About the Webinar

National Highways say that asset management is led by their people and supported through their processes and tools. Information is key to this, whereby teams bring together the information they have on the assets and the service delivered to their customers with the support of their suppliers.

In this month’s masterclass, we speak to Lila Tachtsi and Janvi Shah from National Highways to discuss their new Asset Management Policy and Approach.

We will also hear from Rob Gillespie from Hounslow Highways who will give a local roads perspective on asset management to show differences between managing a high speed linear network and managing a local area network where modes and people live and move about together.  

Who is this Webinar for?

This webinar is open to both CIHT Members and non-members. It will be of particular interest to those wanting to learn about meeting the needs of a varied customer base.  

Why attend?

• Learn from case studies that look at both our Strategic Road Network but also smaller local roads too
• Opportunity to pose questions to asset management specialists
• Further your CPD and push your career and knowledge forward in the sector

Speakers

Lila Tachtsi FREng, Assert Management Director, National Highways

National Highways Asset Management Policy and Approach – our direction for future

Synopsis: This presentation will cover the refreshed AM policy and approach describing the strategic direction towards end to end approach to asset management as well as setting out our journey to asset management maturity.

Biography: Lila Tachtsi (FREng) is the Asset Management Director at National Highways and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. With over 25 years experience in the transport sector in the UK in overseas, Lila is passionate about asset management. Lila has led the delivery of asset management projects for the Department for Transport, Transport Scotland, HS2, and numerous local highway authorities.

Through various positions Lila has built a deep understanding of the challenges that asset centric organisations face and has developed innovative, effective yet pragmatic solutions to address those challenges such as introducing new tools, processes and training to enable rapid yet effective improvement to asset management capability.

In addition, Lila is the Chair of the World Road Association UK and a member of the WRA Asset Management Technical Committee, a member of the ICE Professionalism Panel, a member of the IAM Council. Lila often presents at national and international conferences on the topic of asset management and today we had the opportunity ask Lila a handful of questions to learn more about National Highways’ asset management approach

Dr Janvi Shah, Head of Asset Management Strategy, National Highways

National Highways Asset Management Policy and Approach – what has changed and our direction for future

Synopsis: This presentation will cover the refreshed AM policy and approach describing the strategic direction towards end to end approach to asset management as well as setting out our journey to asset management maturity.

Biography: Dr Janvi Shah is the Head of Asset Management Strategy in National Highways responsible to lead the cross-directorate asset management transformation programme for the Company. Prior to joining National Highways, Janvi worked as an asset management consultant supporting various asset intensive organisations in rail, port authorities and utility organisations. Janvi is passionate about driving sustainable asset management solutions for organisations and sharing best practice with other sectors. Janvi is currently the vice-chair for the asset management board in UKLRG and is a visiting lecturer in University of Birmingham to share the practical industry learnings with academia.

Rob Gillespie, Chief Executive, Hounslow Highways Services and Director, VINCI Highways

Asset Management in the local, urban environment

Synopsis: Hounslow is a busy urban borough in west London with a dense highways network serving residents, businesses and the travelling public. The borough has a 25-year highways maintenance PFI that is reliant on a sound and innovative approach to asset management and network definition. The network in borough has been characterised to meet the needs of the user, and in turn that hierarchy is used to define performance standards and the long-term investment needs of the network, for the 25-year lifespan.

This presentation will show the development of a smart inventory and network classification that targets results for the predominant users through a link and place characterisation. Asset condition measurement and the modelling for long-term engineering requirements together with investment budgeting will be covered. This project was developed to show the value of high investment over a short period, to deliver long-term asset integrity and reduced future maintenance.

Key takeaways:

• The importance of a live and accurate network inventory
• What does good look like in asset management?
• Network characterisation based on user needs and outcomes
• Asset condition measurement and deterioration modelling for sound investment options

Biography: Rob has been in highways maintenance for 40 years initially in materials technology, analysis and testing for a local authority Highways Laboratory, taking a vocational route to personal development. This provided experience and knowledge, where much of his technical focus has remained, while broadening his career into senior management and the delivery of public services. Rob is an enthusiastic participant in the wider highways industry having chaired many committees within professional bodies and industry associations and has contributed to the development of highways standards and guidance through these avenues for many years. Most recently Rob has principally been delivering on long-term asset-based highways maintenance projects, where his career interest in asset management and the technical solutions for this, has been at the centre.

Rob is a past President of the Local Government Technical Advisers Group and has previously been a member of the UK Roads Board and UK Roads Liaison Group.