AtkinsRéalis appoints Ian Tasker to boost private finance

AtkinsRéalis has appointed Ian Tasker Director of Private Finance for the UK and Ireland, as public bodies and infrastructure owners seek more private capital for major projects.

Tasker joins the engineering and advisory group with more than 30 years of experience advising central government, local authorities, investors and financial institutions on the structuring, funding and delivery of infrastructure and growth programmes.

He was previously Senior Responsible Officer for one of the consortia appointed by Homes England and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as strategic adviser to the Government's New Towns Programme. In that role, he worked on delivery, governance and financing strategies for several major new settlements across England.

Earlier roles include positions at Knight Frank, Grant Thornton, Morgan Sindall Investments and NatWest Bank, spanning advisory, banking, investment and development.

The appointment comes amid a broader push across the UK infrastructure market to attract private finance, as governments, councils and asset owners look for alternative funding routes for large schemes.

Recent AtkinsRéalis research found strong investor interest in UK infrastructure, but also identified barriers to deployment. It said 90% of institutional investors surveyed viewed the UK as an attractive destination for infrastructure investment over the next three years, while 64% said they had walked away from UK projects because of weak business cases.

The findings point to a gap between investor appetite and project readiness, particularly where risk, viability and delivery certainty remain unresolved. They also help explain why project finance advisers are placing greater emphasis on commercial structure and investability.

James Butler, Senior Vice President of Growth at AtkinsRéalis UK & Ireland, said: "Ian joins AtkinsRéalis as Government, asset owners, industry and investors are aligned on the need to accelerate delivery. But doing so requires projects that are commercially robust, investable and capable of attracting long-term private finance. Ian's experience advising both the public and private sectors will strengthen our ability to help clients develop funding and financing strategies that support economic growth while delivering long-term value for communities."

Market demand

AtkinsRéalis works with clients across the infrastructure lifecycle, including advisory, engineering and programme delivery. Its funding and financing team advises governments, infrastructure owners and investors on how projects are structured and financed.

In the UK, this has included support for regional growth and investment programmes for mayoral combined authorities. Outside the UK, the group has advised on privately financed infrastructure schemes including Toronto's Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

Tasker's appointment suggests AtkinsRéalis sees growing demand for advice where public policy, project delivery and investor expectations meet. That is particularly relevant in sectors where public funding is constrained and schemes require a mix of government backing and private investment to proceed.

Private finance has long played a role in UK infrastructure, though projects have often struggled when commercial models failed to balance public objectives with investor returns. In recent years, rising construction costs, planning delays and political uncertainty have put further pressure on business cases.

Against that backdrop, advisers with experience across government and finance have become more prominent in efforts to shape projects before they reach the market. Early work on governance, risk allocation and funding structure can affect whether institutional capital is prepared to commit.

Tasker said: "As a strategic delivery partner across UK and Ireland infrastructure, AtkinsRéalis is positioned to be the integrator between public, private and finance organisations - helping to de-risk projects and incentivise investment. We know investors are interested in new and innovative models so I'm looking forward to working with clients to attract the investment, accelerate delivery and support sustainable growth for communities."