18/05/2026
Meet the Leaders | The Engineering Edge Leadership & Delivery
Andrew Hardy | Technical Director of Water UK
In the first edition of Meet the Leaders | The Engineering Edge, we speak with Andrew Hardy, a senior infrastructure leader with more than 25 years’ experience across the construction and infrastructure sectors.
"What makes Andrew particularly valuable to clients is that he has worked directly within the utility environment itself, not just alongside it."
Andrew has delivered major infrastructure programmes across the UK water sector, including nationally significant projects, operational delivery portfolios and major capital delivery frameworks.
Before joining Ayesa Engineering , Andrew held senior leadership role with Anglian Water's Alliance Services leading functions including electrical compliance, logistics, fleet, facilities & estates, service contracts, regional maintenance capital schemes and operational governance across a c£200m annual portfolio.
What makes Andrew particularly valuable to clients is that he has worked directly within the utility environment itself, not just alongside it. Having operated on both the client and delivery side of major frameworks, he understands the pressures around safety, compliance, programme certainty, regulation, budgets, procurement and operational performance.
For utilities, he understands how decisions are made internally and what matters when delivering long-term infrastructure investment.
For contractors and supply chain partners, he understands the realities of construction, commissioning, sequencing, procurement and working safely in live operational environments.
Andrew’s background is also highly technical. Starting his career in electrical installation and progressing through HV and LV authorisation, operational governance and major programme leadership, he combines practical site experience with strategic delivery expertise. That hands-on foundation gives him a strong understanding of how infrastructure is actually delivered in live operational environments, from concept and design through to construction, commissioning and long-term operation.
Andrew and his team are working on the £80m Slough STW in the UK
10 Quick Fire Questions with Andrew:
🏉 When not working what do you do? Spend time with my family, socialising, motorcycling and watching football, and trying not to talk about work!
☕ Tea or coffee? Coffee.
⚡ You started out in electrical delivery. Does that still shape how you lead projects today? “It certainly helps”. Electrical work teaches you quickly that there’s no room for shortcuts. Planning, safety and precision are your tools.” What shapes how I lead projects today is my overall understanding of what is required, starting my career onsite “on the tools” has provided me with a great platform and understanding. This allows me to be able to understand the full project life cycle from concept through design, construction, commissioning and handover.
💧 Biggest misconception about infrastructure? “It’s thinking that infrastructure is just engineering, or that more infrastructure automatically creates growth. What matters is selecting the right infrastructure. Infrastructure that takes time to develop properly, is reliable, resilient, adaptable, maintainable and affordable, meets customer needs and supports future growth.
🤝 Most underrated skill in project delivery? Personal relationships and responsive communication. Pick up the phone. Speak to people. Problems get solved quicker.
💧 Biggest myth about water engineering? That nobody notices it unless the tap stops running or the toilet stops flushing.
🌍 What’s one small change people could make to be more sustainable? Think practically. Small things done consistently across thousands of people make a bigger impact than most realise. Reduce waste, switch lights off, use what you need and think longer term.
🏗️ Site walk or office day or working from home? Site walk.
🚧 Biggest challenge on major programmes? Right people, correct decisions and that a collaborative team environment is established early.
⚡ Most important thing young engineers should learn early? Always ask questions and try to go to site as much as possible to understand construction methods.
📞 One thing that slows projects down fastest? “Poor leadership, communication and slow decision making.”
🏉 Leadership style? Inclusive, Collaborative, Authentic.
☀️ Early start or late finish? Early start.
Explore Ayesa’s Global Water Expertise
Ayesa Engineering is ranked among the world’s leading water engineering consultancies:
Top 10 globally in Desalination & Treatment
Top 20 globally in Water Supply
Discover more about our Water & Environment capabilities: https://ayesa-eng.com/en/sectors/water-environment/
Our aim is to safeguard our most precious asset: https://issuu.com/ayesagroup/docs/water_capability_brochure_may_2025_draft?fr=sNTY4ZDkxNzIzOTY
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