Nigel Foster

In May 2023, Hydrock expanded its expertise with the acquisition of Fore, a 20-strong transport and strategic planning consultancy founded in Leeds.

Nigel Foster, is a director and co-founder of Fore, with over 40 years’ experience in transport. His experience spans a diverse range of private and public sector clients, both in the UK and internationally.

Nigel excels at overseeing the long-term planning of strategic transport investments, collaborating closely with key national and local stakeholders. This has led to cultivating close relationships with government agencies such as Network Rail, HS2 and National Highways, as well as a range of mayoral combined authorities and local councils.

He is the chair of the Leeds Transport Expert Panel on behalf of Leeds City Council, and was instrumental in supporting the planning and delivery Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme, that has transformed future mobility in the city. He is also chair of the Bradford Southern Gateway partnership, a major regeneration and transport initiative across 144 ha of the south side of the city centre.

Nigel is chair of the advisory board, at the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds demonstrating a long-term commitment to excellence and continuous growth in the industry and, he is a member of the advisory board for Coventry University’s campus in Scarborough.

His dedication to community involvement is demonstrated by his roles with the Leeds Inclusive Growth Partnership and as a non-executive director of Ahead Partnership, a social enterprise focused on skills development in young people and economic regeneration, and as a member of University Council at the University of Leeds for over a decade, sitting on the strategy and investment and audit and risk committees.