as the 2,073-foot (632-meter) Shanghai Tower, the 1,988-foot (606-meter) Wuhan Greenland Centre, the 1,995-foot (608-meter) Tianjin Goldin Finance 117, the 1,815-foot (550-meter) Shenzhen China Resource Headquarters Tower, the 1,750-foot (530-meter) Beijing Citic Group's Headquarter Tower and the 1,738-foot (530-meter) Guangzhou CTF Centre. Not content with working on the tallest, Vincent has also contributed to some of the region's biggest complexes, including the largest integrated resort in the Asia-Pacific, the 14 million-square-foot (1,300,000-square-meter) Venetian Macao Resort; Singapore's iconic Marina Bay Sands Resort; the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre; the Beijing China World Trade Center and the Shanghai International Finance Centre.

Vincent has spent almost all his career at Parsons Brinckerhoff. An advocate of mentoring, he is keen to pass on his knowledge to the next generation, "I truly believe that it is our duty to develop the potential of our aspiring professionals - and the best way to do this is to provide opportunities for them to push the envelope, and to challenge themselves to deliver state-of-the-art solutions to engineering problems."

When not busy on projects, Vincent contributes to the engineering community at large. He was named the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE) Vice President in 2006-2008, and has served as a Distinguished Lecturer for the society for more than 12 years. Vincent is currently the Board Director of Haven of Hope Christian Services. He has also previously held positions as Vice President for the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), and chaired the HKIE/Hong Kong Fire Services Department (HKFSD) Liaison Committee and Building Services Division. He holds a master of science degree in building services engineering from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Civil engineer Gary Neave thrives on management challenges such as those he met as Project Director in charge of the AUD $403 million North South Interconnection System Project (NSISP) in Adelaide, Australia, for client SA Water, a role he completed in December 2012.

“The NSISP connects Adelaide’s northern and southern water supply networks to enhance water supply flexibility, reliability, and security,” says Gary. One of the project’s biggest challenges is its urban location. Adding 32 kilometers of large diameter pipelines, 8 large facilities, and enhancements at over 120 sites through the city directly affected over 4000 homes and businesses and required significant community engagement.

Gary believes engineering is as much about collaboration as it is about project delivery. He strongly advocates the integrated project team approach used in the NSISP. “Understanding, and framing, the key drivers for your client is critical in order to represent them effectively in front of their customers and stakeholders,” he says.

Gary, who joined the company in 2008, was also involved, as Deputy Project Manager, in the integrated project team for the Jacinth Ambrosia Mineral Sands Mine in South Australia. With Gary’s oversight of some of the project’s most time-sensitive elements, the mine was delivered early and within budget. Gary is now Director – Program Delivery Services, Utilities, Government and Energy for Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Australia-Pacific business unit.

In October 2012, Gary won the National Project Director of the Year award from the Australian Institute of Project Management. The award recognizes Gary’s skills in leading the NSISP project team as well as his diverse construction and project management experience, accrued over 27 years, in the resources, aviation, transport, defense, and services industries throughout South Australia and the Northern Territory.

He holds a bachelor of engineering (civil) from the University of Adelaide and is a Fellow of Engineers Australia and a member of the Australian Institute of Project Management.

As Director of Rail and Transit for Parsons Brinckerhoff’s UK and Europe region, Darren Reed, based in London, oversees 400 professional staff providing multidisciplinary rail engineering and management services.

Under Darren’s leadership, the company recently won a number of significant contracts including the High Speed 2 project in the UK—the country’s planned second high-speed rail (HSR) network—for which Parsons Brinckerhoff is providing preliminary designs for an initial phase. The project will connect London to the West Midlands by 2026 and to both Leeds and Manchester by 2033. Darren is a member of the UK HSR Industry Leaders Group.

Another recent contract is for the Northern Hub and North West Electrification Program—to upgrade the rail network in the north of England. The company is providing a wide range of services. “I am passionate about rail transport and the value the rail industry can bring,” says Darren. “I believe in the economic and environmental benefit that improved rail networks offer, so it is very satisfying to play a part in the development of these major schemes.”

Other projects under Darren’s oversight include design for London’s Crossrail and Thameslink programs; consulting to the National Transit Authority for the Tel Aviv Light Rail Transit system and joint steering board membership of a consortium to deliver a major re-signaling project in Denmark.

Prior to joining Parsons Brinckerhoff in 2009, Darren led Balfour Beatty Management’s London Underground consultancy business for five years and previously held positions with various UK rail agencies. During his 18-year career, he has managed rail station refurbishments and rail maintenance, modification and upgrade projects. He has also been responsible for performance improvement initiatives including highly acclaimed safety management practices.

Darren holds a bachelor of science in commercial management and quantity surveying from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). He is a member of the Institute of Civil Engineering Surveyors and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

John Munro, a leading expert in tunnel ventilation and fire safety, is Director of Parsons Brinkerhoff’s Mechanical & Electrical Technical Excellence Center (M&E TEC), which includes the firm’s internationally recognized tunnel ventilation group.  

John, who is based in New York, started his career through an apprenticeship with an engineering firm in Dublin and went on to become a civil engineer specializing in fire safety. He moved to London in 1996 to be closer to more cutting edge developments in his field. “At the time,” he says, “there were limited codes or guidance related to road or rail tunnel fire safety.” In 1999, he relocated to Sydney where he helped develop new codes and standards, first for the Rail Infrastructure Corporation and, subsequently, for the Roads and Traffic Authority where he also guided fire safety for new and existing tunnels.  

John joined Parsons Brinckerhoff in 2008 as head of the tunnels group in Australia. His team provided tunneling capability for the Airport Link project in Brisbane—the longest road tunnel in the country. “From the fire safety standpoint,” he says, “I was leading a team of engineers on challenges for which there was little or no precedent, where innovation was key to the project’s success.”

As head of the M&E TEC, John oversees a far-flung range of projects—including the extension of the No. 7 subway in New York City, the Westside Subway Extension in Los Angeles, the Delhi Metro, and the Eurasia road tunnel in Istanbul. “I am keen to support the further growth and development of our industry-leading capabilities,” he says.

John holds a bachelor of civil engineering and a master’s degree in fire safety, both from the University of Ulster, and a master of public administration from the University of Sydney.

Mike D’Alton, who joined Parsons Brinckerhoff in 2011, brings extensive knowledge of national and regional transport and planning policy as well as operational and technical skills to his position as the firm’s UK Director of Highways and Transportation.

Drawing on three decades of experience, Mike balances project management and strategic account oversight—for Transport for London (TfL), the Highways Agency, the Department for Transport, and other agencies across the UK—with business development. Mike’s previous work has included: mass transit scheme design and operational modeling; urban and rural transportation infrastructure planning and improvements; planning scenarios to revitalize town centers; multi-consultant agreements to provide advice on parking, new rail stations, eco-town development, and transport modeling; as well as research in support of transportation policy.

“One of the best things about delivering major infrastructure projects is working with others,” says Mike. He recently led the Parsons Brinckerhoff team that designed the network of routes to facilitate connections to venues during the London 2012 Olympics—for TfL, the Olympic Delivery Authority, and the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games.

In 2012, Mike oversaw important pursuits and a diversification of services, including setting up a new service line for traffic engineering, street lighting, new technologies, and sustainable transport. This diversification helped lead to a highways framework contract with the South Wales Trunk Road Agency to provide a range of services for the agency’s heavily trafficked eastern region, and a complementary framework to provide research and development in transport issues to the Welsh Government.   

Mike, who is based in Godalming, holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Warwick Business School, a Master of Science in Transport Engineering & Operations from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and a Bachelor of Arts from Northumbria University.

Shane Larkin, Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Environmental Manager for the Middle East region, came to love nature through the influence of his godfather, an ornithologist who provided Shane with behind-the-scenes access at the Dublin Zoo. Coupled with a love of travel, Shane’s career as an environmental consultant came together naturally. “Working in the environment sector lets me travel, work on projects that make a difference in people’s lives, and protect the enivronment,” he says.

Shane, who joined Parsons Brinkerhoff in 2005, has worked in Ireland, the UK, and throughout the Middle East. He has prepared more than 70 environmental assessments and reports, addressing potential environmental impacts—from air quality and noise to traffic, archaeology, and socieconomics—for all types of infrastructure including power, transportation, water, and buildings.

Based in the Middle East since 2007, Shane has worked on such major projects as the Abu Dhabi Metro and Light Rail Transit schemes and numerous power generation projects. For the Independent Power Plant 3 in Jordan, on behalf KEPCO, Mitsubishi, and Wartsila, Shane produced the environmental impact assessment (EIA) in accordance with both Jordanian standards and World Bank/International Finance Corporation guidelines. The project will feature the largest reciprocating engines in the world.

Shane is currently preparing EIAs for three cogeneration power plants—the second stage of a project in Saudi Arabia for Saudi Aramco and Tihama Power Generation Company Limited. Parsons Brinckerhoff previously prepared EIAs for the first stage of the project, including four power plants. 

Shane holds a master of science in rural and regional resources planning from the University of Aberdeen, and a diploma in environmental resources management from the Dublin Institute of Technology. He is a Chartered Environmentalist and Registered Environmental Impact Assessment Practitioner of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

Salvatore (Sal) Prestano manages two units within Parsons Brinckerhoff: the Energy Services Group within the US Power/Energy Operating Company and the New York office of the Mechanical & Electrical Technical Excellence Center within the Americas Transportation Operating Company. 

As a child, Sal was, “fascinated with how things work.” Not surprisingly, he chose a career in which he makes things work better. As Business Leader for Energy Services, he oversees a group that provides consulting, design, and engineering and construction management for energy projects at all types of facilities.

For example, for the New York Power Authority, Sal’s group is providing turnkey services for energy efficiency upgrades for buildings owned and operated by New York City, including three medical centers, two courthouses, a 22-story municipal office complex, and 24 schools. When complete, the upgrade process—including comprehensive building energy audits followed by contract documents, bids, awards, and construction management—will help save money, reduce energy consumption, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Sal also manages the firm’s mechanical and electrical engineering for major transportation projects such as the East Side Access project and the No. 7 Subway Line Extension.

Sal joined Parsons Brinckerhoff in 1999 from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, where he served as a Senior Mechanical Engineer on such projects as the World Trade Center renovations after the 1993 bombing, and major projects at John F. Kennedy and Newark International airports, and for the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rail line connecting New Jersey with Manhattan.

Sal says his greatest accomplishment at Parsons Brinckerhoff is “hiring and retaining the best and brightest employees and giving them the support they need to do great things.”

Sal holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Manhattan College and is a member of Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Sustainability Council.