AECOM appoints Andy Thorne as Client Director, Defence, UK & Europe

AECOM announced today that it has appointed Andy Thorne as Client Director, Defence, UK & Europe.

A British Army veteran with over 30 years of experience, Andy Thorne (above) will be responsible for maintaining and developing AECOM’s long-standing relationship with the UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). 

Among Andy’s responsibilities during his 33-year military career was serving as an Infrastructure Programme Director, delivering several strategic infrastructure projects for the British Army and Royal Air Force, including elements of the Defence Estates Optimisation Programme, the Vehicle Storage and Support Programme and the Royal Air Force’s construction at MoD Lyneham.

His most recent role saw him as the Chief of Staff and Head of Portfolio at the Defence College of Technical Training, where he was responsible for delivering the headquarters function across four technical training schools and outsourcing future training to meet Strategic Defence Review outcomes.

Ed Robinson, Head of Defence, UK, Europe and India, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Andy Thorne to AECOM. The defence sector is undergoing significant investment across the UK and Europe. Andy’s extensive programme and project management experience means he is perfectly placed to support our clients as they translate these ambitions into deliverables, efficiently and at pace. He has proven ability of building strong relationships, which will help AECOM to support our clients as they work to strengthen defence capabilities.” 

Andy Thorne, Client Director, Defence, UK & Europe, AECOM said: “The successful delivery of critical infrastructure programmes in the defence sector depends on building strong relationships and fostering genuine collaboration. A key priority and a personal passion of mine, will be bringing together the right mix of skills to help us deliver on the UK Government’s ambitions. I am thrilled to be joining AECOM and look forward to leveraging its breadth of global expertise and digital capabilities to deliver the very best outcomes for our clients and for the industry as a whole.” 

AECOM is one of the UK MoD’s and US Department of Defense’s (DoD) leading infrastructure and programme delivery partners. AECOM is currently delivering the Catterick Integrated Care Campus, a first-of-its-kind MoD/National Health Service integrated healthcare facility. The company is engaged across Europe with US Visiting Forces and provides support to governments and their defence suppliers in the region. AECOM has supported the US DoD mission in Europe for more than 30 years, providing comprehensive master planning, architecture, engineering, and environmental services across the region.

Andy’s appointment follows a number of recent senior hires in AECOM’s Europe and India defence team, including Ed Robinson, Head of Defence, UK, Europe & India and Graham Hall, Client Director, Defence, UK & Europe, who both joined the business in 2025.