Team

Dominic O’Donnell

Managing Director

Dom began his career as a parliamentary aide to an MP and former minister. Since then he has developed a particular expertise in helping clients to navigate complex and controversial issues across the transport, energy and infrastructure sectors. Dom created Infrastructure Matters with a specific purpose in mind: to help public and private sector organisations manage political and stakeholder risks during the early stages of major infrastructure schemes.

Frances Fernandes

Managing Director

Frances leads our Consents Advisory practice, helping clients navigate the NSIP consenting process. Frances was the youngest registered Commissioner at the Infrastructure Planning Commission, and has subsequently chaired teams of Examining Inspectors at the Planning Inspectorate, assessing DCO applications of the UK’s most complex projects. More recently, Frances has been advising Government on proposed changes to the NSIP regime. A talented entrepreneur, Frances also co-founded a successful last mile logistics company. She is a Chartered Member of the RTPI and a Design Council Expert.

Sarah Alexander

Director

Sarah combines skills in stakeholder engagement, communications and issues management. She helped to develop the stakeholder engagement and communications strategies for the development phase of the Lower Thames Crossing project, and most recently has been working on MP engagement and building business advocacy for the project. Previously, Sarah worked with the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources in Melbourne where she developed and implemented communications strategies for new transport projects.

Robert Laird

Director

Robbie is a communications specialist with a background spanning stakeholder engagement, political advocacy and crisis and reputation management. In his role as Director, Robbie leads on devising strategies and advising clients on how to build support and highlight key messages on complex projects across strategic land, residential development, transport and energy. Prior to joining IM, Robbie was Associate Director at a public relations agency working primarily on planning communications across multiple sectors in the built environment, and prior to this was part of the in-house public affairs team for one of the world’s largest energy companies. Robbie was previously an elected councillor and has been active in political campaigning for 15 years.

Jay Francis

Associate Director

Jay is an engagement consultant with over a decade’s experience of stakeholder and community relations, advocacy and campaigning. He is passionate about collaborating to deliver excellence for the benefit of interested and impacted parties. He has developed and delivered communications and engagement strategies for multi-billion-pound road and rail projects. Recently Jay has been leading on upskilling local businesses to form part of the supply chain for the Lower Thames Crossing

David Birchall

Associate

David draws on his forty years of experience in identifying, acquiring and managing large national portfolios of strategic land to provide strategic advice to IM on its portfolio of clients across the sector. David has held a number of senior industry roles including as Managing Director of Miller Strategic Land and a member of its Miller’s Executive Board, following roles as MD of Centex Strategic Land, and previously as National Strategic Land Director at Beazer Homes and Persimmon Homes. For many years David was also an active member of the Home Builders Federation Planning committee, representing the housebuilding industry at a ministerial level on key issues affecting the sector.

Bronte Clark

Account Director

Bronte is a communications and stakeholder engagement professional with diverse experience in the delivery of major infrastructure projects for both the private and public sectors. Most recently, Bronte worked on a major tunnelling project in Melbourne where she gained extensive knowledge in building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders and community members in sensitive areas. Bronte is currently working as a Consultation Specialist on National Highways’ Lower Thames Crossing Project.

Claire Arnold

Account Director

Claire is a communications and engagement consultant with experience in delivering high profile projects for public and private sector clients across the transport, infrastructure and defence sectors. Previously, Claire worked on a multi-billion-dollar orbital rail link project in Melbourne, where she helped to develop strategy, prepare communication materials and deliver engagement with key stakeholders, residents and businesses across the rail alignment. She is currently working on stakeholder engagement for the Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro (CAM).

Eden Musyoki

Account Director

Eden is a communications and engagement specialist who excels in building positive stakeholder relationships and developing strategies and powerful narratives to build advocacy and support for infrastructure projects. Eden is currently working for the National Highways’ Lower Thames Crossing Project leading on business engagement and the levelling up agenda. He also provides strategic communications advice to a major heritage restoration programme.

Owen Stratford

Account Director

Owen is an experienced public affairs and political campaigns professional. After starting his career working in party political campaigns in the North East, he has since worked in a number of public affairs roles, most recently as a Campaigns and Political Advisor at an agency specialising in UK devolution. At IM, he advises public and private sector clients such as the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, National Highways, and a prominent online retailer. Owen is also a key member of the IM Political Intelligence team.

Lydia Thacker

Account Director

Lydia has a wealth of built environment experience from major infrastructure projects to residential developments and has worked on a number of contentious projects including the Westminster Regeneration scheme and Heathrow Expansion. She has also led on the delivery of strategic messaging and consultations for southern RIS3 projects at National Highways. Lydia has extensive experience in delivering tailored engagement strategies to achieve successful planning applications.

Billy Greening

Senior Account Manager

Billy is a trusted politics, public affairs and communications adviser with experience working within local and national government, and major infrastructure projects. He has an infectious personality and enjoys building relationships and providing strategic advice on projects that make a difference in people’s lives. Billy has worked on strategies for road, rail and utility projects of national importance as well as working closely with central government on the levelling up agenda. He is also an elected Councillor in West Sussex.

Chelsea Heathcote

Account Manager

Chelsea is a communications and engagement professional with experience working on various transport, water, property and emergency response projects for a range of local and state government, and private sector clients in Australia.

Prior to joining Infrastructure Matters, Chelsea was a Southern Program Alliance Communications Advisor on Victoria Government’s City Loop Upgrade project. During this time, Chelsea worked on-site within the delivery team providing strategic advice, and managing the development and delivery of stakeholder, community and trader engagement activities and communication materials.

Daniel Lamb

Account Executive

Daniel is a public affairs and communications professional. He is skilled at building and managing relationships with key stakeholders and has excellent interpersonal skills. Before joining the Infrastructure Matters team, he worked for a well-respected MP with a focus on stakeholder management, speech writing and media work. Daniel is a confident, collaborative consultant who prides himself on his ability to create connections with stakeholders and colleagues and his expert knowledge of political parties, which equips him to advocate for his clients.

Jack Sloan

Account Executive

Jack is a public affairs and engagement professional with experience in providing political insight and creating engagement strategies for clients across a broad range of sectors. He is currently supporting our national advocacy work for the Lower Thames Crossing as well as several property portfolios including a major solar farm, a hotel proposal and several housing developments.

Elliott Hale

DCO Planning Specialist

Poulomee Basu

DCO Planning Specialist

Poulomee is a town planning professional with over 13 years’ experience in town planning, urban development and sustainability, in the UK and India. She has an innate understanding of legislative, procedural and political complexities associated with multifaceted planning and infrastructure projects. Poulomee considers preparation of, management and delivery of Development Consent Orders (DCO) her specialisation and has worked on projects such as Wylfa Newydd Nuclear Power Station and the Lower Thames Crossing.

Katherine McKay

Graphics Specialist