Stantec strengthens transportation team with two senior strategic hires

Feb. 7, 2019
Stantec has announced that Barbara Moffat has joined the firm as vice president, transportation in the US West, and Dr. Suhail Albhaisi has joined the firm as regional bridge leader and senior principal in the US Northeast.

Stantec has announced that Barbara Moffat has joined the firm as vice president, transportation in the US West, and Dr. Suhail Albhaisi has joined the firm as regional bridge leader and senior principal in the US Northeast. As strategic hires they will further strengthen Stantec’s rapidly expanding transportation practice.

“We are always striving to attract the best in the business to deliver projects for our clients, and I’m pleased to say that both Barbara and Suhail will help us continue to do that,” said Susan Walter, senior vice president, business leader, transportation. “Their experience and knowledge are extremely well-respected across the industry, and they will be a tremendous help as we execute on our major projects and grow our business.”

Barbara joins Stantec with 35 years of experience, and a technical background in structural engineering for light rail, bridges, and tunnels. She also brings experience as a risk management facilitator, is a certified ISO 9001:2015 lead auditor, and has expertise in contract review and negotiations, including developing standard contracting templates. As vice president and part of the leadership team for the Transportation Business Line, Barbara will manage the transportation design team; oversee business development for US West areas including Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco; and participate in specific projects where required.

“Stantec is leading and involved in some of the most exciting transportation projects in the United States.  I’m excited to lend my expertise in making them successful and winning more key projects in the West Region as we grow the market,” says Barbara. “It didn’t take long to get into the swing of things–I’m already actively engaged in helping with the successful delivery of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red and Purple Line Modernization Program.”

Suhail joins Stantec with over 20 years of experience focused on bridges, bringing extensive experience in bridge design and research. His research has focused on the design and construction of integral abutment bridges and seismic isolation of bridges. He is considered a national expert in the field of integral abutment bridges and is credited with numerous publications on the topic. Suhail has played a major role on signature bridge projects across the U.S., including the Alexander Hamilton Bridge in New York the Ohio River Bridge; the Downtown Crossing in Kentucky; and the California High Speed Rail Bridges. Suhail has also taught Bridge Engineering for graduate students at Rutgers University.

“Bridges are key to community connectivity and growth, as well as economic prosperity,” says Suhail. “Stantec is involved in numerous interesting bridge projects across the region, and I look forward to working with our design teams to deliver top quality work that our clients demand.”

Stantec has recently announced several significant project wins for its transportation group. In December 2018, Stantec was selected as the Lead Designer for the Chicago Transit Authority’s $2.1 billion Red and Purple Modernization Program. One year earlier, Stantec was named lead engineer on the Metropolitan Transit Agency’s $1.9 billion project to modernize and expand the Long Island Rail Road, the second-busiest commuter line in the United States. The firm was also selected to provide infrastructure engineering, procurement, and construction services on Montreal’s Réseau express métropolitain (light rail network), one of Quebec’s most important public transit projects.

Barbara will be based in Stantec’s Bellevue (33rd Place), WA office, while Suhail will be based in New York City.