June 2022 saw the opening of a new Soben office in Australia. This is the fourth office in the APAC region for the fast-expanding construction consultancy, following on from those in India, Sri Lanka, and Singapore.
Among Soben’s clients in the region are major data centre players, tier 1 contractors, and an Australian utility company with a billion-dollar utility program to procure.
“This is a fast-moving region, things are changing every week,” said Soben’s APAC CEO Andrew Murie who is looking to double or even triple his team over the next six months. “Our expansion plan is to move as quickly as possible to service our client’s requirements, whilst maintaining the highest standards.”
Murie joined Soben six months ago to spearhead its expansion into APAC, bringing with him 30 years’ experience in the construction sector, 20 of those at senior management level. He has worked in sectors including transport, infrastructure, oil & gas and nuclear, for major companies both in Australia and the UK.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me, to work across such a vast region with so many diverse cultures, opportunities and clients, and to grow our business to meet the different needs of the different regions,” added Murie. “It allows us to put back into local economies by recruiting and training local people, which is a big passion of mine and Soben’s.”
Murie’s move from Singapore to Soben’s office in Brisbane marks a return to the city where he had previously headed up the commercial team for a tier 1 contractor. The next move for Soben in APAC will be to open more offices in the region including North-East Asia.
Soben’s growth in the APAC region is part of a wider global expansion program. In April 2021 it launched its North American office, headquartered in Chicago and serving customers in the United States, Mexico and Chile.
Soben founder and group CEO Scott Smyth commented: “It is really important for us to establish offices and bases in the countries where our customers need us to be. Asia Pacific is one of the most exciting regions due to its sheer size and the fast pace of growth there.”
To find out more about Soben’s APAC operation, contact [email protected]
