DOUGALL Baillie Associates (DBA) has promoted three colleagues to the role of associate in its civil engineering and structural engineering departments.
The move comes as the East Kilbride-based company – which recently marked its 40th anniversary and concluded a management buyout by directors Scott MacPhail, Alan Ferns, and Stuart Harrow – continues to invest in developing its people.
Mr MacPhail said, “As a registered training provider with the Institution of Civil Engineers, DBA supports employees working towards Engineering Technician (EngTech), Incorporated (IEng), and Chartered Engineer (CEng) qualifications.
“Encouraging colleagues to become qualified and, thereafter, to grow and expand their expertise within the firm is part of our corporate DNA and with these promotions, we are delighted to acknowledge the professional development of our three new associates.”
The trio comprises Nicola Hill in structural engineering, and Paul Ross and Iain Ryrie in the company’s civil engineering department.
Nicola Hill, 32, from East Kilbride, a University of Strathclyde graduate with a master’s degree in structural & architectural engineering, is a chartered member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Structural Engineers Registration (SER) certifier of design.
She joined DBA as a graduate in 2015 and credits the company’s flexible approach, working four days per week since returning from maternity leave in 2023, for helping her achieve a balance between her professional ambitions and family life with her young son.
Iain Ryrie, 37, originally from Ayrshire, is a BSc (Hons) graduate in environmental civil engineering and joined DBA nine years ago. He aims to continue developing in a senior leadership role, supporting the company’s growth in new sectors, and mentoring junior staff to help them fulfil their potential.
His biggest challenges include balancing technical oversight with commercial and managerial demands and adapting to evolving regulations and new technologies such as AI.
Paul Ross, 36, originally from Barrhead, a chartered engineer and member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, joined DBA in 2015 after eight years as a site engineer.
Paul identifies addressing the national housing crisis and navigating new planning policies such as NPF4 as key challenges for the industry. He and his team at DBA work at the forefront of delivering sustainable, socially responsible, and economically viable solutions to help clients bring forward much-needed housing sites.
As new associates, they join highly accomplished transport department associate Colin Weir, 39, a BEng in Civil Engineering with project management from the University of the West of Scotland and an MSc in transport planning and engineering from Edinburgh Napier University, who is also is a member of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation.
A DBA professional for 20 years, Colin is dedicated to maintaining the department’s strong reputation and mentoring the next generation of staff. His focus includes improving sustainable transport solutions and adapting to evolving regulations and technologies.
Mr MacPhail continued, “Our associates are the backbone of our operations and collectively, we hope, form the next cohort to run our business in the future.
“Each is a consummate, proven professional with deep-rooted technical capability in their respective disciplines, and their lengthy period of service with DBA is a reflection, I believe, of our exceptionally high staff retention rate and a collaborative, encouraging environment.”
