Beckett Rankine is proud to announce the appointment of James Andrew Smith as Director. 

James, with more than 14 years of experience as a maritime and structural civil engineer, has been head of the firm’s first UK regional office in Bristol since it was established in 2020. Now in its fifth year, the Bristol team has grown under James’ leadership to account for a quarter of Beckett Rankine’s workforce, paving the way for the successful launch of the Glasgow office.  

James joins Tim Beckett and Gordon Rankine at the helm of the firm that they founded in 1985. The appointment follows a period of sustained growth and reflects a new strategic direction for the company. 

James expressed his enthusiasm for the role, saying:

“I am delighted to have been appointed as a Director of Beckett Rankine and would like to thank Tim and Gordon for their support. Having established the Bristol office five years ago, which now represents 25% of our team, I have seen first-hand the incredible potential within our company.  

“I look forward to helping Beckett Rankine flourish by driving technical excellence, expanding into new sectors, and delivering our new strategy, with a strong focus on sustainable and long-term growth.” 

James’ expertise is a core asset to Beckett Rankine’s capability in the fields of harbours, ports, energy, and heavy civil industries. He has led the design and management for a multitude of national and international projects at all stages, from initial concept through to construction, maintenance and beyond.  

Besides his excellence as a maritime civil engineer, James has proven himself an exceptional leader instrumental in shaping Beckett Rankine’s future objectives.

He also prioritises nurturing staff both professionally and pastorally, through Beckett Rankine’s highly rated ICE-accredited training scheme; as a trained Mental Health First Aider; and as an advocate for robust employee mentorship, well-being, recognition and support initiatives.   

Director and co-Founder, Gordon Rankine, said of the announcement: 

“We are delighted that James is stepping up to his new position of Director at Beckett Rankine.

“James will be responsible for port development and maritime projects across the UK and overseas, based at our office in Bristol that he set up 5 years ago. Our team now looks forward to further growth, with many more exciting and challenging projects ahead.” 

Fellow Director and co-Founder, Tim Beckett, shared his thoughts: 

 “It gives me great pleasure to welcome James Smith to his new role as a Director of Beckett Rankine. 

“Over the eight years since James joined Beckett Rankine, he has demonstrated exceptional technical capability and resourcefulness. James set up and, notwithstanding the disruption of Covid, successfully developed our Bristol office. He has also been instrumental in expanding the firm’s technical capabilities, enabling us to carry out complex designs of a range of bridge and linkspan projects.  

“Ever willing to share his knowledge, James has, for several years, overseen our Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) registered training scheme; a scheme which, I have been told by the ICE, is one of their most successful! In between these duties James even found time to serve as Chair of the ICE’s Bristol City Club. 

James joins our board of directors at an exciting time for the firm as we embrace radical changes in our industry, such as future fuels and net zero carbon. James is the ideal person to help us navigate these choppy uncharted waters.” 

James’ journey 

James earned his MSc in Structural Engineering from Cardiff University in 2013. 

After a spell at SNC-Lavalin, he joined Beckett Rankine as Senior Engineer in 2017, quickly rising to Principal Engineer in 2019 and overseeing the launch of the firm’s Bristol office just a year later. 

In 2023, James was both promoted to Associate Director and awarded the Institution of Civil Engineering Fellowship (FICE) – an impressive accolade for a 35-year-old and testament to his hard work and commitment to the engineering industry. 

James is double chartered with accreditations from the ICE and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST).