Chris Chennell joins HKA’s Dubai team as Technical Director
13th January 2026
HKA is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Chennell as Technical Director within our Forensic Technical Services team, based in the Dubai office.
Chris brings over two decades of global engineering leadership and technical expertise to the role, reinforcing HKA’s commitment to delivering world-class forensic consulting services across the Middle East and beyond. A seasoned Engineering Director with a distinguished career spanning the UK, Europe, Australasia, and the Middle East. His experience includes leading multidisciplinary teams and delivering complex engineering projects.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chris to HKA. His depth of experience, strategic mindset, and global perspective will be invaluable as we continue to expand our forensic technical services offering in the region.”
Peter Van Gorp, Principal, Forensic Technical Services
Chris has held strategic leadership positions in a number of leading multi-national Engineering firms. These have driven a passion for innovative solutions through the adoption of performance-based design and strong stakeholder engagement. Most recently, his position as Head of Fire & Life Safety for WSP in the Middle East, leading a high-performance team across three countries, saw success due to his commercial delivery and thought leadership.
He holds a BEng (Hons) in Fire Engineering from the University of Leeds and an Expert Witness Certificate from RICS. He is also an active public speaker, having spoken on facade fire safety, car park fire risks, and Fire Safety Engineering regimes in various geographies. Chris has chaired technical committees on façade fire safety design, sat on boards for charities and industry networks, and served as chair for regional boards in previous roles.
His appointment strengthens HKA’s technical capabilities and enhances our ability to support clients with complex engineering disputes and expert witness services.
For HKA’s latest updates, visit hka.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, @HKAGlobal on X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook.
Media contact
| Name | Jude Wilson-Brown |
| Title | Marketing and Communications Director, Middle East & Africa, International |
| Number | +971 4 337 2145 |
| judewilsonbrown@hka.com |
