Sekai Nyambo is a Senior Consultant and Chartered Quantity Surveyor with 16 years of commercial and contracts experience in the engineering and construction industries. Her portfolio includes major, complex projects across a wide range of market sectors throughout the UK, Europe and South Africa. These include process and energy (hydroelectric, nuclear, wind farms, oil and gas), infrastructure (highways, railways, airports), and buildings (commercial facilities, education, housing).

As a member of HKA’s quantum team, Sekai assists experts on a range of dispute resolution matters such as prolongation, disruption, acceleration, completion and variations.

She has provided contractual, commercial administration and management services for a broad range of stakeholders: large transport authorities, including Highways England, Network Rail, London Underground and British Airports Authority (now Heathrow Airport Holdings) in the UK; local authorities; national and international government departments and parastatals; major contractors and subcontractors; and housing associations.

In 2015, Sekai spent 7 months on assignment to South Africa where she was an integral member of Eskom’s commercial team on the US$3.5bn Ingula Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Scheme project.

Earlier in her career, she gained valuable experience in estimating, budget preparation, tender documentation and procedures, valuations, measurements, managing variation accounts, and negotiating and settling final accounts for public and private sector employers.

Sekai’s experience of standard forms of construction contracts include JCT, NEC, GC Works, PPC 2000 and ICE.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

BUILDINGS

Shepherds Bush Council, Irish Cultural Centre, London, UK (2017)
Providing quantum expert advisory report in respect of a disruption and prolongation claim on a social housing scheme in west London ahead of adjudication proceedings.

Defence Estates, UK (2004)
Consultant undertaking forensic auditing on the procurement and management of maintenance and minor works on MOD sites throughout the UK.

Holiday Centre, Sherwood, Nottinghamshire, UK (2004)
Consultant working as part of a team in adjudication on behalf of the referring party on a dispute concerning a loss and expense claim on a holiday resort construction project in Nottinghamshire.

East Surrey College, Reigate, UK (2001)
Assisted as contract administrator on an arts and media centre at a sixth form college in Reigate. Role included preparing contract documents for execution, issuing notices and certificates in accordance with the contract, managing the risk register, issuing instructions, administrating change control procedures, and coordinating, preparing and issuing construction progress reports.

Pollards Hill Association, Pollards Hill Housing Project, London, UK (2001)
Estimated construction costs, prepared budgets for construction costs, pricing documents, and tender enquiry documents and managed tender process. Assisted in the development of an information database for the management of risk. Reviewed and reported on commercial risks within tender documentation and negotiation of revised terms and conditions of contract and subcontract.

INDUSTRIAL & MANUFACTURING

Transnet, Manganese Export Expansion Project, Port Elizabeth, South Africa (2014)
Provided commercial and contractual advice regarding the use of the NEC3 suite of contracts to ensure key risks were minimised. Subsequently held workshops with the Employer’s commercial and project teams to ensure that they understood the proposed amendments to the contract ahead of negotiations with the EPCM Contractor.

GEA Wiegand, Bio-ethanol Plant, Slovak Republic (2009)
Assistant to Quantum Expert on a dispute referred to arbitration concerning a bio-ethanol plant. Duties included review of costs incurred, working with the client’s legal team and senior managers, and visiting the client’s offices to assess the documents being supplied to support quantum claimed.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Riyadh Metro, Saudi Arabia (2018)
Assistant to Quantum Expert on a dispute referred to arbitration concerning significant engineering design changes relating to elevated stations on the US$ 22.5b Riyadh Metro project. Duties involve the quantum analysis of additional engineering costs and drafting sections of the reports relating to this analysis.

London Underground, Jubilee and Northern Line, UK (2010-2011)
Consultant working as part of a large professional team involved in the preparation of a £330m quantum claim on a rail signalling dispute in the UK.

Network Rail, Birmingham Gateway New Street Station, UK (£500m project) (2008)
Consultant assisting in the drafting of a procurement plan for the appointment of the Delivery Partner (£24m service contract) who would undertake the management of the project. The procurement plan was to assist NR to remain compliant with procurement legislation and internal governance in the procurement of the Delivery Partner. Worked with the client to develop the Pre-Qualification documents and evaluation guidance notes. Prepared tender documents, the tender evaluation guidance notes, worked with Network Rail to evaluate the tender submissions and produced the tender report capturing the outcome of the tendering process.

London Underground, Klondyke House, Walthamstow, Rickmansworth, UK (2006)
Produced tender documentation for refurbishment works for various London Underground Stations. Reviewed tender proposals, appraised tender qualifications, produced tender reports and was involved in the appointment of contractors. Compiled the relevant contract documents for these projects.

BAA, London Heathrow Terminal 5, UK (2004-2006)
Consultant drafting, advised and negotiated amendments to the BAA Works Contract and Professional Services Contract forms including relevant subcontracts and bespoke contracts. Drafted letters of intent, collateral warranties, deeds of novation, advance payment bonds, non-disclosure agreements, escrow agreements, software licence agreements, parent company guarantees, performance bonds, consultant appointments, and dispute escalation procedures. Drafted legal guidance notes, contract document templates and checklists for project and supply chain managers working on major complex construction packages at T5. Assisted in the development of the T5 Contract Services Help Desk database which was used as a contract administration management tool.

RESOURCES

Gumusut Kakap Project, Malaysia (2018)
Assistant to Quantum Expert on a dispute referred to arbitration concerning claims and counterclaims on Malaysia’s first deep-water project. Duties have involved the undertaking significant quantum analysis on various packages.

Hejre Field Development Project, Danish Sector, North Sea (2016)
Senior Consultant drafting quantum advisory report on behalf of a joint venture contracting organisation for an offshore oil and gas platform.

Gas Re-injection Plant, Kazakhstan (2011-2012)
Assisted quantum expert in the preparation of technical and commercial reports following the failure of a gas re-injection plant on an oil and gas field.

Gas Re-injection Plant, Kazakhstan (2012-2013)
Drafted reports following technical/commercial inspections and contract reviews of various construction packages on an oil and gas project.

POWER & UTILITIES

Greater Gabbard Wind Farm, Suffolk Coast, UK (2016-2018)
Assistant to Quantum Expert appointed by on a multi-million pound claim in respect of defects on a wind farm project in the North Sea. This work involved quantum analysis in respect of remedial costs and sections of the counter claim including drafting sections of the reports relating to the analysis undertaken.

Eskom, Ingula Power Station, South Africa (2015-2016)
Senior Consultant based on-site on a pump-storage hydroelectric power plant station in the Drakensberg in South Africa. Role involved working within the Employer’s commercial team together with its engineering team to assess compensation events and evaluate the contractor’s claims under NEC3. Commission also included the preparation of referral and defence submissions in adjudication proceedings between the Employer and its civils joint venture contractor.

Areva, Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) Nuclear Power Plant, Finland, (2009-2010)
Assistant to appointed Quantum Expert undertaking quantum analysis and drafting sections of the expert report relating to various work packages undertaken on a nuclear power plant in Northern Europe.

Areva, Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) Nuclear Power Plant, Finland, (2009-2010)
Assistant to appointed Quantum Expert in the analysis of various aspects of a claim for additional works costs. The dispute was in respect of delay and prolongation claim concerning a £32m civil engineering package on a nuclear power plant in Northern Europe.

Lynn Offshore Wind Farm, Lincolnshire, UK (2014)
Assistant to Quantum Expert appointed on a multi-million pound claim in respect of a wind farm project in the North Sea. This work included quantum analysis in respect of future costs for remedial works, counter claim and assisting in the drafting of sections of the reports for the analysis undertaken.

Statoil, Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm, Norfolk, UK (2013)
Assistant to appointed Quantum Expert on a multi-faceted claim dispute on a £240m UK wind farm project. Work included analysis of quantum in respect of cost to complete, remedial costs of defects and variations, including assisting in the drafting of various sections of the reports relating to the analysis undertaken.

EMPLOYMENT RECORD

• HKA London, UK, Associate Director: 2017 – Present
• Hill International, London, UK, Managing Consultant: 2009-2017
• Turner & Townsend, Birmingham, UK, Consultant: 2004-2008
• James R Knowles, Birmingham, UK, Assistant Consultant: 2001-2004

PUBLICATIONS & PAPERS

• “The Abolition of Expert Witness Immunity: Implications of Jones v Kaney”, Construction Law Journal, Vol.28 Issue 7, 2012

PRESENTATIONS & SPEAKER ENGAGEMENTS

• “Advance Pricing of Compensation Events – NEC 3”, Hill/CIOB Masterclass, London, UK, November 2013