Cox takes over from John Jackson who had been in the position since 2008 and retired last month.

Her extensive experience spans a 25-year career in managing complex, multidisciplinary, infrastructure and civil engineering projects in the UK and internationally.

She started with Hochtief in 1990 when the German civil engineering giant was first establishing a foothold in the UK, working as a project manager for around 17 years before joining Laing O’Rourke as a civils project leader for three years.

Cox then spent five years in Australia as construction manager for Leighton Contractors before returning to the UK to work with Hochtief again.