Dr Brian McConnell
Consultant
Almondsbury, Bristol
BSc, PhD
Brian retired as CEO of Hydrock in May 2024 as Hydrock was acquired by Stantec.
Prior to this, Brian was Chief Executive and founder of Hydrock, leading the growth of the business for 29 years into a highly-respected national brand in the energy, sustainability and engineering consultancy sector in the built environment.
His leadership approach has always been to lead from the front, treating everyone the same regardless of their position in the business and to encourage a one-team approach where everyone works together for the greater good. This approach was reflected in the company’s 10 values, created by Brian in 1996 and as relevant today as they were when he first wrote them.
Brian promoted Hydrock’s purpose to be a ‘force for good’, where the company makes a positive contribution to the people who work there, to the communities Hydrock works in, to society generally and to the planet. He established a culture in the business that has made Hydrock a regular for 15 years in the Best Companies to Work For listings.
Brian took a hands-on role in leading our delivery in the logistics, distribution and industrial sectors, and has strong relationships with the senior teams within all our clients in this important sector.
As an advocate of innovation and energy transformation, Brian has always had a close interest in the nuclear sector and was formerly chairman of the Nuclear Industry Association New Build Group.
