Consultant has international profile.

CHARTERED engineer Jim Steer is a non-executive director of consultancy Steer, Davies, Gleave and has led a team advising the Northern Way on transport since February 2006.

The company was founded by Mr Steer in 1978 and has undertaken work on high-speed rail, the Northern Way's overall transport strategy and its submission to the Government's comprehensive spending review, which will set priorities for the coming years. He was managing director of SDG until March 2002, before heading to the now-defunct Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) as one of three managing directors with responsibility for strategic planning.

His secondment to the SRA ended in July 2005, and he rejoined SDG where he has taken a personal interest in the development of high-speed rail lines which he sees as an essential component of sustainable integrated transport.

According to his company's website, Mr Steer is also one of the country's leading authorities on transport with 35 years of consultancy experience on major projects in Britain, Europe, the Far East and Australasia.

His responsibilities as a director are to provide a forward and strategic view on the development of the company.

Mr Steer is also a director of the not-for-profit Greengauge 21 organisation which wrote the report backing development of the North-West route.

CAPTION(S):

HIGH REGARD: Jim Steer advises the Northern Way.