What does it take to move from carrying a toolkit on the London Underground to leading some of Britain’s most complex and closely scrutinised infrastructure organisations?

In this episode of Site Story, Colin Tomlinson speaks with Mark Thurston, Chief Executive Officer of Anglian Water and one of the UK infrastructure sector’s most experienced leaders.

Mark began his career as a 16-year-old technical apprentice before progressing through engineering, project management and executive leadership. His career has included senior roles connected with the London 2012 Olympic Games, Crossrail, CH2M and HS2. Today, he is helping Anglian Water navigate a period of significant infrastructure investment, technological change and regulatory reform.

This is an honest conversation about how careers actually develop, through strong foundations, trusted relationships, thoughtful risks and the confidence to step forward before you feel completely ready.

• Why Mark chose an apprenticeship rather than university
• The habits he developed while working as a young technician
• Why conscientiousness can be more valuable than academic brilliance
• How mentors and role models shaped Mark’s early career
• Why every professional needs support beyond their line manager
• What reverse mentoring can teach experienced executives
• How personal networks create unexpected career opportunities
• Why the London 2012 Olympic programme succeeded where other major projects struggle
• The difference between overt ambition and quiet self-belief
• How to become comfortable wearing the “cloak” of leadership
• What project managers should consider before stepping into bigger roles
• Why senior leadership can become lonely and why Mark still works with an executive coach
• How professionals can build a personal reputation without becoming self-promotional
• The role of technology, talent and infrastructure investment in Anglian Water’s future
• Why leaders must manage today’s performance while preparing an organisation for a future they may never personally oversee

Mark’s story is a reminder that extraordinary careers are often built from ordinary disciplines practised consistently over many years.

Resources:

Mark Thurston is an engineer and infrastructure leader with more than 30 years of experience. Before joining Anglian Water, he served as European Managing Director of CH2M and worked on major programmes including the London 2012 Olympics and Crossrail. From March 2017 to September 2023, he was Chief Executive Officer of HS2 Ltd.

Mark became Chief Executive Officer of Anglian Water in 2024. The organisation provides water and water recycling services to almost seven million people across the East of England and Hartlepool.

Connect with Mark

Mark Thurston’s official Anglian Water biography and the Anglian Water Group leadership page: https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/corporate/about-us/about-anglian-water/group-structure/our-board/mark-thurston

Follow Mark Thurston on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/markthurston

Organisations Mentioned

— London Underground apprenticeship programme
— London 2012 Olympic Games
— Crossrail
— CH2M
— HS2
— Anglian Water
— UCL Infrastructure MBA
— Executive coaching and reverse mentoring

Develop Your Construction Leaders

Explore practical project management and construction leadership development with Colin Tomlinson and 150CLD. Its training focuses on helping construction professionals think clearly, lead confidently and improve project performance.

Do you assume that spending more time with people automatically builds trust and stronger working relationships? What if the real challenge is learning how to understand people before trying to influence them?

In this episode of Site Story, host Colin Tomlinson sits down with Alina Lixandru, Associate Director for Complex Projects at Atkins, to explore the role of communication, trust, collaboration and leadership in major infrastructure projects. Drawing on her experience working across cultures, clients and complex programmes, Alina shares practical insights into building relationships that deliver results.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why trust became even more important during and after the pandemic
• The lessons learned from managing relationships in a hybrid working world
• How communication differs across cultures, clients and organisations
• Why speaking up is the first step towards becoming a better communicator
• The importance of understanding a client's challenges before proposing solutions
• Why one-size-fits-all approaches rarely work in complex projects
• How genuine curiosity helps create stronger professional relationships
• The role of adaptability in consultancy and project leadership
• Practical ways to establish trust quickly with new stakeholders
• Why successful collaboration starts with understanding people's motivations

A thoughtful conversation packed with practical leadership lessons for anyone managing clients, teams or complex projects.

What if the reason many men struggle to open up about mental health is because we're asking them in the wrong way?

In this episode, host Colin Tomlinson speaks with Anthony Hutton, founder of the Never Throw In The Towel project, former Big Brother winner, barber, keynote speaker, and mental health advocate. Anthony shares how his own experiences with fame, adversity, and personal challenges inspired him to create practical, male-focused approaches to mental wellbeing.

In this episode:

• Why traditional mental health campaigns often fail to engage men
• How a barber chair can become a safe space for life-changing conversations
• The power of storytelling in creating trust and connection
• Simple breathwork techniques to manage stress and anxiety
• Why walking side-by-side often leads to deeper conversations
• The importance of environment, community, and daily habits for mental wellbeing
• Practical advice for leaders wanting to support mental health within their teams
• The story behind the Never Throw In The Towel movement and its growing impact

A powerful conversation about resilience, vulnerability, leadership, and creating spaces where people feel safe enough to ask for help.

What happens when a decade away from the workplace becomes your greatest leadership advantage?

In this episode of Site Story, Colin Tomlinson sits down with Rachel Tomkins to explore her journey from the military to motherhood, and then back into the infrastructure industry through one of the UK’s first construction returnship programmes at Tideway.

Rachel shares how transferable skills, curiosity, leadership and resilience helped her rebuild a meaningful career after a 10-year career break — and why the industry is missing out if it overlooks people returning to work.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why returnship programmes can unlock hidden talent in infrastructure and engineering
• How Rachel transitioned from the Royal Engineers into major projects
• The reality of confidence, childcare and commuting after a long career break
• Why soft skills and leadership matter just as much as technical expertise
• The importance of mentoring and supportive workplace cultures
• What employers should look for beyond CVs and qualifications
• Why infrastructure projects offer a strong sense of purpose and fulfilment
• How diverse career experiences can strengthen project teams
• Lessons from Tideway’s pioneering returnship programme
• Why “taking the risk” on people often delivers the best long-term results

A powerful conversation about careers, confidence, leadership and creating opportunities for people who thought their professional chapter had closed.

What really causes billion-pound projects to fail - poor execution or poor leadership?

In this episode of Site Story, Colin Tomlinson sits down with Tim McManus, a global authority on mega project delivery, to explore what truly drives success in the world’s most complex builds.

From nuclear power plants to leading the delivery of the New England Patriots stadium, Tim shares practical insights from decades at the sharp end of construction, and why so many projects are set up to fail before they even begin.

You’ll discover why the planning phase is often rushed (and the cost of that mistake), how treating a project like a business changes decision-making, and why collaboration, not competition, is the real key to delivering results.

Tim also breaks down the four leadership mindsets every project leader must adopt, alongside the growing importance of digital transformation and developing the next generation of leaders in an industry under pressure.

If you’re involved in major projects, or aspiring to step up, this episode offers a clear, honest perspective on what needs to change.

Ever worked on a project where the design keeps evolving, and wondered why there isn’t a clearer plan from the start?This episode brings a more honest perspective to that question.

Colin Tomlinson sits down with Claire Dioszegi to explore what design work actually looks like in practice, especially in complex projects where not everything is known upfront.

Because the reality is, design doesn’t always come fully formed. It develops over time. And the people managing it are often learning, adapting, and making decisions as things unfold.

It's important to remember that’s not a flaw in the system, it is the system.

They talked about:

• Why not all design work starts with a complete plan, and why that’s expected
• How people grow into design management roles through experience
• What “figuring it out as you go” actually looks like in real projects
• The balance between moving forward and refining design at the same time
• Why evolving designs aren’t a sign something’s wrong
• How better understanding this process improves collaboration for everyone

Whether you work alongside design teams or within one, this conversation offers a clearer lens on what’s really happening behind the scenes. It's a practical conversation that normalises the reality of design, and helps teams work with it, not against it.

Resources

About the Guest Claire Dioszegi is a design project management expert with experience across complex infrastructure projects, known for her practical approach to navigating evolving designs and real-world delivery challenges. Connect with her on LinkedIn: Linkedinlinkedin.com/in/claire-dioszegi-mba-ceng-fice-2069b425

Are you about to invest in new software… but not 100% clear on the problem you're solving?

In this episode of Site Story, Colin Tomlinson sits down with James Dixon to unpack a common (and costly) mistake across construction and project delivery: buying technology before truly understanding the need.

With over a decade of experience across tier one contractors, SMEs, and client-side roles, James shares why even the best platforms fail... and what leaders should be doing first. More importantly than tools, this conversation is about clarity, culture, and making better decisions before the investment is made.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why most software fails before it’s even implemented
• What a “tech stack” actually means (without the jargon)
• The hidden cost of duplication and rekeying data across systems
• Why “show, don’t tell” should guide every software decision
• How unclear processes lead to poor tech outcomes
• The role of leadership in driving successful adoption
• Why fear of failure and culture matter more than the platform itself
• How to bring visibility and structure into the design phase
• Practical ways project managers can challenge and improve systems
• Why starting with the problem—not the software—is the only way to succeed

If you’re considering new tools, platforms, or digital solutions, this episode will help you avoid expensive mistakes and make smarter decisions from the start. Because the wrong question isn’t “what software should we buy?”, it’s “what problem are we solving?”

🔗 About The Guest:

James Dixon is a construction technology and process improvement specialist with experience across design, delivery, and client-side environments. He works with organisations to connect their systems, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure technology genuinely supports project delivery.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-dixon-mciob-63a22023/

Resources Mentioned

– Common Data Environments (CDEs)

– Workflow mapping and process design

– Digital construction tools and system integration

Want to make better decisions before your next tech investment? 👉 Discover how we help leaders and project teams improve performance at 150CLD—explore our training and resources today.

What do you do when the ground beneath your project is uncertain, the programme is tight, and everyone is relying on your decision?

In this episode, host Colin Tomlinson sits down with civil engineer Richard Croft to explore how professionals develop judgement in environments where perfect data simply doesn’t exist. From soil and groundwater engineering to leading teams in the Army and managing environmental remediation in Iraq, Richard shares lessons from a career built on navigating complexity.

This conversation explores how technical expertise, leadership, and self-awareness come together when real-world decisions have real consequences.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why engineering decisions often rely on judgement as much as calculations

• How military leadership training shaped Richard’s approach to decision-making and responsibility

• The fundamental differences between consulting and contracting business models

• Why projects fail when teams rely on assumptions instead of information

• The importance of investing in ground investigation early to avoid costly surprises later

• Lessons from managing environmental remediation on oil fields in Iraq

• How listening, coaching, and chaplaincy shaped Richard’s approach to leadership

• Why authentic careers are built around relationships, purpose, and curiosity

Ultimately, this episode is about learning to think clearly under uncertainty, and why the best professionals combine technical skill with wisdom gained through experience.