Meet Lee Buttaci, Head of Civil Engineering, ABL London
The team at ABL Group shares the passion, vision and values for working in energy and the world’s oceans, de-risking and driving the energy transition. We are driven by the idea that the best work is born from professionalism, diligence… and fun. You know ABL Group, but do you know our team?
Give us a glimpse into your day-to-day life at ABL. What keeps you on your toes?
Since joining ABL earlier this year, I’ve mainly been involved in a number of P&I casualty projects. Rather than focusing on the ships or vessels, my work has centred on marine civil infrastructure – assessing the extent of damage and identifying the likely repairs required.
Alongside this, I’ve also supported a few international projects involving civil works and taken part in client discussions as part of our business development efforts.
What drew you to our industry and what keeps you passionate about it?
I’ve always enjoyed the diversity and variety that comes with working in the maritime industry. No two projects, clients, or locations are ever quite the same (or at least, very rarely!).
Can you tell us about something exciting you are working on right now?
While many of the projects I’m involved in are confidential, I recently worked on civil works for a new subsea pipeline linked to a sour water processing plant on Das Island in the UAE.
This infrastructure will play a key role in reducing business risk for our client by providing operational redundancy in the event of any unforeseen issues, helping to ensure continuity and resilience in their operations.
Ports and harbours are key to the UK’s energy and maritime sectors. From a civil engineering perspective, what are some of the current challenges or opportunities in this space, and what do you think the future holds for the industry?
The drive for net zero presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the energy and maritime sectors – Ports in particular will be at the centre of most offshore energy developments, with respect to both the initial manufacturing and assembly plants or the subsequent operations and maintenance facilities, which will be needed to deliver the planned installed capacity by 2050.
It would be great for ABL to leverage all aspects of our experience and skills across these proposed future developments.
Beyond the work, what’s your favourite part about being part of the ABL Group team in London?
The London team has been incredibly welcoming, and I’ve been genuinely impressed by the depth of expertise within the group. I’ve particularly enjoyed the regular social events, which are a great way to build connections across the team. The Spring Curry Lunch (which was delicious!) and the monthly Market Briefings at the Lloyd’s Building stand out as excellent initiatives- not just for team engagement, but also for business development.
More about Lee
Position: Head of Civil Engineering (UK)
Office: ABL London
Hobbies: Walking, Skiing, Travelling, DIY (I have also been known to Skydive !!)
Favourite movie: The Shawshank Redemption
Favourite song: Let’s Groove – Earth, Wind & Fire
ABL’s Maritime Civil Engineers have a wide range of experience in providing Port Engineering Consultancy Services in design office and site-based projects for respective ports and multidisciplinary consulting and construction firms. Our experts have been engaged in management and commercial roles with responsibilities in feasibility studies, design management, contract administration, project risk assessments, programme and cost control, claim valuations and quality assurance.
Learn more about our work in Civil Engineering and the wider Ports and Harbours