Leadership

lea leadership

Board Of Directors

Pinaki Roychowdhury, M.Tech.

CEO, LEA Group

Joined LEA in : 1994

Pinaki Roychowdhury joined LEA in 1994 as a Senior Highway Engineer and rose within the organization to become the Director of the LEA Group in 2004, Managing Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.) in 2006, and CEO of the LEA Group in 2017.

He is extremely proficient in implementing large infrastructure projects in the Transportation Sector, from conceptualization through to execution, namely in preparing Feasibility Studies, Detailed Engineering Design, Construction Management, Project Management and Contract Management across India, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, Botswana, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and more. Besides executing large highway and expressway projects funded by multilateral and bilateral funding agencies successfully, Pinaki has executed several projects under various P3 formats with concessionaires from both developed and developing countries, including the UK, Spain, Dubai, Malaysia, India, and Bangladesh.

Under his leadership, LEA has expanded into several Asian and African countries beyond Canada and India. Over the years, Pinaki has led, mentored, and built a team of professionals in the Engineering Division of LEA India and has been active in corporate affairs. Pinaki has been instrumental in laying a solid foundation for LEA with specialization in 7 distinct verticals and full-fledged non-technical support departments.

Education: M.Tech, Highway & Transportation Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 1992. B.A.Sc., B.E., Civil Engineering from Bengal Engineering College, University of Calcutta, 1991.
Years of Experience: 29

Dr. M. P. Raju Managing Director, LEA India

Dr. M. P. Raju

Managing Director, LEA India

Dr. M.P. Raju is Managing Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.), President-cum-Director of LEA International Ltd., and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of both the LEA Group and LEA India.

As a co-founder of LEA India, Dr. Raju was instrumental in its development, establishing a new standard for delivering consulting services and setting the stage for the company’s evolution into a leading engineering and planning consulting services provider. From early days, Dr. Raju focused on strengthening strategic partnerships with various clients, and remained deeply involved in all spheres of project development for ensuring client success in all the assignments. This resulted in evolving the business model for the newly established LEA India and building its reputation for maintaining high standards of quality and ethics among our clientele.

Dr. Raju has over 36 years of experience in Traffic Engineering, Transport Planning and Economics. He is known for his expertise in drafting Policies, Preparation of Plans at all levels, Economic Analysis and Evaluation, Financial Appraisals, Undertaking Institutional Development and Capacity Building Assignments including Formulating Reform Action Plans, and Training Plans. Furthermore, he is known for his excellence in guiding teams with innovative approaches in Socio-Economic Evaluation Programs and Projects, Environmental Assessments, and Formulating Vision and Master Plans at urban, regional and national levels. Besides his technical skills, he has significantly contributed towards LEA’s business growth and diversification. He heads the planning units of LEA India, and supervises multi-disciplinary teams to achieve innovative and scientific solutions for infrastructure development.

Dr. Raju has worked closely and widely with numerous provincial (or state) governments in addition to several Ministries of Government of India for the preparation of policy documents, plans and programs apart from Feasibility Studies and DPRs, Project Financing/Business and Investment Plans, Preparation and Implementation of Institutional and Capacity Building Reform Action Plans and Projects, Training Plans, Socio-Economic Impact Assessment Projects, etc., which have been highly appreciated for their innovation and delivery. Many of these projects are linked with multilateral funding agencies such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and African Development bank.

Dr. Raju is part of India Canada Business Council (ICBC) that promotes bi-lateral trade and services the two countries. He has been regularly giving talks on the request of Global Affairs, Canada; Canada India Business Council (CIBC); and Infrastructure Ontario in Toronto, Canada.

Dr. Raju has served on various committees of national importance such as the G-6 Committee of Indian Roads Congress on Multi-Modal Transport System of India towards formulating guidelines (an active member) and Vision 2047 of the Government of India to provide inputs on the Transport Sector. He is a member of several professional institutions in India and abroad such as Life Member, Indian Roads Congress; Member, Chartered Institute of Transport, United Kingdom; Fellow, Institute of Town Planners India; Fellow, Indian Institute of Engineers and many more. He served as a Member of Board of Studies of School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi; CEPT University, Ahmedabad; National Institute of Technology, Warangal; etc. Additionally, he has also been an examiner at Post Graduate and Ph.D. programs. Dr. Raju attended several national and international conferences, and authored over 20 technical papers.

Education: Bachelor's of Civil Engineering from Osmania University, Hyderabad (1984); Master of Planning (with specialization in Transport Planning) from School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi (1987); Ph.D. in Transport Planning from School of Planning & Architecture, India (1996).
Years of Experience: 36+

Terry Wallace President, LEA Canada

Terry Wallace, P.Eng.

President, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 1989

Terry is the President of LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.). In his 30+ years at LEA, Terry’s experience has spanned transportation planning, engineering design, and construction projects for both public and private sector clients. These projects have included Light Rail Transit (LRT), subway stations, bus terminals and commuter parking lots, new and improved roadways, bridges and interchanges, and land development projects involving new mixed-use communities and commercial, industrial and institutional uses.

Terry first joined LEA as an Engineer-in-Training in 1989, and quickly ascended to the role of Transportation Engineer and Project Manager in the mid-1990s. In 2003, Terry became a Director of the Board of the LEA Group, which oversees the firm’s operations in Canada and abroad. In 2005, Terry was promoted to Vice-President of Transportation Engineering, responsible for the management of LEA’s Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering Group. Throughout the years Terry has also been active in travelling to other countries where LEA has been involved in infrastructure projects. In 2017 Terry took over as President, LEA Canada, having brought a wealth of multi-disciplinary planning & engineering experience, along with corporate experience from his roles in the management of LEA. This experience assists Terry in developing his vision for LEA and establishing and implementing Strategic Plans.

Outside of work, you can find Terry staying physically and mentally fit by playing golf with friends, working out, and walking along the Waterfront Trails of Toronto. Terry also enjoys spending weekends with family and friends and puts on a good barbeque!

Education: Professional Engineer (P.Eng), Geometric Design, Northwestern University, 1999; Advanced Intersection Analysis with Computer Models, University of Florida, 1994; B.Eng., Department of Civil Engineering, Ryerson University, 1989
Years of Experience: 34

Biswarup Mukherjee Executive Director, LEA India

Biswarup Mukherjee

Executive Director, LEA India

Joined LEA in : 2005

Biswarup Mukherjee is an Executive Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.), and also serves as a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Mukherjee first joined the organization in 2005. As part of the senior management staff, he is involved in strategic planning, corporate decision making, and the policy formulation of the organization.

Biswarup is instrumental in identifying and expanding overseas business and continues to lead the team working in highway sector projects abroad, both for project execution and pursuing business prospects. He also oversees select domestic projects.

Biswarup has over 25 years of rich and varied experience in design, project management, and contract administration of highway sector projects in India, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Mauritius, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Sultanate of Oman. As a team leader, Biswarup guides and motivates multidisciplinary teams to complete projects to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

Education: M. Tech. from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and a university silver medalist in Bachelor’s course.
Years of Experience: 25+

Chris Sidlar Vice President & Co-Practice Area Lead, Transportation, LEA Canada

Chris Sidlar, M.Sc.Pl., MCIP, RPP

Vice President & Co-Practice Area Lead, Transportation, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2006

Chris is a Vice President and Co-Practice Area Lead of Transportation at LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.). He has been with the firm for 15 years. Since joining LEA, Chris has developed a wealth of experience coordinating and managing master plans, environmental assessments, and transportation operation studies for both public and private sector clients. In his capacity as Practice Area Lead, in combination with Ken Chan, will be responsible for developing and implementing the goals and objectives for the Transportation related services within LEA Canada. Specifically, Chris will be providing a focus in the areas of the transportation planning and policy.

Chris is perceptive, thoughtful, and has developed a specialized understanding of the intersection between multi-modal transportation planning and engineering principles. He is accomplished in developing effective policies and implementation plans and is often called upon to assess the needs of pedestrians and cyclists, promoting mode shifts to non-auto uses. 

Chris has served in a variety of capacities within LEA, continually taking on new responsibilities and growing LEA's presence in transportation planning in the public sector. Over the last 15 years, he has completed many high-profile projects including the Reconfiguration of Front Street at Union Station, the Scarborough Centre Transportation Master Plan, Richmond Hill Downtown Transportation and Parking Study, and the Steeles Avenue East Grade Separation at the Stouffville GO Rail Corridor.

Aside from his past project experience, Chris is also a regular contributor to industry conferences including the Transportation Association of Canada and the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers, and has been published in the Journal of Environmental Management and the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association Journal for his work on the usability and utility of online collaboration tools.

Outside of work, Chris enjoys running, carpentry, and cooking with his family.

Education: MScPl, University of Toronto, 2009. BA in Urban, Economic and Social Geography, University of Toronto, 2006.
Years of Experience: 15 

John Ford Vice President, Building Structures, LEA Canada

John Ford, P.Eng., LEED AP

Vice President, Building Structures, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2015

John is the Vice President of our Building Structures practice area for LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.). John has experience from across the country, having practiced in both eastern and western Canada. Primarily his work has focused on new building structures in the public sector, including cultural, education, emergency services, healthcare, libraries, civic, sports and recreation, and transit projects. Although he also has experience in the private sector, including commercial and residential projects. Recently, John has been designing Mass Timber structures for many projects because the inherent biophilic and environmental benefits of this renewable material.

Throughout John’s career, he always sought to develop innovative and efficient solutions that maximize value. Through this pursuit, he discovered the benefit of working in collaborative teams that provide designers access to those who will execute the construction. He’s been extensively involved in alternative delivery methods such as design-build, Public-Private Partnership (P3), and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). More recently, he’s been a Director for the Integrated Project Delivery Alliance, that focuses on the adoption of collaborative delivery models of all types.

Away from the office, you’ll find John spending time with family, trucking his children to their extra-curriculars, and getting his hands dirty building things!

Education: B.Sc., Civil Engineering, Queen’s University, 2000, M.Sc., Civil Engineering, Queen’s University, 2004
Years of Experience: 20+

Leo Rojas Senior Vice President Contract Administration, LEA Canada

Leo Rojas, P.Eng.

Senior Vice President Contract Administration, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2001

Leo Rojas is a Senior Vice President and the head of the Construction Administration practice at LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.). Leo has been involved in municipal design and contract administration for the last 25 years. He is analytical when it comes to project sequencing and completion strategies for maximum efficiency, productivity, and profitability. He is also adept at project budgeting and cost analysis with an accomplished background in estimating.

Leo has a vast amount of project management experience on provincial and international construction projects, including the construction and rehabilitation of highways, bridges, and municipal infrastructure. In the design field, he has been responsible for planning and designing water supply and sewage systems, drainage structures, retention ponds, hydrologic/hydraulic models for watershed and streams, and Stormwater management – including the effects of urban development.

Outside of work, Leo is the proud father of three wonderful children and enjoys photography and artisan cheese making.

Education: P.Eng
Years of Experience: 25

Pradeep Kumar Executive Director, LEA India

Pradeep Kumar

Executive Director, LEA India

Joined LEA in : 1998

Pradeep Kumar is an Executive Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.), who started his career with the firm in 1998 as a new postgraduate. Today, he leads the Traffic and Transport sector, one of the core sectors in LEA’s portfolio. Pradeep has been dedicated to the organization as a young professional, project manager, coordinator of small to large consultancy assignments, and now as head of the sector. He is known for his clear approach, professional management skills, and understanding of the domain.

Pradeep is in charge of the overall traffic and transportation sector, its business expansion from project initiation to execution, and responsible for providing valuable suggestions for strategic growth to the sector and firm. He has over 20 years of experience in traffic engineering, transport planning/modeling, and institutional development & capacity building for road management systems in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman, Ethiopia, Uganda and Mauritius.

Pradeep is a member of several professional institutions such as the Indian Roads Congress, Institute of Urban Transport, Institute of Town Planning of India, and more. Additionally, he has published technical papers in several professional journals.

Education: B.Sc. (Civil Engineering) from Bihar Institute of Technology, Sindri, Bihar (now Jharkhand) in 1995 and Master of Planning (Transport) from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi in 1998
Years of Experience: 23

Rick Krutzler Senior Vice President Highways & Structures, LEA Canada

Rick Krutzler, P.Eng.

Senior Vice President Highways & Structures, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2002

Rick Krutzler is a Senior Vice President and head of the Highways & Structures practice at LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.) with 20+ years of experience in the field of bridge and heavy civil structural engineering. Rick has been responsible for project management, structural design of engineering projects, and construction supervision of both new and rehabilitation structures. He is experienced in detailed structural inspections of bridges and transit structures and is experienced in preliminary design field involving both rehabilitation and replacement alternatives.

Rick comes from a background in construction. After graduating, he spent a good portion of his career inspecting existing structures and conducting detail design of complex bridge and transit structures. He has led engineering design teams in the detail and rehabilitation design of bridges and underground subway stations in existing operating environments where constructability and complex staging is a major undertaking. His experience on projects also includes scheduling, cost estimating, and constructability, along with engineering support through construction involving dealing with site conditions and resolving construction related issues.

Outside work, he spends time with his beloved friends and his family. During summer, he can be found up at the cottage and in the winter, playing hockey or skiing whenever possible.

Education: P.Eng., Ontario, M.A.Sc., University of Toronto, B.A.Sc., University of Waterloo
Years of Experience: 20+

Leadership Team

Pinaki Roychowdhury CEO, LEA Group

Pinaki Roychowdhury, M.Tech.

CEO, LEA Group

Joined LEA in : 1994

Pinaki Roychowdhury joined LEA in 1994 as a Senior Highway Engineer and rose within the organization to become the Director of the LEA Group in 2004, Managing Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.) in 2006, and CEO of the LEA Group in 2017.

He is extremely proficient in implementing large infrastructure projects in the Transportation Sector, from conceptualization through to execution, namely in preparing Feasibility Studies, Detailed Engineering Design, Construction Management, Project Management and Contract Management across India, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, Botswana, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and more. Besides executing large highway and expressway projects funded by multilateral and bilateral funding agencies successfully, Pinaki has executed several projects under various P3 formats with concessionaires from both developed and developing countries, including the UK, Spain, Dubai, Malaysia, India, and Bangladesh.

Under his leadership, LEA has expanded into several Asian and African countries beyond Canada and India. Over the years, Pinaki has led, mentored, and built a team of professionals in the Engineering Division of LEA India and has been active in corporate affairs. Pinaki has been instrumental in laying a solid foundation for LEA with specialization in 7 distinct verticals and full-fledged non-technical support departments.

Education: M.Tech, Highway & Transportation Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 1992.
B.A.Sc., B.E., Civil Engineering from Bengal Engineering College, University of Calcutta, 1991.
Years of Experience: 29

Terry Wallace President, LEA Canada

Terry Wallace, P.Eng.

President, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 1989

Terry is the President of LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.). In his 35+ years at LEA, Terry’s experience has spanned transportation planning, engineering design, and construction projects for both public and private sector clients. These projects have included Light Rail Transit (LRT), subway stations, bus terminals and commuter parking lots, new and improved roadways, bridges and interchanges, and land development projects involving new mixed-use communities and commercial, industrial and institutional uses.

Terry first joined LEA as an Engineer-in-Training in 1989, and quickly ascended to the role of Transportation Engineer and Project Manager in the mid-1990s. In 2003, Terry became a Director of the Board of the LEA Group, which oversees the firm’s operations in Canada and abroad. In 2005, Terry was promoted to Vice-President of Transportation Engineering, responsible for the management of LEA’s Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering Group. Throughout the years Terry has also been active in travelling to other countries where LEA has been involved in infrastructure projects. In 2017 Terry took over as President, LEA Canada, having brought a wealth of multi-disciplinary planning & engineering experience, along with corporate experience from his roles in the management of LEA. This experience assists Terry in developing his vision for LEA and establishing and implementing Strategic Plans.

Outside of work, you can find Terry staying physically and mentally fit by playing golf with friends, working out, and walking along the Waterfront Trails of Toronto. Terry also enjoys spending weekends with family and friends and puts on a good barbeque!

Education: Professional Engineer (P.Eng), Geometric Design, Northwestern University, 1999.
Advanced Intersection Analysis with Computer Models, University of Florida, 1994.
B.Eng., Department of Civil Engineering, Ryerson University, 1989.
Years of Experience: 35

Dr. M. P. Raju Managing Director, LEA India

Dr. M. P. Raju

Managing Director, LEA India

Dr. M.P. Raju is Managing Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.), President-cum-Director of LEA International Ltd., and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of both the LEA Group and LEA India.

As a co-founder of LEA India, Dr. Raju was instrumental in its development, establishing a new standard for delivering consulting services and setting the stage for the company’s evolution into a leading engineering and planning consulting services provider. From early days, Dr. Raju focused on strengthening strategic partnerships with various clients, and remained deeply involved in all spheres of project development for ensuring client success in all the assignments. This resulted in evolving the business model for the newly established LEA India and building its reputation for maintaining high standards of quality and ethics among our clientele.

Dr. Raju has over 36 years of experience in Traffic Engineering, Transport Planning and Economics. He is known for his expertise in drafting Policies, Preparation of Plans at all levels, Economic Analysis and Evaluation, Financial Appraisals, Undertaking Institutional Development and Capacity Building Assignments including Formulating Reform Action Plans, and Training Plans. Furthermore, he is known for his excellence in guiding teams with innovative approaches in Socio-Economic Evaluation Programs and Projects, Environmental Assessments, and Formulating Vision and Master Plans at urban, regional and national levels. Besides his technical skills, he has significantly contributed towards LEA’s business growth and diversification. He heads the planning units of LEA India, and supervises multi-disciplinary teams to achieve innovative and scientific solutions for infrastructure development.

Dr. Raju has worked closely and widely with numerous provincial (or state) governments in addition to several Ministries of Government of India for the preparation of policy documents, plans and programs apart from Feasibility Studies and DPRs, Project Financing/Business and Investment Plans, Preparation and Implementation of Institutional and Capacity Building Reform Action Plans and Projects, Training Plans, Socio-Economic Impact Assessment Projects, etc., which have been highly appreciated for their innovation and delivery. Many of these projects are linked with multilateral funding agencies such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and African Development bank.

Dr. Raju is part of India Canada Business Council (ICBC) that promotes bi-lateral trade and services the two countries. He has been regularly giving talks on the request of Global Affairs, Canada; Canada India Business Council (CIBC); and Infrastructure Ontario in Toronto, Canada.

Dr. Raju has served on various committees of national importance such as the G-6 Committee of Indian Roads Congress on Multi-Modal Transport System of India towards formulating guidelines (an active member) and Vision 2047 of the Government of India to provide inputs on the Transport Sector. He is a member of several professional institutions in India and abroad such as Life Member, Indian Roads Congress; Member, Chartered Institute of Transport, United Kingdom; Fellow, Institute of Town Planners India; Fellow, Indian Institute of Engineers and many more. He served as a Member of Board of Studies of School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi; CEPT University, Ahmedabad; National Institute of Technology, Warangal; etc. Additionally, he has also been an examiner at Post Graduate and Ph.D. programs. Dr. Raju attended several national and international conferences, and authored over 20 technical papers.

Education: Bachelor's of Civil Engineering from Osmania University, Hyderabad (1984).
Master of Planning (with specialization in Transport Planning) from School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi (1987).
Ph.D. in Transport Planning from School of Planning & Architecture, India (1996).
Years of Experience: 36+

Rick Baldasti Vice President Civil, LEA Canada

Rick Baldasti, P.Eng.

Vice President Civil, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 1997

Rick is a Vice President and head of the Civil practice at LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.). He has been with the firm for over 20 years. During this time, he has played a key role in a diverse mix of highway, transit, civil, municipal, and private sector projects throughout Ontario.

Rick has been responsible in various lead capacities on numerous assignments involving the preliminary and detail design of highways, municipal roads, transit infrastructure, site servicing, Storm Water Management (SWM), site development, parking facilities, complex traffic staging, construction sequencing, and challenging utility conflict mitigation and relocations. Rick’s expertise is even broader in scope, with experience in conceptual and functional design, road safety reviews, property acquisition planning, coordination of approvals and permits, SWM and site servicing reports, value engineering exercises, environmental approvals and assessments, contract administration, and several large-scale design-build ventures.

Outside work, Rick looks forward to heading north to his family cottage near Mactier, Ontario where he enjoys quality time on the lake with family and close friends.

Education: P.Eng., Dipl T., Civil Engineering, Centennial College, B.Eng., Civil Engineering, Lakehead University
Years of Experience: 24

Pradyot Biswas Executive Director, LEA India

Pradyot Biswas

Executive Director, LEA India

Pradyot Biswas is an Executive Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd).
Prior to joining LEA India, Mr. Biswas had worked with various reputable consultancy and construction companies in India. He has over 25 years of versatile experiences in design, construction, supervision, material/geotechnical investigation and testing in roads and highways, bridges and structures and other infrastructure projects in India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. He has been associated with LEA since 2002 and worked in various capacities in design and construction projects. Pradyot is in charge of several design, construction supervision, and project management consultancy services in roads and highways, as well as bridges and structures in India and abroad. He is also involved in the strategic planning and business expansion of LEA's highways and railways practices in India and Asia.

He is member of several professional institutions such as Indian Roads Congress and Indian Geotechnical Society. He has published technical papers on problematic soils and ground improvement. He has also delivered lectures as a guest faculty to the National Institute of Training for Highway Engineers (NITHE), Noida.

Education: Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Bengal Engineering College, Sibpore (1991), Masters of Engineering in Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering from Bengal Engineering College, Sibpore (1993)
Years of Experience: 25+

Kenneth Chan Senior Vice President Transportation, LEA Canada

Kenneth Chan, P.Eng., PTOE, PMP

Senior Vice President Transportation, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2002

Kenneth Chan is a Senior Vice President and head of the Transportation practice at LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.). Kenneth has over 19 years of experience in Transportation Engineering. He is a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE) with the Transportation Professional Certification Board Inc., a member of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), and a certified Professional Project Manager (PMP) with the Project Management Institute. Kenneth has been with LEA since 2002, taking on many roles within the Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering Group.

Throughout his career, Kenneth has worked on numerous large scale public sector projects including the Finch West Station construction design, Eglinton Crosstown LRT traffic management, and the Hurontario-Main LRT Traffic Operational Assessment. He has also conducted and supervised over 200 transportation related traffic reports, including Transportation Impact Studies, Traffic Impact Assessments, Traffic Operational Studies, Traffic Corridor Studies, Parking Studies, Loading Studies and Traffic Demand Management Plans. Additionally, Kenneth has extensive experience with small- and medium-scale detailed design, tender packages preparation, and construction administration of road widening and intersection improvement projects.

Outside of work, Kenneth enjoys renovating and spending time with his family by exploring nature and the urban fabric of Downtown Toronto via the public transportation system.

Education: B.A.Sc., (Civil Engineering / Software for Engineering Option), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo
Years of Experience: 19+

Ronald Chiu Chief Financial Officer, The LEA Group

Ronald Chiu, CPA, CA, MBA

Chief Financial Officer, The LEA Group

Joined LEA in : 2019

Ronald Chiu is the Chief Financial Officer of the LEA Group. Ronald is a finance professional with 25 years of experience, 12 of which were senior management positions at consulting engineering firms. He is a designated chartered public accountant (CPA, CA) and holds an MBA from the University of Toronto. Ronald has extensive experience in merger and acquisition (M&A) activities as a strategic hire at MMM Group during their growth years, overseeing the organization as it tripled in size over 6 years. He also took on a leading role integrating the company’s growth with the existing business and worked closely with staff and key stakeholders to develop financial processes and systems that drove the entity forward.

Prior to joining the engineering industry, Ronald spent 11 years at public accounting firms and major publicly-traded companies. There, he provided guidance from management positions in accounting and tax, including design and implementation of corporate and shareholder structures for tax planning purposes. He is also experienced implementing multiple project-based accounting systems at different organizations from the ground up to support new and existing businesses.

Outside work, Ronald enjoys travelling, jogging, singing, reading, and watching movies, as well as spending time with family and friends.

Education: Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), CPA Canada. MBA, University of Toronto. B.Com., University of Toronto.
Years of Experience: 25

J.K. Das Executive Director, LEA India

J.K. Das

Executive Director, LEA India

Joined LEA in : 1197

J.K. Das is an Executive Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd). He started his career with LEA India in 1997 with the responsibility for managing the Pavement & Materials Engineering team.

Over the course of his career he has led many design teams of specialist engineers in domestic and overseas assignments. His teams have been called upon to troubleshoot complex premature failures of structural works, embankments, hill slopes, asphalt pavements, and landslides. He has over 28 years of experience in highway design and construction projects in India, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Mauritius, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He is also a member of several professional institutions.

Education: B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from MIT, Muzaffarpur in 1991
Years of Experience: 28+

John Ford Vice President, Building Structures, LEA Canada

John Ford, P.Eng., LEED AP

Vice President, Building Structures, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2015

John is the Vice President of our Building Structures practice area for LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.). John has experience from across the country, having practiced in both eastern and western Canada. Primarily his work has focused on new building structures in the public sector, including cultural, education, emergency services, healthcare, libraries, civic, sports and recreation, and transit projects. Although he also has experience in the private sector, including commercial and residential projects. Recently, John has been designing Mass Timber structures for many projects because the inherent biophilic and environmental benefits of this renewable material.

Throughout John’s career, he always sought to develop innovative and efficient solutions that maximize value. Through this pursuit, he discovered the benefit of working in collaborative teams that provide designers access to those who will execute the construction. He’s been extensively involved in alternative delivery methods such as design-build, Public-Private Partnership (P3), and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). More recently, he’s been a Director for the Integrated Project Delivery Alliance, that focuses on the adoption of collaborative delivery models of all types.

Away from the office, you’ll find John spending time with family, trucking his children to their extra-curriculars, and getting his hands dirty building things!

Education: B.Sc., Civil Engineering, Queen’s University, 2000. M.Sc.,Civil Engineering, Queen’s University, 2004
Years of Experience: 20+

Anupam Gupta Executive Director, LEA India

Anupam Gupta

Executive Director, LEA India

Anupam Gupta is an Executive Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.), and Director of LEA International Ltd. He has more than 31 years of extensive experience in pavement design, evaluation of highway construction materials, construction management, contract management, and project management.

His broad global perspective has helped the company expand its horizons. He has several important projects to his credit in India and abroad, involving pavement design / rehabilitation and construction supervision. He has excellent knowledge of the latest technology on road construction. Additionally, His experience as a materials engineer for various detailed engineering design projects and feasibility studies have been a valuable addition to his career path.

Anupam also manages many other key functions in LEA India including business development, human resources, and administration. He has a reputation for technological excellence, professionalism, and for pioneering a system that helps to consistently improve our in-house engineering capabilities.

Education: B.E in Civil Engineering, Gold Medalist from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand (1988)
Years of Experience: 31+

Rick Krutzler Senior Vice President Highways & Structures, LEA Canada

Rick Krutzler, P.Eng.

Senior Vice President Highways & Structures, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2002

Pradeep Kumar Executive Director, LEA India

Pradeep Kumar

Executive Director, LEA India

Joined LEA in : 1998

Biswarup Mukherjee Executive Director, LEA India

Biswarup Mukherjee

Executive Director, LEA India

Joined LEA in : 2005

Arumugam Panneerselvam Executive Director, LEA India

Arumugam Panneerselvam

Executive Director, LEA India

Dr. Arumugam Panneerselvam is an Executive Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.). Dr. A. Panneerselvam has over 35 years of rich experience in urban and regional development, as well as socio-economic and public policy planning. Dr. A. Panneerselvam has the rare distinction of working experience on several consultancy and research projects funded by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, various Indian infrastructure funding agencies, central government, and many state governments in India. He has experience working in over 22 states in India.

As a key member of the LEA India corporate strategy group, Dr. A. Panneerselvam is responsible for the formulation and execution of the company's global strategy. Dr. A. Pannerselvam has been at the head of several key strategic transitions in LEA India, including expanding its business portfolio both domestically and abroad. His effective consultation skills enable him to successfully involve project stakeholders in key decision-making processes.

Dr. A. Panneerselvam is a senior member of the several urban and regional professional societies. He is also a regular contributor to conferences and seminars on infrastructure planning in India. He has authored many technical and research papers on urban, regional, environmental, and social planning issues.

Education: Doctorate in urban and regional planning from University of Sheffield, UK (1996) after obtaining two post-graduations Town and Country Planning from Anna University, Chennai, India (1984); as well as Applied Geography from University of Madras, India (1982)
Years of Experience: 35+

Atahar Parvez Executive Director, LEA India

Atahar Parvez

Executive Director, LEA India

Joined LEA in : 1995

Dr. Atahar Parvez Daulatabadi is an Executive Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.) and has been a part of the team since 1995. He has over 28 years of experience, largely in highway construction supervision, project management, contract management, and design projects. He has vast hands-on experience on many large projects in India and aboard, including those funded by international funding agencies and governments as well as P3 projects.

Dr. Parvez graduated in Civil Engineering (B.E., Civil) and has a master's degree (M. Tech) in Highways and Transportation Engineering. Additionally, he holds a doctorate in Civil Engineering. Besides this, Dr. Atahar Parvez is a member of Institute of Engineers, India (F.I.E) and Life Member of Indian Roads Congress. In addition to heading LEA India’s Mumbai (Thane) office, he shares the responsibility of project management, business development, and other corporate tasks.

Education: Civil Engineering (B.E., Civil), Master's degree (M. Tech) in Highways and Transportation Engineering, Doctorate in Civil Engineering.
Years of Experience: 28+

Subir Kumar Podder Executive Director, LEA India

Subir Kumar Podder

Executive Director, LEA India

Subir Kumar Podder is an Executive Director of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.). He has 30+ years of working experience in construction supervision, technical audit, quality assurance, feasibility studies, costing, and detailed design for: construction, reconstruction, strengthening, widening, rehabilitation, maintenance, and upgrades of roads and highways.

Subir heads the Highway Design Department of LEA India. He leads a team of engineers and delivers design engineering solutions for our valued clients in India and abroad. Besides working on many prestigious projects in India, Subir also has experience in overseas countries including Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, Ghana, and Bangladesh.

Education: Masters in Civil Engineering with membership in many professional societies. Undergone technical and leadership trainings in India and Canada
Years of Experience: 30+

Leo Rojas Senior Vice President Contract Administration, LEA Canada

Leo Rojas, P.Eng.

Senior Vice President Contract Administration, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2001

Leo Rojas is a Senior Vice President and the head of the Construction Administration practice at LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.). Leo has been involved in municipal design and contract administration for the last 20 years. He is analytical when it comes to project sequencing and completion strategies for maximum efficiency, productivity, and profitability. He is also adept at project budgeting and cost analysis with an accomplished background in estimating.

Leo has a vast amount of project management experience on provincial and international construction projects, including the construction and rehabilitation of highways, bridges, and municipal infrastructure. In the design field, he has been responsible for planning and designing water supply and sewage systems, drainage structures, retention ponds, hydrologic/hydraulic models for watershed and streams, and Stormwater management – including the effects of urban development.

Outside of work, Leo is the proud father of three wonderful children and enjoys photography and artisan cheese making.

Education: P.Eng
Years of Experience: 20

Shahé Sagharian Vice President Buildings, LEA Canada

Shahé Sagharian, P.Eng.

Vice President Buildings, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2014

Shahé Sagharian is a Vice President and head of the Building Structures practice at LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.) with 30+ years of experience. Shahé joined LEA in 2014, after spending time with Halsall Associates since 1989. Shahé has designed and managed a wide variety of structures for new buildings and renovations encompassing commercial, institutional and cultural facilities. He has particular expertise in dealing with the special needs of work both in, and adjacent to, existing structures.

Shahé has successfully managed hundreds of multi-million dollar projects, including highly complex infrastructure developments, across the Greater Toronto Area and the Middle East. In 2006 he established Halsall’s Business in Dubai. He brings innovation, energy and enthusiasm to all of his projects and strives to bring new ideas to the table to make each project unique and cost effective.

Outside of work, Shahé likes to spend time experiencing built forms of the world - both man made and naturally created. He likes to follow the latest trends in building architecture and public realms while spending considerable time outdoors learning the natural environment.

Education: P.Eng., B.Tech., Ryerson University
Years of Experience: 30+

Chris Sidlar Vice President & Co-Practice Area Lead, Transportation, LEA Canada

Chris Sidlar, M.Sc.Pl., MCIP, RPP

Vice President & Co-Practice Area Lead, Transportation, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2006

Outside of work, Chris enjoys running, carpentry, and cooking with his family.

Education: MScPl, University of Toronto, 2009. BA in Urban, Economic and Social Geography, University of Toronto, 2006.
Years of Experience: 15 

Chaoba Singh Chief Financial Officer, LEA India

Chaoba Singh

Chief Financial Officer, LEA India

Joined LEA in : 2006

Mr. Ksh. Chaoba Singh is the Chief Financial Officer of LEA India (LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.). Mr. Singh has more than 30 years of experience in accounting and finance. He has served as Financial Controller in a reputed consultancy firm for more than five years before starting his professional career with LEA in 2006.

As CFO, he plays a significant role in the organization's corporate policy making, financial growth and development. Additionally, he has been appointed as the Corporate Secretary of the company. He is also responsible for the finances and accounts of LEA International and serves there as the Corporate Secretary. Mr. Singh is responsible for a number of assignments including financial planning, resource mobilization and revenue management, public sector finance, financial management, feasibility studies, budgetary management, fund disbursement and business operations.

Mr. Singh is also in charge of maintaining financial discipline in the company. His role includes formulating a system for monitoring and controlling projects, proper MIS, corporate planning, tax planning and ROC. Additionally, he is responsible for formulating systems and controls for key aspects of projects, and projected cash inflow and outflow as related to budgeting to ensure the optimal utilization and provision of funds.

Years of Experience: 30+

Mahfuz Alam Vice President & Practice Area Lead, Transportation Infrastructure Design, LEA Canada

Mahfuz Alam, M.Eng., P. Eng.

Vice President & Practice Area Lead, Transportation Infrastructure Design, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2019

Mahfuz is the Vice President and lead of the Transportation Infrastructure Design practice area for LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.). Mahfuz has over 25 years of experience in the industry specializing in Highway Design. With more than 17 years of direct MTO experience, Mahfuz has been instrumental in helping build our strong portfolio of MTO projects throughout the province.

Mahfuz has been involved in all facets of the highway design process, including geometric design for urban and rural roadways, signalized and unsignalized intersection design, stormwater management, complex staging and detours, pavement marking, permanent/temporary signing, roadside safety and Highway Element Investment Review (HEIR) analysis. His experience also includes property acquisition and utility relocations; preparation of design criteria, tender drawings and documents; internal co-ordination of design disciplines; quality control; independent technical reviews; liaison with MTO project team members, municipalities, regions, utility companies, interest groups and property owners; the organization of public information centres; liaison and co-ordination of subconsultants; scheduling; and preparation of addendum/scope change requests.

Education: P.Eng., B.Tech., Ryerson University
Years of Experience: 25+

Nixon Chan Vice President Transportation Engineering, LEA Canada

Nixon Chan, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., PTOE, PMP

Vice President Transportation Engineering, LEA Canada

Joined LEA in : 2015

Nixon is a Vice President of Transportation Engineering at LEA Canada (LEA Consulting Ltd.), and he has been with the firm for over 8 years. Throughout this period, Nixon played a pivotal role in strengthening LEA’s presence in the land development industry. His remarkable contributions extend to expanding our client base and spearheading the development of a Project Management Pillar, aimed at elevating the quality of service provided to our clients.

Nixon has extensive experience in transportation planning studies, traffic impact assessments, traffic simulation, traffic operation studies, signal priority studies, corridor studies, signal coordination studies, traffic management studies, travel demand forecasting, environmental assessments, public consultation, and strategic transportation and parking studies. He has numerous experiences at OMB, LPAT, OLT and TLAB hearings; his involvement include the preparation of witness statements and evidence as well as being testified and cross-examined. Nixon has experience in large-scale project management and coordination. He was part of the Owner’s Engineer (OE) team and was working on behalf of York Region Rapid Transit Corporation (YRRTC) for the design-build phase of the bus rapid transitway (VivaNext) on Highway 7 in the Regional Municipality of York.

With over 20 years of experience under his belt, Nixon has had a distinguished career in the transportation planning and traffic engineering field. He has actively given back to our industry, by serving on the Institute of Transportation Engineers Toronto Section Executive, as a former President, where he led the Section to win two CITE Section Awards in 2013 and 2014. He is also the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Toronto SimCap User Group. He is presently a member of the CCG TLC Committee at CITE.

Outside of work, Nixon is a big soccer fan as he plays on a regular basis. He is also a toy collector with over two thousand figures in his collection. He enjoys watching TV dramas and movies as well as spending time with family and friends.

Education: Honours Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2001.
Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) in Civil Engineering specializing in Transportation Engineering, University of Waterloo, 2003.
Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE), Transportation Professional Certification Board Inc. (TPCB), 2008.
Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute (PMI), 2011.
Years of Experience: 20+