Sean Auld

Executive Design Leadership for Giga-Scale Programmes

I help giga-project clients translate ambitious masterplans into governed, coordinated, delivery-ready programmes across complex stakeholder and consultant environments.

25+ years | 5 countries | $8B+ | Programme governance & delivery roadmaps

Design Director experience on major giga-scale programmes in Saudi Arabia.

$8bn+

Portfolio Value Directed

25+

Years Executive Design Leadership

5+

Countries (KSA, UAE, Oman, Qatar, UK)

10+

Iconic Giga-Scale / Landmark Programmes

What I Deliver

Translate ambitious design vision into structured, governed programmes that can be confidently approved and delivered.

Orchestrate complex, multi-consultant teams with clear interfaces, ownership, and accountability.

Align design outputs with programme sequencing, risk management, and commercial reality.

Recent Focus

Led strategic design governance across a major giga-scale urban programme in Saudi Arabia, aligning multidisciplinary teams, programme objectives, and delivery frameworks.

Focused on translating ambitious design vision into structured workstreams, coordinated decision-making, and leadership-ready outputs.

Strategic Experience Areas

  • City-scale Masterplanning

    Strategic evolution and delivery roadmaps for large-scale urban phases.

  • Development Programming

    Data-driven development strategy and asset-mix optimization aligned with phased growth.

  • Urban Innovation & Future Living
    Validation of high-density habitation models and strategic innovation frameworks.

  • Landmark Asset Coordination
    Definition and strategic integration of landmark infrastructure and destination assets.

  • Masterplan-to-Delivery Governance
    Converting early-stage vision, asset mix, consultant workstreams, and stakeholder inputs into coordinated, approvable delivery frameworks.

Selected project detail available on request due to confidentiality constraints.

How I Lead

Define

Establish clear scope, interfaces, and decision points across all stakeholders and disciplines.

Govern

Implement milestone frameworks and quality gates to maintain alignment, manage risk, and ensure delivery discipline.

Deliver

Synthesize complex outputs into concise, executive-ready packs that enable confident decision-making.

Selected Experience

Design Director — THE LINE, NEOM (KSA)

Leading multi-workstream design governance across city-scale masterplanning, development programming, and urban innovation for the world’s most ambitious megastructure.

Design Director — ECEC (KSA)

Directed large-scale mixed-use and infrastructure portfolios, bridging the gap between visionary design and commercial delivery sequencing.

Senior Project Manager — AECOM (UAE)

Managed multidisciplinary design and project teams for urban and mixed-use developments, coordinating interfaces between global consultants and regional stakeholders.

Project Director — HKS Architects (Dubai)

Directed large-scale healthcare and institutional design work for a private developer, coordinating multidisciplinary teams and maintaining rigorous quality standards across complex delivery environments.

Healthcare Programme Experience — Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Doha

Supported delivery-focused design leadership for HMC healthcare assets, aligning clinical requirements, operational performance, and stakeholder approvals into decision-ready packages.

Project Lead — HLM Architects (UK)

Led the design and technical delivery of large-scale healthcare infrastructure, including the Altnagelvin Area Hospital North & South Wings, ensuring rigorous compliance with clinical and performance standards.