HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in May 2024

News

HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in May 2024

A warm welcome to HKA. We are a diverse global team, and our culture is collaborative, honest, transparent, and high performing.

Thank you for joining HKA, a great place for our brilliant people to work, grow and play. Good luck to you and we hope you enjoy being yourself with us.

We understand joining a new company is exciting, yet can also be challenging. As you start a new chapter in your career with us at HKA, please look after your mental and physical health and well-being. Always reach out if you need any help.

Enjoy.

Kate Wood, Partner, Chief People Officer


Veronique Chauveau, Principal
Dallas, TX, USA

Veronique Chauveau joins HKA as a Principal with over 25 years of experience in fraud investigations, forensic accounting, data mining, and analysis, with a focus on litigation advisory and business disputes.

Click here to learn more about Veronique.


Steven Coleman, Partner, People Business Partnering, Americas
New York, NY, USA

Steven Coleman is a People and human resources leader with experience designing, implementing, and scaling people programs that drive sustainable growth. He has worked primarily in the professional services industry and has previously worked at FTI Consulting, Accenture, and Avanade. His People and HR functional expertise is broad and spans the employee life cycle from people hiring and onboarding to employee learning and development, engagement, total reward, retention, and offboarding.

Steven is a passionate advocate of diversity and of creating a culture of respect and belonging. Outside of work, you can find Steven raising puppies for the visually impaired, spending time with his family, trying out a new recipe, playing strategy board games, or singing in a cappella chorus. 


Brad Dragoon, Director
New York, NY, USA

Brad Dragoon joins HKA as a Director with more than a decade of experience in business intelligence, fraud investigations, anti-money laundering, sanctions and export controls, and anti-bribery and corruption compliance.

Click here to learn more about Brad.


Jae Ellis, Principal, Business Development
Dallas, TX, USA

Jae Ellis joins HKA as a Business Development Principal with more than twenty-five years of experience. Jae creates and nurtures relationships with partners in global and regional law firms as well as general counsel and heads of litigation for major corporations.

Click here to learn more about Jae.


Jon Enser, Senior Manager, Data Strategy and Analytics
Las Vegas, NV, USA

Jon Enser has 20 years of experience guiding solutions for managing capital infrastructure programs, specializing in program/project software implementation, business intelligence, and data analytics. As senior manager of data strategies & analytics at HKA Technology, he partners with organizations to develop and implement strategies that transform data assets into actionable insights, driving informed decision making and organizational growth.

Jon previously held various roles at the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), including business intelligence program manager, PMWeb product owner, and program controls & analytics manager, where he led the implementation of multiple system and business intelligence solutions. Prior to CDOT, Jon was a management consultant implementing capital infrastructure programs, with respective teams, systems, and analytics, for a variety of organizations.


Parth Javia, Associate Consultant
Mississauga, ON, Canada

Parth Javia is a graduate Civil Engineer and Project Management Professional with over 5 years of experience in the construction industry. He has experience in technical as well as project management positions with government and private sector clients focusing on infrastructure development projects. He has worked on rail transit, wastewater, mining, institutional and commercial projects including projects on remote and rural locations.

Parth has also worked with HKA during his internship term assisting in various complex mandates for Delay Analysis and Claims. He is passionate about his field and makes sure to serve the best in the projects he takes up on.


Andra Lim, Associate Consultant
Singapore

Andra Lim joins the HKA Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages Team as an Associate Consultant in the Singapore office. She graduated from National University of Singapore with a degree in Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy) with Honours, with a specialisation in Finance.

Through prior internships, she has gained experience on various projects in the quantification of financial damages related to business interruption claims and loss of profit disputes. She is passionate in growing professionally in her field and looks forward to applying her skills and knowledge to contribute effectively to the team’s projects and client engagements.


Jeff Matthews, Partner
Dallas, TX, USA

Jeff Matthews has nearly 30 years of experience in financial investigations, forensic accounting, and litigation support for the nation’s top law firms, Fortune 100 legal departments, and government investigative agencies. As a financial expert in corruption and white-collar criminal cases, as well as multi-jurisdictional business disputes, he has testified in multiple civil and criminal matters at the state and federal levels and is a qualified FINRA Arbitrator.

Click here to learn more about Jeff.


Richard McKenzie-Browne, Director
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Richard McKenzie-Browne is an MBA-qualified infrastructure specialist with a proven track record of success in leading commercial, procurement, and programme management teams in both public and private infrastructure sectors.

Click here to learn more about Richard.



Melyana Melyana, Principal
Dallas, TX, USA

Melyana Melyana joins HKA as a Principal with nearly two decades of experience in fraud investigations, forensic accounting, data mining and analysis, litigation support, and business valuation.

Click here to learn more about Melyana.


Raben Moodley, Managing Consultant
Johannesburg, South Africa

Raben Moodley is an accomplished Project Planner with over 15 years of professional working experience in the engineering, procurement, construction, and management environments. He is recognised for aligning project schedules with the Bill of Quantities to simplify claims and reduce disputes. Specialty in creating detailed level 5 schedules for accurate hourly activities needed for high-risk shutdowns. Raben graduated with a National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, majoring in Fluid Mechanics, Mechanics of Machines, and Applied Mathematics through Durban University of Technology in 2010, and recently completed a Professional Diploma in Forensic Schedule Analysis through the College of Contract Management UK.


Khethelo Ndawonde, Managing Consultant
Johannesburg, South Africa

Khethelo Ndawonde is a quantity surveyor with 10 years of experience in the construction industry. She has worked as a site quantity surveyor in general building, civil, and mechanical (HVAC). Khethelo has good knowledge of contracts and an excellent understanding of quantum. She has experience in contract management, including day-to-day contract monitoring, contract administration, subcontractor management, drafting, and quantifying claims. She also has experience in assessing quantum for purposes of determining entitlement.


Mbalenhle Ndweni, Consultant
Johannesburg, South Africa

Mbalenhle Ndweni is a quantity surveyor with over 6 years of experience in the construction and engineering industry. She has worked in numerous industries, including oil and gas, building construction, and civil engineering, where she prepared interim claims during the project’s construction stage and estimated and priced electrical work and building works. Furthermore, she has experience in measuring and compiling bills of quantities, estimating and compiling project budgets, cost management, and cash flow reports during the construction stage. She also has experience working with NEC and JBCC. 


Siena Rainsford, Office Assistant
London, UK

Siena previously worked as a membership assistant at high profile creative arts private members club, Siena has experience in business support and administration, she is excited to utilize her skills and grow within HKA


Nicole Reyna, Senior Implementation Consultant
Sacramento, CA, USA

Nicole Reyna joins our San Diego office as a Senior Implementation Consultant for the HKA Tech team. Her previous experience includes three years in project management within the energy and sustainability sector, and 13 years at the San Diego International Airport, where she specialized in high-profile airport and residential construction.


Chad Salsbery, Partner
Chicago, IL, USA

Chad Salsbery will assist in expanding the firm’s Intellectual Property practice. He has over 25 years of experience in matters related to commercial damages, financial valuations, bankruptcy, insurance claims, government contracts, and construction claims.

Click here to learn more about Chad.


Kgotso Sebola, Consultant
Johannesburg, South Africa

Kgotso Sebola is a Junior Quantity Surveyor with over 2 years of experience, predominately in the mining and construction industry. She began her vacation work with Turner and Townsend in March 2019 up until December 2019. During this program, she learnt how to plan, control, implement, and monitor all on-site weekly activities through learning the basic principles of Cost Estimating, Bills of Quantities, importing data from one software to another, and quantifying. The vacation work assisted her immensely in gaining insight into the industry and the profession.


Neliswa Tilese, Consultant
Johannesburg, South Africa

Neliswa Tilese has over 7 years of experience in the construction built environment, working as a Quantity Surveyor and Construction Project Coordinator. She has been involved in public and commercial building projects. Neliswa has extensive experience in cost management including developing tender documents, pricing of tender documents, balancing of boq, exercising value engineering, and compiling monthly project valuations. She has comprehensive knowledge of construction contracts such as JBCC, FIDIC, and GCC.


Meet more of our talented experts.

Looking for your next career move?

HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in March and April 2024

News

HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in March and April 2024

A warm welcome to HKA. We are a diverse global team, and our culture is collaborative, honest, transparent, and high performing.

Thank you for joining HKA, a great place for our brilliant people to work, grow and play. Good luck to you and we hope you enjoy being yourself with us.

We understand joining a new company is exciting, yet can also be challenging. As you start a new chapter in your career with us at HKA, please look after your mental and physical health and well-being. Always reach out if you need any help.

Enjoy.

Kate Wood, Partner, Chief People Officer


Jonathan Brabant-Caya, Associate Consultant
Montreal, Canada

Jonathan Brabant-Caya joins the Montreal office as an Associate Consultant after receiving a bachelor’s degree of Construction Engineering from the École de technologie supérieure in Montreal. He has gained experience through internships on various construction projects in design and construction supervision.

Jonathan has accumulated construction site experience through work supervision internships as well as a carpenter, which gives him a global view of projects. He is truly passionate about his field and aims to contribute to the HKA team’s goals.


Lynsey Bromley, Principal
Dubai, UAE

Click here to learn more about Lynsey.


Alex Cruttwell, Principal
London, UK

Click here to learn more about Alex.


Christopher Decker, Principal
London, UK

Click here to learn more about Chris.


Rahul Devani, Associate Consultant
Mississauga, ON, Canada

Rahul Devani has as an Associate Consultant in the Construction Claims department. Rahul Devani is a Civil Engineer from India. After obtaining Bachelor of Engineering – Civil Engineering Degree from Gujarat Technological University (GTU), Rahul has worked in the field of construction as a Site Supervisor for two years, supervising and managing various residential and commercial construction projects across Gujarat, India.

Rahul moved to Canada in 2022 for further education where he recently completed his Postgraduate in Construction Project Management from Lambton College. During the last term (Co-op Term) of post-graduation program, Rahul worked as an intern with HKA in the Construction Claims Department, and after graduating from Lambton college, continued to work as an intern for two more terms with HKA. During his term as an intern at HKA, Rahul has assisted on various mandates across Canada which include working on Construction Delay Analysis and Construction Forensic Analysis.


Erald Kahmann, Associate Director
Rotterdam, Netherlands

Erald joins HKA’s new office in Rotterdam, Netherlands as an Associate Director. Erald holds an M.Sc. in Geotechnical/Civil Engineering from Delft University of Technology and has over 20 years’ of experience on international construction projects in various sectors, of which the last decade has been predominantly focused on Offshore Wind. He is a member of FIDIC’s Task Group 14 working on the development of a new Book for Offshore (Wind) projects.

Erald is currently studying for an LLM in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution with the aim of broadening his knowledge of legal principles and bridge the gap between the legal and technical matters underlying the project he works on.

Click here to learn more about HKA’s strengthened presence in the Benelux region.


Tyler Koch, Senior Associate Consultant
Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Tyler graduated from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh with majors in Accounting and Finance. He started his career in public accounting as an auditor. His last position was within the strategic finance team at a publicly traded manufacturing company.


Jeff Kuehn, Director
Philadelphia, PA, USA

Click here to learn more about Jeff.



Martin Leatham, Principal
Singapore

Click here to learn more about Martin.


Colin McKay, Senior Associate Consultant
San Francisco, CA

Colin McKay is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of California. He joins the San Francisco Office FACD practice after completing several years in the audit and assurance practice at Deloitte.

Colin has experience leading multi-national teams of professionals to conduct financial statement and internal control audits for public and private companies. He has also worked on multiple ad hoc SEC filings such as IPOs, reverse mergers, and secondary equity offerings.


Terri Meech, Senior Credit Controller
Warrington, UK

Terri Meech joins our Daresbury office having gained over 10 years’ experience in transactional finance in various locations within the UK and Australia. During this time, Terri has worked in various industries including healthcare, legal and financial services and intends to use the skills she has developed to drive process improvement and colleague collaboration.


David Michaelis, Executive Consultant
Seattle, WA, USA

David Michaelis has joined the HKA Forensic Technical Services team and is based out of the Seattle office.  He is a Professional Engineer (Civil) in the state of Oregon and has over 40 years of experience in Construction Project Management and in Change Management. 

David has helped manage the construction of a wide variety of construction projects, including heavy civil, building, industrial, and natural resource projects.  His work has included both governmental and private industry projects, across North America and around the world.


Kenosi Mokolobate, Associate Director
Johannesburg, South Africa

Kenosi Mokolobate is an Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, a professional Project Manager, and a graduate engineer with a Master of Science in Aeronautics degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (USA). He has over 18 years of project management experience in utilities, mining, construction, engineering, and aviation industries. He specialises in projects, particularly their construction.

Kenosi has vast experience in dealing with infrastructure projects as well as projects concerning energy and other industrial plants. He is a specialist in construction and engineering law with the advantage of extensive experience in the negotiation and drafting of construction contracts and project agreements, as well as dealing with any disputes should they arise in the performance of the contracts. He is a Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators and has conducted arbitration proceedings in South Africa on commercial disputes, representing lessors in lease agreements.


Darren Mullins, Partner
Dubai, UAE

Click here to learn more about Darren.


Juan Francisco Nasser, Partner
Madrid, Spain

Click here to learn more about Juan Francisco.


Gareth Neill, Senior Consultant
Johannesburg, South Africa

Gareth Neill is a Senior Consultant with twelve years of experience in the mining, smelting, engineering, and infrastructure construction sectors. He is an energetic, diligent, and goal-driven individual. Gareth has a BSC: Quantity Surveying Honours Degree, which he acquired whilst employed full-time. His quality of work and ability to build lasting relationships with all stakeholders speak for themselves. He leads by example through persistent professional conduct and a constant drive to better understand, learn, challenge, teach, and mentor. He thrives on finding solutions to everyday challenges and adds value to any project through his willingness to go the extra mile. Gareth is often recognised by clients and colleagues as the first point of contact in the workplace, due to his proven ability to deliver a tailored service, sound professional opinion, and achieve desired outcomes. He has a keen interest in construction contracts, claims, and commercial management.


Tshiamo Nkomo, Consultant
Johannesburg, South Africa

Tshiamo Nkomo is a Quantity Surveyor with more than 7 years of experience in the Engineering and Built Environment. She has worked on projects in 8 out of 9 provinces in South Africa. Tshiamo has worked in Consulting Quantity Surveying firms and Construction firms which elevated her experience with analysing and managing claims and disputes. Her involvement in vast projects afforded her the opportunity to work with Electrical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Wet Services, Fire Engineers, and Civil Engineering, reviewing priced bills of quantities, claims, and payment certificates for each discipline.


Emma Pachon, Legal Counsel
Philadelphia, PA, USA

Emma Pachon joins HKA in Philadelphia as Legal Counsel. She has experience in corporate and mergers and acquisitions and has advised multinational companies and privately held businesses on a range of corporate transactional matters. She has gained varied experience through her prior work at a large, Philadelphia-based law firm, as well as a smaller, boutique law firm.


Lucia Palova, Billing Analyst
Warrington, UK

Lucia is an experienced Billing Analyst with 8 years of experience in finance, billing within hospitality and the retail sector. She has successfully completed two years of AAT studies and plans to pursue further qualifications in the future. Lucia is thrilled to be a part of HKA and is looking forward to her personal and professional growth.


Simona Pricopi, Risk and Compliance Manager
Birmingham, UK

With a background in the engineering inspection industry and facilities management, Simona brings her expertise to HKA as a Risk & Compliance Manager, boasting over six years of dedicated experience in the realms of compliance and organizational adherence to legal and ethical standards. Having also achieved a law degree, Simona possesses a comprehensive skill set and understanding of legislation and regulations. Her qualification as a lead auditor further enhances her capabilities, allowing her to proficiently assess risks and fortify compliance frameworks.


Hussain Salim, Lead Consultant
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Hussain Salim is an MSc degree-qualified quantity surveyor with a decade of experience in the construction industry. His expertise spans various major projects in contrasting global markets. Hussain has taken on various roles throughout the project lifecycle, including those of a cost manager and contract administrator. He has extensive experience with the NEC 3 & 4 form of contracts, such as Option A (Fixed), C (Target), E (Reimbursable), and PSC, as well as a proven ability to manage FIDIC Red Book 1999 contract.


Leon Sikiotis, Managing Consultant
Dubai, UAE

Leon Sikiotis joins the Advisory practice as Managing Consultant. He recently relocated from Australia to the UAE and will be based in Dubai.

Leon is a consulting and advisory professional who specialises in ensuring the successful and strategic delivery of infrastructure and capital projects across both government and private sectors. His practical experience enables him to understand, from the ground up, the challenges and risks faced in the delivery of infrastructure projects.

Leon has a master’s degree in construction management and a bachelor’s degree in psychology; complementing his practical expertise and leaving him well-equipped to provide both pragmatic and strategic solutions to clients.


Amnish Sohal, Office and Finance Administrator
Calgary, AL, Canada

Before joining HKA, Amnish gained valuable administration experience from her roles at an executive search firm and retail. Amnish holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a certificate in international business management. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family and enjoys engaging in the fun activities with her son, Sahib.


Yahya Soliman, Asociate Director
Dubai, UAE

Yahya Soliman joins the FACD practice as Associate Director and is based in Dubai.

Yahya previously worked for Ankura Consulting, Baker Tilly and Deloitte. He has a decade of experience, specialising in complex valuations and assessment of damages in both contentious and non-contentious matters. Yahya’s background spans areas including insurance, power generation, petrochemical and mining, hospitality and retail.

Yahya has an MSc in professional accountancy and a BA (Hons) in accounting & finance. He is also a fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (FCCA).


Faye Spriggs, Senior Credit Controller
Warrington, UK

Having recently joined the Finance department within HKA’s Daresbury office, Faye has worked within credit control & collections for almost 15 years, having gained valuable experience in credit control, finance, negotiations with a focus on great customer service. Faye has worked in industries such as legal, private, and educational services and is looking forward to bringing her experience and knowledge to HKA and being a part of the team.


Tahlia Stephens, Business Support Administrator
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Tahlia Stephens joins the HKA Sydney office as a Business Support Administrator for APAC. They have spent the past two years working in the high-end, Passivhaus and Sustainable Custom Build homes in marketing & administration.

Tahlia has previously worked in high-level horse-riding coaching and competed for 8 years in various English disciplines, this has taken them to 93 countries across the world.


Sindhuja Sundar, Consultant
Dubai, UAE

Sindhuja joins the FACD practice as consultant and is based in Dubai.

Sindhuja is a chartered certified accountant with over three years of experience in the accounting & auditing industry. She has worked on multiple large-scale investigations across the Middle East region and is knowledgeable in areas concerning investigative financial analysis, email and phone reviews, forensic and police report writing, investigative interviewing, and litigation support.

Sindhuja has also provided forensic support on audits, fraud risk management, whistleblowing hotlines, AML & Compliance, corporate intelligence, external audits, and mergers & acquisitions. With a keen eye for detail and her background in accountancy, she has provided solutions surrounding litigations, investigations into embezzlements, corruption, asset theft, bullying & harassment, and procurement malpractice. 


Nicole Tsang, Assistant Financial Accountant
Warrington, UK

Nicole Tsang has over 15 years of experience in the accounting industry, working in auditing, financial reporting and management accounting.

She received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. She joins the Warrington office as an Assistant Financial Accountant.


Charlotte Ward, Associate Director
London, UK

Charlotte Ward is an Associate Director in the FACD team based in London. She is a chartered accountant and has 11 years of accounting experience, specialising in the provision of forensic accounting and financial investigations since 2015.

Charlotte routinely manages and interrogates large volumes of financial data and is responsible for drafting expert reports in the context of mediations, determinations, tribunal and court proceedings. She has worked across various sectors both nationally and internationally and has been responsible for project managing multi-disciplinary teams from across advisory service lines.


Meet more of our talented experts.

Looking for your next career move?

HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in February 2024

News

HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in February 2024

A warm welcome to HKA. We are a diverse global team, and our culture is collaborative, honest, transparent, and high performing.

Thank you for joining HKA, a great place for our brilliant people to work, grow and play. Good luck to you and we hope you enjoy being yourself with us.

We understand joining a new company is exciting, yet can also be challenging. As you start a new chapter in your career with us at HKA, please look after your mental and physical health and well-being. Always reach out if you need any help.

Enjoy.

Kate Wood, Partner, Chief People Officer


Alexandros Achilleos, Managing Consultant
London, UK

Alexandros Achilleos is a quantitative economist with experience in disputes and regulation. He utilises his quantitative and econometric skills to provide bespoke solutions to clients. He has worked on various projects including payments, insurance, banking, energy, and digital assets among others. 

Alexandros holds a BSc in Economics and Business Economics and an MSc in Policy Economics, both from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Alexandros is very excited to join HKA and begin this new chapter in his career! 


Huzaifa Aslam, Associate Consultant
Los Angeles, CA, USA

Huzaifa Aslam recently graduated from USC with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics along with a minor in Computer Science. He is joining the HKA office in Los Angeles as a full-time employee having interned with TM Financial Forensics in the summer of 2022. He is excited to be a part of HKA and start my career in litigation consulting.


Matthew Barber, Associate Consultant
Los Angeles, CA, USA

Matthew Barber recently received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Southern California (USC), with a minor in Applied Analytics. He joins HKA as a full-time associate after completing an internship at TM Financial Forensics and is excited to be returning to the Los Angeles office and working with HKA.



Zoe Baumbach, Associate Consultant
San Francisco, CA, USA

Zoe Baumbach joins our San Francisco office as an Associate Consultant. She recently graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and minors in Classics and Philosophy. Zoe looks forward to engaging in cases concerning intellectual property infringements and developing her knowledge in litigation support.


Charlotte Borten, Consultant
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Charlotte Borten joins as a consultant in the Strategic and Commercial Advisory team in Sydney.

Charlotte has spent the past two years working in infrastructure advisory on a variety of different projects for both public and private sector clients. She holds a double degree in Commerce and International Security Studies from the Australian National University.


Allison Calcagno, Business Support Administrator
Phoenix, AZ, USA

Prior to being acquired by HKA, Allison Calcagno worked for The Kenrich Group for 3.5 years and made her way back to HKA in January. She is delighted to be reunited with her old team in Phoenix, including all the great colleague additions.

Allison is also a licensed massage therapist and has been practicing for 15 years. Outside of her professional roles, she is passionate about giving back to the community through volunteer work. She spends part of the weekend connecting with senior citizens and throughout the month she gets to bake birthday cakes for kids who have never had one before!


Christina Collins, Business Support Administrator
San Francisco, CA, USA

Christina Collins joins our San Francisco office as a Business Support Administrator, bringing years of exceptional service experience from her time with professional services firms First Republic Bank and the Walt Disney Company. She looks forward to being a part of the HKA team!



Quintin De Klerk, Associate Director
Johannesburg, South Africa

Quintin De Klerk is a Professional Civil Engineer with over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. He has acted as a contractor, designer, project manager, and senior corporate manager across Africa and the Indian Ocean region. Quintin has extensive and diverse experience in the sectors of steel design and fabrication as well as in construction and heavy industrial maintenance for the mining, mineral processing, and petrochemical industries. Also in his ambit is the design and development of commercial residential estates and mechanical and electrical installations at international resorts. Quintin’s focus for many years was sophisticated stormwater management and design in high-risk geology on a high-speed rail mega project in South Africa.


Lucky Dube, Managing Consultant
London, UK

Lucky Dube is a quantitative economist within HKA’s Economics practice. He brings experience in using data to answer questions of interest to clients. In particular, he has experience designing and deploying econometric methods to answer causal and predictive questions in disputes. He also has experience designing methods that use machine learning algorithms for classification and prediction. As part of his education, he completed PhD-level courses in econometrics and empirical industrial organisation. Lucky has advised clients in class action claims, competition claims, financial services disputes, and securities actions. His capabilities also include: data collection, data handling and manipulation; natural language processing; and data visualisation. Prior to consulting, Lucky had research roles in economic policy think tanks.


Hussein Farook, Associate Director
London, UK

Hussein Farook joins HKA’s London office as an Associate Director within the newly formed economics team in Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages. He has over 12 years of experience as an economist, specialising in international trade, finance, competition and transport. 

Hussein has a wealth of expertise across a wide array of regulatory and advisory matters and has driven the economic analysis for a range of clients including international banks, regulators and UK Ministers. Prior to his role in consulting, Hussein worked in the UK’s competition regulator where he authored publications on the state of competition within the UK. In his spare time, Hussein is studying for his CFA level 2 exam and holds an MSc in Economics.



Almas Gaza, Consultant
Paris, France

Almas Gaza joins HKA as a consultant within the FACD team in Paris. She graduated from Emlyon Business School with a master’s degree in investment banking and corporate finance. Prior to joining HKA, Almas interned as in investment analyst in a top Healthcare private equity firm and M&A analyst in a Tech investment bank. She is an Arabic native speaker and fluent in both English and French.

Almas loves working in a challenging environment. She prides herself on being a problem solver and quick learner. She is thrilled to start this new journey with HKA.


William Hayman, Associate Consultant
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Will Hayman is rejoining HKA as an Associate Consultant after completing an internship at HKA as part of the UTS Innovation Program. He will be working with the Risk Management team in the Sydney office.

Will has recently graduated with a double degree in Business and Creative Intelligence and Innovation from the University of Technology Sydney. Will is excited to start his professional journey as he begins his career with HKA.


Ernst Heins, Associate Director
Rotterdam, Netherlands

Ernst Heins is a seasoned Civil Engineer (EUR ING) and MBA graduate from a renowned institution. He is a Fellow of the Association of Cost Engineers UK (FACostE) and Member of the Netherlands’ Royal Institute of Engineers (MKIVI), with over 25 years of professional experience in various roles, with reputed client/employer organizations, consulting firms, and contracting entities, across the private and public sectors. He has been involved in high-profile projects and assignments in Europe, Asia (Far East, Middle East), and Australia.

Ernst looks forward to his new role, particularly building on HKA’s service offering in the Benelux region.



Wei-sheng Lin, Consultant
London, UK

Wei-sheng Lin joins HKA as a Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages Consultant in the London office. He is an ICAEW chartered accountant with over 5 years of audit experience at a Big Four firm.

Wei’s previous clients operated in a range of sectors, including aviation, educational software, manufacturing, pensions, retail and telecommunications. He looks forward to working with HKA clients on commercial disputes and investigations.


Emma Moy, Associate Consultant
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Emma Moy joins HKA as an Associate Consultant in the Sydney Advisory team. Emma previously worked as an intern at HKA as part of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Innovation Program, and has recently completed her double degree of a Bachelor of Business (majoring in Business Law and Marketing) and a Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation. Emma is excited to return to HKA and is looking forward to growing her experience in complex problem-solving in the dynamic infrastructure sector.


Zola Ntolosi, Associate Director
Johannesburg, South Africa

Zola Ntolosi is an Associate Director with HKA, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, offering over 24 years of demonstrable experience in various industries. His expertise spans Government, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), Information Technology, Financial Services, Broadcasting, and Entertainment, and most recently, Management Consulting and Mining, dealing with internationally listed entities. Zola has a proven track record in project management, business process re-engineering, optimisation, Governance, Organisational Change, Business Strategy, Stakeholder Relations, Business Development, and Strategic Management.



Nathan Steele, Managing Consultant
London, UK

Nathan Steele is an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, with several years of experience in Audit, Assurance and Advisory, both in the UK and abroad, during his tenure at Deloitte. He worked on key engagements within several industries, including Banking and Capital Markets, Investment Management, Consumer Products and Telecommunications, Media & Technology.

Nathan is excited to bring his enthusiasm for growth and accuracy to the team, aided by his continued studying, with current focus on the CFA qualification.




Meet more of our talented experts.

Looking for your next career move?

Choppy waters ahead for offshore energy?

Article

Choppy waters ahead for offshore energy?

As first published in the Commercial Dispute Resolution Magazine as a part of their Expert View series.

The drive for cheaper, cleaner energy shows no signs of abating, but more action needs to be taken now if aspirations are to become reality.

Global energy investment is surging – almost three times faster for green energy than fossil fuels since 2021, according to a 2023 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Last year investment in energy transition rose 17% to USD 1.8 trillion.

Significant though this is, the scale and complexity of the energy challenge remain daunting. Demand-side investment – especially in electrifying transport – provided most of the momentum in 2023. On the supply side, investment in renewable generating capacity rose by a more modest 8%, with Bloomberg reporting that USD 75 billion more was invested in fossil-fuel supply than renewables – a consistent 7% gap since 2020.

Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said that rising carbon emissions must fall by almost half before 2030 to limit global heating to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and avert potentially catastrophic food and water insecurity. The widely held view is that deployment of renewables must triple.

As these goals look increasingly questionable, developers, investors and the infrastructure sector, as well as politicians and wider society, face many difficult questions including: what energy mix best assures security of supply for nations and/or regions in the short, medium and long terms? How are project risks managed and outcomes assured, and when, if ever, will fossil fuels be phased out?

Investment

The IEA’s 2050 roadmap calls for a halt to development of all upstream oil and gas projects with long lead times to correlate with falling global demand, with investment currently twice what should be needed in 2030. But changing the energy supply balance is not straightforward. For example, in the US, even as its Inflation Reduction Act provides game-changing support for decarbonisation (including credits for wind energy), oil and gas output has risen.

The energy shocks brought about by the war in Ukraine have increased the focus on energy security and changed risks and returns. While many oil producers have used record profits to pay dividends or debts rather than reinvest, others (including national oil companies in the Middle East and Asia) are increasing capacity.

Last year’s COP28 commitment in Dubai to “transition away” from fossil fuels may be a turning point, but the pathway is still contested. Even the UK, a former leader on climate change, is grappling with the ‘energy trilemma’ of security, affordability and sustainability.

Trilemma in the UK

Having failed to adjust for inflation to secure projects in its latest offshore wind auction, UK ministers defiantly revived annual licensing rounds for North Sea oil and gas. But ‘maxing out’ production risks failing the trilemma test on all three counts.

With lead times of 28 or more years from appraisal, new oil and gas fields may not start pumping until the 2040s. That said, the industry can act quickly when the market requires, and may fast-track new projects to cover underlying demand as global hydrocarbon production declines overall. However, data from the think tank Carbon Tracker show that, as North Sea oil is traded on the global market, any impact on affordability or security would be marginal. While more gas is directed to the home market, this resource has depleted significantly. If the UK keeps to its net-zero targets, oil and gas consumption must drop dramatically anyway.

Accelerating the roll-out of offshore wind and other renewables, which generally have far shorter lead times and deliver energy directly to UK consumers, may well do far more to reduce bills and increase self-sufficiency.

Prices and costs

Worldwide, falling prices have made renewable energy attractive and the United Nations predicts that wind and solar power will become more competitive, despite inflation. In contrast, oil producers face higher operating costs to maintain well pressures as reserves diminish.

However, further geopolitical shocks from the Middle East or Taiwan could again boost oil and gas prices. Any stimulus to oil and gas investment may prove detrimental to renewables as both sectors compete for installation vessels, yard capacity to build foundations and jacket substructures, and personnel – from electricians and engineers to environmental and other specialists.

Wind-power projects also face significant short- to medium-term supply-chain risks. Major turbine manufacturers suffering from low or negative margins need to push up prices and fund new manufacturing capacity. Increasing turbine size may have brought down the cost of offshore wind’s energy output, but the complexity of design, manufacture and installation keeps costs high. Renewable energy analysts estimate that more than USD 100 billion needs to be invested in the supply chain to reach governments’ 2030 targets. Even the USD 27 billion required by 2026 to sustain recent growth in offshore wind installations might not be achievable. With uncertainty over demand and lack of profitability, the supply chain may struggle to scale up

Project delivery

Unanticipated overruns pose further risk. HKA’s own CRUX analysis shows that schedules and costs have been managed better in the increasingly mature wind power sector.

Time extensions claimed on oil and gas projects averaged 71% of planned schedules, significantly longer than wind power’s 41%. For offshore projects, the variance was 75% for oil and gas, compared with 52% for wind. Onshore, wind overruns dropped to 31%, with only a modest reduction for oil and gas to 66%. In comparison, solar projects faced a typical 53% overrun.

The gap narrows somewhat for cost overruns. Sums in dispute on oil and gas projects averaged 40% of contract values (45% offshore; 35% onshore). For wind, the figure was 27% (29% offshore; 26% onshore). With solar, cost hikes were limited to 20% of contract values.

There was greater commonality among the causes of claims and disputes. Between 36% and 50% of projects suffered design-related conflicts; onshore wind, with 15%, was the outlier. Change in scope was more likely to disrupt oil and gas, and offshore wind. Skills shortages and workmanship deficiencies were only slightly more prevalent on wind than oil and gas projects, and peaked for solar and offshore wind.

Asset stranding

As oil and gas demand declines with the rise of electrification and renewables, the window for viable investment will narrow. The competitive disadvantage widens with longer lead times and project delays (averaging 510 days – two-and-a-half times those for wind), the escalating cost of developing and extracting new reserves, and shifts in government policies to favour clean energy.

Tougher regulations on methane emissions would further challenge oil and gas projects, which could become unviable without tax breaks and subsidies. In the North Sea, UK taxpayers are expected to bear GBP 18.3 billion of the estimated GBP 46 billion cost of decommissioning infrastructure, according to not-for-profit Green Alliance.

Lending may also be harder to find and more expensive, with Barclays now following the lead of other European banks by ending direct support for oil and gas. Climate-related financial disclosures will make investors more aware of heightened risks. Almost 10 years ago, they were warned that the vast majority of reserves would be stranded if global warming was limited to 2°C, and that risk remains even as decarbonisation targets and deadlines are missed.

A clear course?

In the UK, if not in most other markets, renewables will most likely deliver cheaper as well as cleaner energy sooner, while enhancing energy security. Wind-industry alliances are being established to promote standardisation, which will help reduce project complexity and risk. However, significant investment is required to scale up capacity, address supply chain and skills gaps, dampen price instability and improve transmission infrastructure and storage capacity (to manage intermittency).

The global consultancy firm McKinsey & Company reported last year that oil and gas players can offset their risk exposure and regain competitive advantage by diversifying into clean energy – 4% of their upstream investment in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency. Investing too late will probably mean losing out to competitors as well as locking in fossil-fuel use.

Policymakers and funders too must chart a clearer course through the ‘energy trilemma’. A more flexible and dynamic approach to government processes and consents, along with commitment to sustainable finance, will be essential to get on track to meet national targets for the net zero transition.

About the authors

Paul Mansell is a Partner and a Forensic Technical Services Expert at HKA. He is an experienced project manager and engineer with over 35 years of experience in the global engineering and construction industries. Paul has amassed a wealth of knowledge and expertise from involvement on major, complex projects spanning buildings, infrastructure, transportation, industrial, oil and gas, chemicals, power and utilities sectors throughout the UK, Europe, Americas, Middle East, Central Asia, Far East and Africa.


HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in January 2024

News

HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in January 2024

A warm welcome to HKA. We are a diverse global team, and our culture is collaborative, honest, transparent, and high performing.

Thank you for joining HKA, a great place for our brilliant people to work, grow and play. Good luck to you and we hope you enjoy being yourself with us.

We understand joining a new company is exciting, yet can also be challenging. As you start a new chapter in your career with us at HKA, please look after your mental and physical health and well-being. Always reach out if you need any help.

Enjoy.

Kate Wood, Partner, Chief People Officer


Drew Hauge, Director
Washington, DC, USA

Click to read Drew’s announcement.


Robin Heider, Director
Washington, DC, USA

Click to read Robin’s announcement.


Abed Jaber, Managing Consultant
Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abed Jaber joins HKA’s Saudi team as Managing Consultant. In addition to his degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Management, Abed obtained his LLM qualification in Construction Law and Arbitration from Robert Gordon University in 2022 where he graduated with an Award of Distinction.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb) and a chartered engineer with both the Saudi Council of Engineers and the Order of Engineers in Lebanon.

Over the course of his experience, Abed has worked on construction projects across a variety of sectors including residential, commercial, mixed-use, airports, industrial, and marine, spanning several countries across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.



Tom James, Consultant
London, UK

Tom joins as a Consultant for the Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages team in our London office. He has over 4 years of experience in external audit, where he worked on a wide range of clients, including limited liability partnerships, private limited companies, and publicly listed companies across numerous sectors, including legal services, manufacturing, information technology, luxury, and logistics.

He is a chartered accountant (ACA) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and has a bachelor’s degree in physics. Tom is thrilled to join the team at HKA and to begin developing his skills in commercial disputes and investigations.


Huseyin Karanci, Principal
London, UK

Click to read Huseyin’s announcement.


Daniel McCullagh, ERP Systems Helpdesk Specialist
London, UK

Daniel McCullagh is an accomplished Helpdesk Analyst with over 4+ years’ experience in support, experienced in relationship building, providing effective, accurate and timely system support. Daniel previously graduated from Brunel University with a History Degree and Post Graduate Diploma in International History. Daniel is skilled in resolving system issues, identifying software defects, and liaising with third parties to resolve helpdesk queries, works closely with team members to resolve complex system issues and queries across several business areas.  


Tim Michuda, Senior Associate Consultant
Chicago, Il, USA

Tim Michuda rejoins the Chicago office after taking a gap year and a half to pursue a Masters in Writing & Design For Musical Theater at Berklee College of Music.

He originally started with the Kenrich Group, an HKA company in 2019, and has worked on a variety of construction delay analyses and disputes ranging from high rise buildings, to interstate highways, demolition of nuclear plants, corporate headquarters, hotel renovations, and more. Tim holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Bachelor of Arts in Violin Performance from the University of Notre Dame.


Alekya Musunuru, Managing Consultant
London, UK

Alekya joined our London office as a Managing Consultant and currently works with the delay team. She is a qualified Architect with a master’s degree in construction project management. Alekya has worked extensively in matters related to delay and disruption. She has assisted the named experts on several arbitrations across the UK and the Middle East.


Ben Rawlins, Senior Engineer
London, UK

Ben Rawlins is a Structural Engineer with 9 years of industry experience working on projects both in the UK and abroad. In that time, Ben has become a Chartered Engineer (IStructE) and has led the management and design of various complex new builds and refurbishments with construction values ranging up to ~£500m.

Throughout his career, Ben has worked across a variety of sectors including Residential, Commercial, Educational (Science Laboratories) and Temporary Works. Ben is new to this side of engineering, but is looking forward to the challenges as he joins the Forensic Technical Services Team.


Mathilde Schoelpple, Associate Consultant
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Mathilde has a background in Architecture and Creative Intelligence & Innovation. She has experience working with companies across every sector, considering opportunities for sustainable development and new channels for growth. Mathilde began working with HKA as a Student Partner, exploring the nuances of industry with a focus on pipeline visibility. She is formally joining the Sydney team and is keen to explore new opportunities for innovative growth.


Julian Speed, Associate Director
London, UK

Julian is a seasoned and results-driven risk and project management professional with over 15 years of expertise across roles within major UK civils and infrastructure projects. His career encompasses significant roles in Network Rail, Thameslink, Crossrail, HS2, Highways England, and Westminster Parliament. Julian is adept in both quantitative and qualitative risk analyses, enhancing project efficiency and implementing robust risk management principles and strategies. These are underpinned by a strong practical experience of project development, change control, sponsorship, and project delivery.

Julian holds a degree in Management (Nottingham University Business School), the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ), the International Certificate in Risk Management (IRMCert) and is a Project Planning & Control Practitioner (APMG PCC).


Marvia Watt, Manager
Houston, TX, USA

Marvia Watt joined HKA as a Manager with the acquisition of ASQ Consulting Group, where she has contributed on cases related to determination of damages for Intellectual Property infringement and breach of contract, among others. In addition to her consulting work at ASQ, her experience includes business management, project management, and contract management. She is skilled in contract-related forensic data analysis, claims management, breach of contract determination and negotiation of final claims dispute resolution.

She has an MBA in Finance, Master’s Certifications in Commercial Contracting and Project Management, and a Bachelor of Science.


Shawn Williams, Senior Associate Consultant
Houston, TX, USA

Shawn Williams joined HKA as a Senior Associate Consultant with the acquisition of ASQ Consulting Group, for which he has contributed over the last three years on cases involving damages calculations for various forms of intellectual property infringement, and breach of contract.

Prior to working for ASQ, Mr. Williams capped over twenty years of construction experience as a project engineer for Price Gregory International, a Quanta Company, following previous years of experience performing a wide range of roles in construction management, project controls, labor relations, and environmental regulatory compliance.  Mr. Williams earned a Bachelor of Arts from Hamilton College.


Ellen Wong, Senior Consultant
Singapore

Ellen joins our Singapore office as a Senior Consultant with the APAC Delay Team. Ellen has more than 10 years’ experience as a Project Manager and Deputy Project Director on a wide range of civil, infrastructure, and structural projects. She has been a lead assistant to appointed delay experts on international and domestic disputes on hospital, transport, and industrial projects.

After completing a Masters in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution at Kings College London, she has parlayed her practical project delivery experience into assisting appointed experts on international arbitration. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.


Meet more of our talented experts.

Looking for your next career move?

HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in November and December 2023

News

HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in November and December 2023

A warm welcome to HKA. We are a diverse global team, and our culture is collaborative, honest, transparent, and high performing.

Thank you for joining HKA, a great place for our brilliant people to work, grow and play. Good luck to you and we hope you enjoy being yourself with us.

We understand joining a new company is exciting, yet can also be challenging. As you start a new chapter in your career with us at HKA, please look after your mental and physical health and well-being. Always reach out if you need any help.

Enjoy.

Kate Wood, Partner, Chief People Officer


Dr. Hatem Bedair, Director
Houston, TX, USA

Click here to view Dr. Bedair’s announcement.


Mark Cameron, Principal
Doha, Qatar

Click here to view Mark’s announcement.


Rudi Dedushaj, Director
London, UK

Click here to view Rudi’s announcement.


Neo Diseko, People Manager, South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa

Neo Diseko has a BCom degree in Industrial Psychology, a National Diploma in IT, and recently completed the Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) with the University of Stellenbosch Business School. She has over 15 years of experience in HR, working as an HR Generalist in various industries, including manufacturing in the automotive industry, construction, management consulting, and health.



Shola Durojaiye, Executive Assistant – FACD
Paris, France

Shola Durojaiye joins HKA as Executive Assistant for the FACD Paris team. Shola has background experience working in business support and administration.

Shola is excited to be a part of HKA and is looking forward to growing her experience in both her personal and professional journey as she begins her career with HKA.


Panos Logothetis, Senior Engineer
London, UK

Panos has over 10 years’ industry experience working on several London and other UK building projects. In that time, Panos has become a Chartered Engineer (MICE), and he has led the design of complex new-build and refurbishment jobs.

In his career, Panos has designed projects in the Residential, Commercial, Mixed Use, Educational, Leisure and Government sectors. Additionally, he has also gained experience working on conservation projects – involving listed buildings – and undertaking structural surveys. Panos is new to this line of work, but he is looking forward to the challenge as he joins the Forensic Technical Services team.


Maghan Lusk, Business Support Administrator
Washington, DC, USA

Maghan Lusk joined our Washington, DC, office in November as a Business Support Administrator. She previously worked as executive assistant and office manager for a private equity firm and holds degrees in English and creative writing.


Violet Maaboi, Facilities Assistant
Johannesburg, South Africa

Violet Maaboi joins HKA as a Facilities Assistant based in Johannesburg. She holds a Certificate in Palliative and Chronic Home Base Centre. Violet has more than 9 years of experience as a Facilities Assistant for various companies. Her experience includes being a supervisor at GEM Care Cleaning Company. Furthermore, she worked as an Administrator at the Department of Transport and Public Works.


Mashudu Mabila, Managing Consultant
Johannesburg, South Africa

Mashudu Mabila is a certified Project Management Institute Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) with over 13 years of project scheduling experience for projects, preferably in the energy, Industrial, and manufacturing sectors involving construction and installation.  

He is experienced in developing/maintaining Quality Management Systems and Planning and controlling multiple project programs and scheduling. Mashudu has knowledge of Project Management, PSR, and basic knowledge of power station operation.   


Alexia Martz, Senior Managing Consultant
Paris, France

Alexia Martz joins our Paris office as a Senior Managing Consultant in the Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages team.

Alexia has 7 years of experience mainly in external audit, but also in valuation and litigation. She worked, both in France and Luxembourg, in a wide range of sectors including telecommunication, publishing, banking, aerospace, railway, Museum and non-profit organizations.

Alexia has a master’s degree in audit and finance from Paris Dauphine University and is currently pursuing her French chartered accountant qualification. Alexia is very excited to begin this new journey at HKA and looking forward to developing her skills in international disputes.


Timothy McGinnis, Implementation Consultant
Sacramento, CA, USA

Tim has more than twenty years’ experience in the Project Controls industry. Tim’s exposure to PMIS solutions centered primarily around the products Prolog Manager, Proliance and Kahua. Some of HKA’s clients are migrating from these solutions to PMWeb so his knowledge of these platforms is a benefit during the discovery process.

Tim has served as the Prolog system administrator for Trammell Crow, a Proliance Program Manager for CBRE and a Sr. Business Consultant for Runding Corp. Tim is excited to add PMWeb to his repertoire and looks forward to becoming an asset to his team.


Hurrem Mehmet, Business Support Administrator – FACD
London, UK

Hurrem has worked in the legal industry for the last few years, having worked in law firms and most recently a leading London medical research university. Prior to joining HKA, Hurrem specialised in legal contracts working with healthcare providers, including the NHS and global pharmaceutical companies.

She has worked within business support in the past and is keen to utilise her skills learnt to support the team and grow within HKA.


Bob Mezzanotte, Manager
New York, NY, USA

Bob rejoins HKA as a Manager after working as a Senior Project Manager for a General Contractor for the last 7 years.

Bob has a degree in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University and brings extensive experience in Construction Project Management, Construction Accounting, Safety Coordination, and Scheduling to the HKA team. Bob has managed ground up, interior fit-out, and extensive renovation projects from inception to final completion and is looking forward to applying those skills to the Claims team.


Ibrahim Mohamed, Information Technology Site Support Analyst
Warrington, UK

Ibrahim, a media and communication graduate from the University of Chester, is equipped with certifications in desktop, server, and software troubleshooting, and proficiency in Level 1 and 2 IT support, as well as having undertaken a 6-month coding bootcamp focusing on JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. 

Previously serving as an EUC Engineer at CGI, with a passion for technology and learning, Ibrahim is keen to face new challenges, contribute and collaborate with the team.


Nick Orso, Associate Director
Philadelphia, PA, USA

Nick joined the Philadelphia office as an Associate Director in Claims & Dispute Resolution, specializing in schedule issues. A licensed civil engineer and president of the Delaware Valley Section of AACEi, Nick has over 20 years of experience working on construction projects.

He started out making as-built schedules as a co-op at Drexel and then went into the field as a project and construction manager in the power sector. Nick returned to claims and has since worked primarily on schedule reviews and forensic analysis, claims resolution, and in a PMO role on rail and transit mega-projects. He is excited to join HKA and put his experience to work helping the company grow.


Igor Popovic, Director
London, UK

Click here to view Igor’s announcement.


Paul Quiry, Managing Consultant
Paris, France

Paul joins as a Managing Consultant for the Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages team in the Paris Office.

He joins the team with 7 years of experience in litigation and forensic roles at a Big Four firm and at a French financial consulting boutique. Paul holds a double master’s degree in management from HEC Paris and in business law and taxation from Sorbonne University


Peyman Tabatabaei, Director, Geotechnical Engineering
Los Angeles, CA, USA

Click here to view Peyman’s announcement.


JT Tompkins, Manager
Los Angeles, CA, USA

JT received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Fordham University with a minor in business administration. JT brings over five years of experience in litigation consulting to HKA. In his prior roles, JT assisted expert witnesses in writing expert reports and preparing for deposition and trial across a variety of industries.

JT has worked on engagements involving infringement of intellectual property such as patents, trademarks, and trade secrets as well as commercial damages including breach of contract and post-acquisition disputes. JT brings additional experience in forensic accounting, restructuring, and interim management.


David Whittaker, Partner, Chief Information Officer
London, UK

Click here to view David’s announcement.


Chris Williams, Partner, EMEA Economics Practice
London, UK

Click here to view Chris’s announcement.


Meet more of our talented experts.

Looking for your next career move?

A conversation with Nader Emile, Director


Colleague Interview

A conversation with Nader Emile, Director

Nader Emile is a Director in our Jeddah office and a Testifying Delay Expert with extensive experience in Construction Engineering, Project Management, Project Planning/Controls, CPM Scheduling and Delay Analysis.

We spoke to Nader about his extensive background, why he thinks HKA is a stand-out employer, and his passion outside of the office.

Tell me about your background.

I’m a Civil Engineer with planning and project management background. I have then moved to the claims consulting and dispute resolution field, where I have been providing delay and disruption analysis, planning and contract advice, arbitration support and expert services.

I hold a master’s degrees in business administration and in construction law and arbitration. I’m also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an Accredited Expert Witness with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

What sparked your interest in claims and dispute resolution?

After having spent 12 years working on the contractor side, I decided to explore something new.

Claims and dispute resolution is an area where analytical, communication and negotiation skills are required and can be further developed. I enjoy engaging with clients, project team members, and legal professionals to investigate the events, present arguments, and negotiate settlements. It is satisfying to be able to help find practical and fair solutions to complex issues.

Why is HKA a stand-out employer for you?

HKA stands out to me as an employer because it truly values its employees and invests in their growth and well-being. One aspect that sets HKA apart is its commitment to enabling employees to reach their full potential. Every skill and talent is recognised and put to good use, allowing individuals to contribute meaningfully to the company’s success.

HKA also genuinely cares about the physical and mental health of its employees. It understands that a healthy and happy workforce is essential for productivity and overall success. This is why it actively promotes wellness initiatives and flexible work arrangements. This focus shows that HKA is committed to supporting its employees in all aspects of their lives.

What is your favourite thing about supporting clients?

I enjoy supporting clients because I find great satisfaction in helping them overcome challenges and solve their problems. I also enjoy developing my clients’ team members by sharing my knowledge and expertise through providing advice or delivering training sessions. It’s fulfilling to know that I can make a positive impact and improve their overall experience.

Seeing the clients’ satisfaction and appreciation for the hard work and quality of deliverables is truly rewarding. It motivates me and the team to consistently provide outstanding support and ensure that the client’s experience with our services is exceptional.

What advice do you have for up-and-coming Claims Consultants?

Firstly, continuous learning and development is a key trait of successful professionals. The opportunities are numerous as this can be achieved by registering for courses or taking advantage of training programs available online.   

Additionally, working closely with senior colleagues is also a valuable opportunity to learn from their expertise and gain insights into the industry. Learning how to receive constructive feedback and use it to improve is an essential skill that will help career progression.

Lastly, keeping informed about industry developments and trends is essential. This can be achieved by attending conferences or webinars and networking with others in the industry. The field of claims consulting is constantly evolving, so one should always be ready to adapt and embrace new challenges. Being open to new experiences and leaving one’s comfort zone will lead to growth, both personally and professionally.

What is your favourite thing about living in Jeddah?

Living in Jeddah offers a unique sense of tranquillity and peace, much like the calmness of the Red Sea. The city’s serene atmosphere allows one to maintain a healthy work-life balance, thus enhancing the overall quality of family life. Moreover, the people in Jeddah are known for their friendly nature and willingness to lend a helping hand.

What are your passions outside of work?

My passions outside work revolve mainly around music.

Music has always been a significant part of my life, and I have been playing several instruments, particularly the piano since I was a young child, and later the flute. I also had the privilege of being a baritone singer in the Cairo Celebration Choir for 10 years of my earlier life.

To unwind after a long day of work, I find comfort in the evening by spending time with my digital piano at home (with headphones on). It allows me to recharge and immerse myself in the positive energy music brings. Engaging in music has enabled me to find balance in my life and explore creativity beyond the confines of my professional life.

If you want to find out more about joining HKA, contact laurafoxoliveira@hka.com or mohammedosman@hka.com to arrange a confidential discussion or visit www.hka.com/join-us/

Laura Fox-Oliveira, Senior Recruitment Manager, EMEA
Mohammed Osman, Recruitment Resource, EMEA

A conversation with Ron Braver, Partner


Colleague Interview

A conversation with Ron Braver, Partner

Ron Braver, Partner, is a CPA, CFE, and licensed private detective based out of our Los Angeles office.

Before joining HKA, Ron was an IRS Special Agent and Supervisor. Ron will appear with his daughter Ashley Braver, a current IRS Special Agent, at the ABA National Institute on Criminal Tax Fraud 2023 on December 8 in a session called “Criminal Panel: Tax Enforcement Across Generations – Senior IRS Special Agents in Dialogue with Those Who Follow in Their Footsteps.”

How did you become an IRS Special Agent?

After I finished my BS in accounting at Northeast Missouri State University [now Truman State University], I didn’t want to sit behind a desk, so I looked for something interesting to do. I applied to various federal law enforcement agencies, and the IRS was the first to respond! I was hired in 1985 as a special agent in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force since the IRS received funding from Congress to hire new special agents for this program at the time.

Was there anything in particular that drew you to the IRS?

I was interested in a job using my accounting skills to “follow the money” and my investigative instinct to arrive at the truth. I was also intrigued by the reputation of IRS criminal investigations. They were the difference maker in cases involving big-name figures like Al Capone, politicians, and those that some believe are too rich or powerful to prosecute if they commit a crime.

What skills did you learn as an IRS Special Agent?

You are given an enormous amount of responsibility immediately upon completing training. You spend approximately six months at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia learning various aspects of the job like qualifying with a pistol and shotgun, interviewing techniques, report writing, testifying skills, defensive tactics, evasive driving, executing search warrants, building and entry training, surveillance, etc. You are given equipment that require s a level of responsivity that is unlike any other job. I also studied human behavior and obtained my master’s in taxation while I was an agent to better my skills.

On the job, you learn to use a variety of covert and overt methods to gather evidence while understanding that you need to use the least intrusive method whenever possible. It takes finesse at times. I would frequently execute search warrants, collect evidence, and conduct surveillance and interviews in neighborhoods or with people that most would consider outside the norm. I used undercover agents to assist in gathering evidence. We were always professional, but you can’t be meek. There’s a certain psychology to the job. It’s not just accounting; it’s also understanding what makes someone do the things they do, how they would perpetrate the crime (if they perpetrated the crime), and knowing where to find the evidence to prove or disprove the allegation. It’s a job that combines accounting with behavioral science. Every investigation has nuances, and you need to adjust and learn about the person under investigation or the industry in which they operate.

What kinds of cases did you focus on as a special agent?

I was in the drug task force for five years before moving into investigations of failed banks and savings and loans in the early 1990s. Investigations into a failed bank led me to a large political corruption case called Operation Silver Shovel, then to the prosecution of organized labor leaders with alleged ties to organized crime, and then to several sophisticated white-collar crime cases. The IRS investigates not only criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code but also money laundering and its underlying crimes, such as bank, wire, and bankruptcy fraud, investor fraud, etc. I also had a few stints as an on-the-job instructor, training new agents after they graduated from the training academy, and retired from the IRS as a Supervisory Special Agent.

What was your most interesting case?

I’ve had a lot, and I remember all of them! I recommended and assisted in prosecutions that led to guilty pleas or findings of 75 individuals and seized and forfeited more than $41 million in ill-gotten gains from those crimes.

Drug Task Force

I had several drug prosecutions. When I was working in the drug task force, I was on a Chicago Vice Lords case where we arrested over 100 people; seized their bank accounts, assets, and homes; and put the top 19 individuals in federal prison and the others in state prison. Two of the top leaders went to jail for life for operating a continuing criminal enterprise. I worked on another case related to a Colombian drug dealer and organization. I had an international arrest warrant outstanding (also called a “red notice”) for the leader. I had put two of his brothers in jail who were part of the organization, and we were trying to find him as he was indicted on drug and money laundering charges. I got a call one day while I was at home late at night. They said, “We have him at the airport,” so I met the Drug Enforcement Administration special agent assigned to the case at the airport to pick him up, but it turned out that he was dead and in a casket. He had gotten killed in Colombia, and they were shipping him back to be buried in the United States, where his mother then lived. We had to fingerprint him in the casket to confirm he was the defendant.

Failed Banks/Savings and Loans

I was assigned to a case investigating the failure of Cosmopolitan National Bank. The case involved the executives of the bank, many of the borrowers, and members of organized crime. It was one of the most profitable banks in Chicago, and it failed after an individual purchased the bank and became the president and chairman. The only profit the bank made after the purchase was from day trading in 30-year United States securities, and there wasn’t a losing trade. I subpoenaed the broker where all the trades were taking place and asked for the contra trading tickets to see who was selling the securities. I realized that all the trades were connected to a Fortune 500 company pension fund. In the morning, the president of the pension fund would execute a trade, and if interest rates moved substantially and produced a winning trade that day, he would direct the broker to indicate that Cosmopolitan National Bank was the buyer and subsequent seller. If there was a loss for the day, the trade would stay with the pension fund. The pension fund executive had an interest in Cosmopolitan National Bank and got a portion of the recognized gain. The securities broker was making significant commissions on the trades. I was able to connect the dots and convince the pension fund executive to admit to the scheme, and he eventually testified against the broker at trial, which led to the conviction of the securities broker.

Also, during that investigation, a bank customer who had committed fraud decided to cooperate with the FBI. That customer ran a construction company and was a known organized crime associate with numerous connections to local government authorities. He had made over 1,000 recordings and bribe payments to various state, local, and government officials that led to numerous convictions. The investigation was known as Operation Silver Shovel.

Political Corruption, White-Collar Crime, and Financial Crime

One of my favorite cases involved three international union labor leaders who received bribes from local banks in exchange for directing union funds to the bank. One of the labor leaders purchased a large, expensive home in the suburbs for his girlfriend using a substantial amount of currency as a down payment to the builder. The builder admitted to receiving the currency from the labor leader in a brown paper bag.

I investigated and prosecuted forex principal and broker exchanges for money laundering and tax evasion stemming from defrauding investors in the Middle East and directing the proceeds of their scheme to companies and banks in Chicago. We seized and subsequently forfeited homes, offices, and vehicles.

I was also involved in the prosecution of executives and board members of the Chicago Sun-Times. The chairman was a Lord in the United Kingdom and a former Canadian citizen. The Sun-Times was a publicly traded stock and was selling a lot of newspapers, but the board members and executives were diverting substantial profits from the sales of the local newspapers the Sun-Times owned by insisting they receive non-compete payments when a non-compete was unnecessary or not asked for by the buyer. The executives and involved board members were alleged to have not properly disclosed their purported self-dealing in its public filings.

How long did cases last? Were you working on one case at a time, or did cases overlap?

A typical case can take several years to investigate and prosecute, and a special agent typically has two or three open investigations at any one time. An open investigation can lead to numerous individuals being indicted. For example, there were about 20 different cases that came out of Cosmopolitan National Bank and 19 that came from the Vice Lord investigation. Sometimes, I developed my own cases, but most of the time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office would ask me to work on a case or help them investigate allegations of a crime. Agents can also bring cases to the U.S. Attorney’s Office; it goes both ways.

What were the most rewarding and most challenging aspects of being a special agent?

The most rewarding part of the job was how engaging and interesting it was. It required skill and understanding to articulate your findings and opinions. It’s also rewarding to see bad people pay the price for their actions – it wasn’t just tax fraud or money laundering; these were people who preyed on or bullied others. You see how these investigations can impact a person, industry, and community. Prosecuting those who harm society can have a deterrent effect and shows those who are following the rules that no one is beyond the law.

I also had the opportunity to work with honest, diligent prosecutors and fellow law enforcement agents. I am a firm believer in the judicial system – everyone is innocent until proven guilty. We worked hard to make sure any exculpatory evidence became known so the person under investigation was never wrongly prosecuted.

The most challenging aspect was the bureaucratic process. The process is very necessary to make sure everyone is operating appropriately, so I didn’t mind the regulation, but it tended to make the process slow. You might have determined that there is probable cause that a crime has been committed and assembled and summarized the evidence in a report that could be used to prove it, but it could take a while for the prosecutor to seek court approval to execute a search or seizure warrant or bring the evidence before a grand jury to seek an indictment. You have similar issues in the private sector; it takes time for litigation to come to a final determination. The system takes time, and you have little control over that.

How did your daughter, Ashley, become a special agent?

I didn’t know that she was interested! I think she may have seen the work I was doing from my time as a special agent. You try to keep everything away from the house, but you can’t always do that, like when you get a call for a seizure or arrest warrant and have to leave home at unusual hours. A lot of my work made it to the news media, and I occasionally traveled internationally.

She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s in accounting at the University of Illinois, and she was an auditor at Deloitte for a little over a year after she graduated. One day, she called my wife and me and told us that she had an interview with the IRS. It’s a difficult application process, including a written test and then qualifying for an interview. She had passed the written part and had scheduled her interview before telling us.

Once Ashley was offered a position as a special agent, she had to go through training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. At the end of the training, there is a graduation ceremony. Legacy graduates like my daughter have the option of inheriting the badge number of their retired parent. There was a ceremony with the Chief of Criminal Investigations where graduates got their badge and gun, and I was able to give my badge number to her. That happened about five years ago, in 2018, and then she moved out to LA. My son also moved out here, which is how I ended up at HKA because my wife and I wanted to be closer to them.

What was Ashley like growing up?

She’s always been a good kid. She was a good athlete, into cheerleading, gymnastics, and soccer. She’s very smart, smarter than I am.

What advice would you give to a new special agent starting out in their career, like your daughter?

It’s not just about accounting – it’s an art and a science. If you like a steady routine and want to work 9-to-5, then this is not the right career path. You must get into the head of the person you are investigating and be respectful of a person’s rights and the Constitution. It’s not about winning – it’s about bringing the truth to a trier of facts (a judge or a jury of their peers) so a proper and informed decision can be made. I tell my daughter and son to work hard because time goes quickly when you enjoy what you do!

My daughter has told me that she loves every part of the job since becoming a special agent. She says she made the right decision, and I have no doubt she will remember every investigation, just like I do.

If you want to find out more about joining HKA, contact ryanamaya@hka.com to arrange a confidential discussion or visit www.hka.com/join-us/

Ryan Amaya, Recruitment Manager, Americas

HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in October 2023

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HKA was delighted to welcome our newest colleagues to our diverse global team in October 2023

A warm welcome to HKA. We are a diverse global team, and our culture is collaborative, honest, transparent, and high performing.

Thank you for joining HKA, a great place for our brilliant people to work, grow and play. Good luck to you and we hope you enjoy being yourself with us.

We understand joining a new company is exciting, yet can also be challenging. As you start a new chapter in your career with us at HKA, please look after your mental and physical health and well-being. Always reach out if you need any help.

Enjoy.

Kate Wood, Partner, Chief People Officer


Ayshah Adris, Senior Business Support Administrator
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ayshah Adris is an experienced administration professional with over 10 years’ experience in the financial and professional services sectors. Ayshah is well-versed in coordinating, planning, and supporting daily operational and administrative functions. Ayshah joins HKA from an insurance company where she was an Office coordinator.


Geoffroy Bertrand, Associate Director
Montreal, QC, Canada

Geoffroy Bertrand is a professional engineer with more than five years of experience in the construction industry. Geoffroy has prepared and defended construction claims and expert reports related to delays, loss of labor productivity (disruptions), and quantification of damages. He joins the Montreal office as Associate Director.


Mariska Botha, Assistant Management Accountant
Johannesburg, South Africa

Mariska Botha is an Accountant with over 7 years of experience in public accounting. She has experience in financial planning, budgeting, and cash flow management. Her expertise also includes corporate tax planning and compliance.


Ephraim Chaoane, Managing Consultant
Johannesburg, South Africa

​​Ephraim Chaoane​ is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with fifteen (15) years of Project Management experience. He is results-oriented and has effective communication and presentation skills. Responsible for the project schedule and all aspects of the Progress Measurement System, including day-to-day activities for the development, maintenance, monitoring, controlling, and integration of the overall project schedule, including verification and reporting.

Ephraim is experienced in the construction of power and gas plants. His regional experience includes Africa and the Middle East.



Kwesi Dadson, International Tax Manager
Warrington, UK

Kwesi Dadson joins HKA as an International Tax Manager and will be working to support the Group Tax Team in corporate head office. He previously worked in Big 4 mergers & acquisition tax focusing on private equity backed businesses and their investors, as well as in-house tax role within an international oil & gas group.

Kwesi has over 9 years of tax and accounting experience and is a Chartered Accountant (CA) & Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) by profession. He also holds an MSc. Financial Economics degree from the University of Manchester, UK and is proud to have joined HKA. Kwesi looks forward to a great learning experience with the company and contributing his skills in building HKA’s tax function. 


Brandon Fu, Senior Consultant
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Brandon Fu is a qualified civil engineer with over 19 years of industry experience and joins HKA as a Delay Analyst. Brandon started his career as a project engineer before moving into planning and delay. Brandon has over 9 years of delay experience gained from Driver Trett and FTI Consulting, working on projects across Asia. 


Jessica Gates, Senior Consultant
Seattle, WA, USA

Click here to view the Seattle office expansion press release.


Zoe Jones, Business Support Administrator
Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Zoe Jones is an experienced office administrator with over 8 years of experience, with a primary focus on contract management and stakeholder management. Zoe has worked in a number of industries, including IT, medical and industrial.


Jasmine Lee, Financial Accountant
Sydney, NSW, Australia

Jasmine Lee is a certified practising accountant with over 10 years of experience in Australia and Hong Kong. Jasmine’s experience comes primarily from working with chartered accountancy firms, and is skilled in financial audits, tax reporting and payroll. 


Jeff Lounsberry, Partner
Seattle, WA, USA

Click here to view the Seattle office expansion press release.



David Oni, Managing Consultant
London, UK

David Oni is a qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAEW), with 7 years of experience predominantly in forensic accounting across both investigations and commercial disputes. As well as forensic accounting, David’s professional experience is rounded out by time working in audit and management accountant.

He has supported clients and experts in a range of project and dispute types including post M&A disputes, wasted cost claims, damages from competition law breaches and anti-corruption investigations.

David has a passion for investigative analysis and uncovering key insights from data. He is excited to utilise his skills for the benefit of HKA’s clients.


Charlie Patteson, Consultant
London, UK

Charlie Patteson joins our London office as a Consultant in the Forensic Accounting and Commercial Disputes team. He has over four years of professional experience in external audit, financial reporting and tax compliance, predominantly working with clients in the financial services industry. He is an ACA-qualified accountant and has a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

He is really excited to be joining the team at HKA and looks forward to gaining exposure to new industries and developing his skillset in commercial disputes and investigations.


Jeremy Sampson, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer
Birmingham, UK

Click here to view Jeremy’s press release.


Brett Swanson, Director
Seattle, WA, USA

Click here to view the Seattle office expansion press release.


Maria Tsennykh, Principal
New York, NY, USA

Click here to view Maria’s press release.


Toby Yang, Consultant
Beijing, China

Toby Yang has 7 years of professional experience in construction industry, having worked in various organisations including Hathaway Dinwiddie and Deloitte China. Toby holds a master’s degree in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Southern California.


Discover more of our talented experts.

Looking for your next career move?

HKA rises up global ranking of Who’s Who Legal Top 100 Firms

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HKA rises up global ranking of Who’s Who Legal Top 100 Firms

Expanding consultancy stands 2nd overall and remains 1st in construction.

HKA – the global consultancy in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, expert witness, and litigation support services – has leapt to the number two position in the Who’s Who Legal (WWL) rankings.

The firm jumped six places in the latest analysis of the WWL Top 100 Firms worldwide, while maintaining its prime position in both WWL league tables for Construction and for Construction – Quantum, Delay & Technical.

Based upon comprehensive, independent research, the higher rating reflects the increased weighting attached to HKA’s thought leadership and other factors, including feedback from peers, clients and instructing lawyers. The firm also returned very high scores for the breadth of its practice areas and geographical reach. HKA is now judged the number-one consultancy in China (following another six-place rise). The firm also comes top in jurisdictions from Saudi Arabia and Qatar to South Africa, Scotland and France.

In terms of practice areas, HKA not only remains the top firm in the two Construction categories; it is also second in Consulting Experts – Quantum of Damages (up five places) and third in both Arbitration (up five places) and Commercial Litigation. Sustained growth over recent years underlies other increases in the WWL global rankings for practice areas such as Consulting Experts – Forensic Accountants, Investigations, and Energy.

With more than 1,000 consultants, experts, and advisors working from offices across 17 countries, HKA continues to expand through organic growth and acquisition. The consultancy, for example, has consolidated its position in Forensic Accounting and Commercial Damages services in the US, EMEA and other territories, with the additions of TM Financial Forensics, Credibility International and ASQ Consulting Group, and also through significant Partner hires.

“I am delighted with our performance in the Who’s Who Legal global rankings. It is a testimony to the high calibre, professionalism and outstanding work of our many experts and their teams worldwide. Reaching the number two position globally in the highly competitive overall rankings of the WWL Top 100 Firms also reflects the success of our strategic growth and our commitment to continuously improving how we service our clients across all of our service offerings. It’s very gratifying that the industry recognises our people and our global reputation for impartial, incisive and authoritative advice.”

Renny Borhan, Partner, Chief Executive Officer

ABOUT HKA

Headquartered in the UK, HKA is the leading global consultancy in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, expert witness, and litigation support services.

HKA brings a proud record of excellent service and high achievement to bear on today’s challenges. As trusted independent consultants, experts, and advisors, we help clients manage disputes, risk, and uncertainty on complex contracts and challenging projects. Our advice is impartial, incisive, and authoritative.

We work with government agencies, local authorities, contractors, legal firms, and other professional service providers, as well as owners and operators, financial institutions, and insurers. HKA’s global portfolio includes some of the world’s largest and most prestigious commissions across a wide range of industries, including aerospace and defence, buildings, energy and natural resources, environment and climate change, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, industrial and manufacturing, marine and shipping, mining and metals, oil and gas, power and utilities, real estate and tourism, sports and entertainment, technology, media and telecoms, and transportation infrastructure.

HKA has in excess of 1,000 experts, consultants, and advisors across 45+ offices in 17 countries with the skills and experience that are essential to get to the heart of even the most complex issues. Our people have vast first-hand experience spanning all major industries and the world’s most complex megaprojects, as well as an international track record of achieving successful outcomes.

For more information about HKA, visit hka.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter, @HKAGlobal), and Facebook.

Media contact

NameJosephine Guckian
TitlePartner, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Number+44 07740 421796
Emailjosephineguckian@hka.com

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