Sam Holliday

As Head of Ecology and Biodiversity Management, Sam leads our Ecology team in the UK and globally.

Sam specialises in managing both the marine and terrestrial ecological components of large-scale, regional development projects for major infrastructure, regional/urban master planning and resource extraction sectors.

She has worked on projects across a number of countries including Saudi Arabia, the UK, Australia, Kenya and the Philippines. Sam’s experience spans over 20 years and includes advising on strategic biodiversity planning issues such as regional environmental planning/frameworks, international standards and best practices (including International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards), mitigation, monitoring and offsetting strategies, and wildlife management and ecosystem rehabilitation.

Her recent projects include the provision of key environmental input into regional-scale development projects in the Middle East. Often in the role of lead ecology advisor to the client, Sam is involved in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), master planning and biodiversity offsetting/enhancement elements.  She also advises on biodiversity survey requirements, agreeing scopes with consultant surveyors and managing timeframes on behalf of the client. 

Sam, along with the wider ecology and biodiversity management team, also manages the biodiversity elements for IFC reporting, including studies such as Critical Habitat Assessments and Biodiversity Offset Strategies.

She is a firm advocate of collaboration and offers a solutions-focussed approach to biodiversity issues, proactively working with clients, cross-discipline teams and scientists to resolve complex issues and to provide a positive outcome for both the development and biodiversity.

Sam is an experienced project manager, managing ecology budgets of over £1 million and all related surveys, reporting and liaison with stakeholders, to ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget.