A Londoner at heart with a global outlook: Meet Richard Granieri, Market Director, NIRAS Life Science UK
In 2024, NIRAS aims to grow its life science consultancy significantly in both Denmark and the UK, helping customers across the life science sector execute first class engineering projects. To help realise this vision, Richard Granieri has joined NIRAS as Market Director for the UK.
Here, he works to enhance market capabilities in line with NIRAS's overarching goal of harnessing the strengths of newly acquired engineering resources and a strong international expertise network.
Living the NIRAS culture
Richard's personal mantra, "I find out; I share; I enjoy," - which he applies to all manner of life situations, be that exploring a new city or engaging in client meetings - aligns perfectly with the NIRAS values of “listen, learn, deliver” and the culture of enjoying projects and doing the right thing.
“There is undoubtedly a ‘right way’ to do things, and it comes from committing to a mindset of approaching all new situations with a fresh outlook and a spirit of curiosity, reminding yourself that although clients value experience and expertise, it’s also about how we engage that’s important. In this way, we are able to provide a consistent and seamless client experience from initial discussions through to project delivery, which is the cornerstone for NIRAS’s reputation for excellence”.
A Londoner at heart
Growing up in the London Borough of Greenwich, Richard's London roots have instilled in him an international perspective that has been invaluable throughout his career. Hailing specifically from Shooters Hill – a London vantage point and ancient woodland area steeped in history and folklore where characters from London’s rich past like Henry VIII, known for his love of hunting, came from, and where Dick Turpin, the infamous English highwayman is said to have used the elevated position to plan his heists and evade capture, Richard draws inspiration from the city's spirit of constant reinvention and blend of tradition and innovation.
“London has such a rich tapestry of old and new, it’s inescapable – it’s an incredibly dynamic cosmopolitan place, attributes I’ve learnt to appreciate with time. Greenwich in particular holds special meaning for me as much of my life has been anchored around its iconic landmarks, such as the Royal Observatory renowned as the birthplace of timekeeping and home to the Prime Meridian - significant engineering breakthroughs that drove international standardisation and co-operation. There’s obvious parallels with the ever-evolving nature of both the life science industry and NIRAS's progressive ethos”.
“London has such a rich tapestry of old and new, it’s inescapable – it’s an incredibly dynamic cosmopolitan place, attributes I’ve learnt to appreciate with time.
Greenwich in particular holds special meaning for me as much of my life has been anchored around its iconic landmarks, such as the Royal Observatory renowned as the birthplace of timekeeping and home to the Prime Meridian - significant engineering breakthroughs that drove international standardisation and co-operation.
There’s obvious parallels with the ever-evolving nature of both the life science industry and NIRAS's progressive ethos”.
Client engagement & winning bid teams
Richard thrives on engaging with clients to fully understand their requirements, assembling robust internal bid teams, and submitting compelling and competitive client proposals. His approach to client partnerships and project delivery excellence aims to reflect NIRAS’s core values and culture, ensuring exceptional service and outcomes for the client.
"As Market Director for Life Science UK, I'm responsible for driving the establishment and growth of our Life Science UK business unit. Through long-term trusted relationships built on open dialogue, honesty, and ultimately delivering, we grow our client portfolio and our reputation.
At NIRAS, we're not just about executing projects; we're about excellence from the outset of every client engagement, in that way we provide a seamless customer experience. It's about doing the 'right' thing, which fulfils the specific needs of the client’s situation and providing industry experts who know how to help".
A diverse background in life sciences
Richard boasts a career spanning over 25 years in the life science industry, during which he has excelled in diverse roles ranging from business development to technical analytics and project delivery. His experience encompasses successful collaborations with leading international pharmaceutical firms, where he has delivered complex consulting projects in the specialist realms of regulatory compliance and commercial excellence. While primarily based in London throughout his career, Richard has also undertaken project assignments for pharmaceutical and life science companies in Milan, Vienna, and Bern, as well as Phoenix, Arizona.
The NIRAS difference through Richard's eyes
“At its core, NIRAS is an engineering consultancy with a collaborative culture and a shared expertise network. I appreciate the engineer's mindset of our consultants, their passion, and their deep domain knowledge. I’m committed to nurturing talent and fostering a collaborative approach across our diverse expertise network, and my role involves not only engaging with the life science market but also attracting the best talent to meet client project demands.”
Expert engineers with a human touch
To Richard, NIRAS’s way of delivering projects has a unique approach in that it aims to understand the reality of the customers’ needs and offers all the necessary levels of expertise to ensure their success without losing the personal approach.
“Our consultant engineers at NIRAS are not just technically skilled; they bring a human touch to project delivery, understanding the real-life demands of the job. They are articulate and specialised in their chosen fields, with deep domain knowledge that spans diverse client projects. What's struck me upon joining NIRAS is their passion and expertise, which they communicate effectively, making them not only easy to work with but also deeply understanding of our clients' requirements. It's inspiring to work alongside such talented specialists who can support my client discussions with authority and passion as subject matter experts."
As part of NIRAS’s global team, we’re looking forward to following Richard’s journey with us.
“Our consultant engineers at NIRAS are not just technically skilled; they bring a human touch to project delivery, understanding the real-life demands of the job.
They are articulate and specialised in their chosen fields, with deep domain knowledge that spans diverse client projects. What's struck me upon joining NIRAS is their passion and expertise, which they communicate effectively, making them not only easy to work with but also deeply understanding of our clients' requirements.
It's inspiring to work alongside such talented specialists who can support my client discussions with authority and passion as subject matter experts."
