Sakthy Selvakumaran selected as one of the UK’s top young infrastructure professionals to sit on new advisory panel

The selection team was blown away by the quality of the short-listed candidates. It was tough choosing from over 500 fantastic entries, but in these sixteen young professionals we have a passionate and diverse group which I hope will inspire the Commission with their creative ideas about the UK’s future infrastructure needs.

Professor Sadie Morgan, Commissioner and chair of the YPP Selection Panel

Architects, engineers, designers and energy specialists from across the country are among the 16 founding members of the group chosen to help shape the UK’s infrastructure. The National Infrastructure Commission’s Young Professionals Panel, has been set up to inform the Commission’s work and give a strong voice to the infrastructure sector’s future leaders.

The National Infrastructure Commission is the independent body tasked with advising government on the UK’s long-term infrastructure.

Sakthy graduated with an engineering degree from Cambridge in 2010. She has worked as a civil and structural engineer in design consultancy, contracting and international development applications across multiple roles, continents and cultures. She has previously worked on developing new design solutions and technologies to change the way infrastructure is designed, constructed and maintained.  National Physical Laboratory and Laing O'Rourke are currently sponsoring her to do an Industrial Case PhD at the Department of Engineering, researching risk and resilience of infrastructure through remote measurement and monitoring of assets using radar satellites. She is a Chartered Civil Engineer and has been named on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list for Europe, and on a list of 30 under 30 for Manufacturing & Engineering by the UK Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. 

Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said:
“The Commission exists to identify what infrastructure the country needs up to 2050. So it’s right we give the next generation of infrastructure leaders a say in our work. I look forward to working with these young professionals, some of whom could end up designing and managing world-leading infrastructure built as a result of Commission recommendations.”

Professor Sadie Morgan, Commissioner and chair of the YPP Selection Panel, said:
“The selection team was blown away by the quality of the short-listed candidates. It was tough choosing from over 500 fantastic entries, but in these sixteen young professionals we have a passionate and diverse group which I hope will inspire the Commission with their creative ideas about the UK’s future infrastructure needs.”

Phil Graham, Chief Executive of the National Infrastructure Commission, said:
“An important aim for the Commission has always been to broaden our reach and find ways to engage new and different groups in our work. The Young Professionals Panel is a fantastic example of this bringing together talented individuals from different professions, backgrounds and regions to provide fresh perspectives on the country’s infrastructure challenges.” 

The Commission launched this initiative in December 2017 to find the brightest and the best of the UK’s infrastructure professionals to inform its work. Part of its role is to be open to new approaches and ideas and the Panel exists to draw on the creativity and enthusiasm of young professionals from a wide range of sectors who are building their careers.