RLB appoints PM lead: implications for major UK infrastructure and sustainability
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Rider Levett Bucknall has appointed Matt Buntine as head of London and Europe project and programme management, drawing on his previous role as managing director at Lendlease Consulting (now Bovis). Buntine has led programmes across alternative energy, rail, aviation, heritage, commercial and education, and previously ran Lendlease’s European sustainability function, driving its Mission Zero strategy. He has overseen transformation and open-market sale processes while retaining major clients such as TfL, Network Rail, the Houses of Parliament, Chelsea Football Club and leading London museums, and is a chartered engineer with the Institute of Engineers Australia.
Technical Brief
- Appointment covers both London and wider European project and programme management portfolios within RLB.
- Previous remit included corporate strategy leadership across Europe, Asia and Australia, not just UK-focused delivery.
- Sector experience spans alternative energy, rail, aviation, heritage, commercial, education and broader development schemes.
- Led a European sustainability function embedded within a major consulting business, integrating ESG into programme governance.
- Mission Zero work provides direct experience with net‑zero roadmaps, carbon baselining and transition planning at portfolio scale.
- Managed an open‑market sale and transformation programme while preserving continuity for clients such as TfL and Network Rail.
- Client continuity also maintained for the Houses of Parliament, Chelsea FC, Lendlease and multiple leading London museums.
- Holds six years of corporate board experience plus a three‑year non‑executive directorship at SECBE, informing governance of complex infrastructure programmes.
Our Take
Rider Levett Bucknall already features in our UK Infrastructure coverage for its tender price inflation forecasts, so a strengthened project management lead in London and Europe positions it to turn that market intelligence into more assertive advice on risk allowances and escalation in major programmes.
In recent UK pieces, RLB has appeared on large mixed-use schemes such as Willmott Dixon’s £136m The Stage project, suggesting its expanded PM capability will likely be deployed on complex, multi-stakeholder urban developments rather than just traditional cost consultancy roles.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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