"I have been impressed by Ayman's technical skills, his commitment to the project, his rigour in acting on behalf of the client, his ability to anticipate and meet client needs, and his capacity to work in multi-disciplinary teams including other consultants and client representatives."
Neil Greenwood
Programme Director
Darwin Centre Phase Two
Natural History Museum, UK.
"Our personal trust in Ayman's leadership, ability and competence is unwavering, as we have witnessed a change in the cost consultant's performance since he joined our team..."
Dr Mohamed El Mikawi
Ex-Managing Director
Al Futtaim Group Real Estate
Wael El-Menoufy
Chief Technical Commercial Officer
Emaar Misr for Development
"Ayman has become involved on our project at a time where the cost management service delivery was suffering from various issues. He has listened to our needs and taken on board our concerns, while at all times showing exemplar client care. The team here has high regards for Mr El-Ghazzawi, a sentiment echoed by me and my colleagues in the senior management team at Emaar."
Ayman El-Ghazzawi
BSc MSc FRICS
RICS Accredited Expert Witness
Founding Partner & Principal Director
Ayman is a chartered quantity surveyor with decades of experience in the construction industry both in the UK and Egypt, a dual citizen of both countries. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering from the American University in Cairo (1998), and a Master of Science degree from the University of the West of England, Bristol (2003).
Ayman began his career in Egypt working with a renowned mechanical and electrical (M&E) contractor, spending the first four years acquiring a strong understanding of the Egyptian market and local industry norms. He gained valuable hands-on site experience working on landmark projects such as the JW Marriott Hotel and Faisal Islamic Bank Tower, among various other projects. This initial part of his experience in Egypt provided a firm foundation of knowledge that underpins his wealth of experience.
Ayman then emigrated to the United Kingdom to pursue his post-graduate studies, and after successfully completing a Master’s degree in Construction Project Management, he was employed as an M&E Quantity Surveyor for key projects in Greater London such as Vauxhall Cross, St George’s Wharf – an affluent residential development on the Thames river bank; the Transport Research Laboratory in Crowthorne, Buckinghamshire – a state-of-the-art scientific research centre that specialises in testing vehicles and road safety; and the famous Bank of New York Mellon in the busy city-centre area of Blackfriars, Central London.
In 2004, Ayman moved to the world-class construction consultancy, Turner & Townsend, where he embarked on flagship, mega-projects with global and UK clients such as:
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Heathrow International Airport – Terminal 5, Concourse B, West London
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Natural History Museum, Darwin Centre, South Kensington, Central London
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Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) Museum, South Kensington, Central London
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Barclays Capital, Global Vendor Management programme, East London, overseeing their EMEA, Americas and Asia-Pacific regional commercial managers
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UK Government - Projects with Department of Health and Department of Transport
During his employment with Turner & Townsend (T&T), Ayman gained his professional accreditation with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 2007, and was an active member of the T&T Service Excellence Group, where he trained younger colleagues and produced best-practice templates. He also gained a prestigious award for his contribution to the Arts & Heritage sector.
Ayman returned to Egypt in 2010 to help another global consultancy, Gleeds, to establish and grow a new business in Cairo. At Gleeds, he worked on large-scale projects such as Cairo Festival City (New Cairo), Almaza City Centre (Heliopolis), the Children’s Cancer Hospital (Old Cairo) and the upscale Marassi Resort (North Coast), among various other projects.
Ayman has played a key role in developing Egyptian surveyors to become RICS-accredited and has trained them to international standards. Not only has played a key role in growing Gleeds to become a leading consultancy in Cairo, but he is also passionate about learning and development, and dedicates his time to teach and train fellow professionals on international and British best-practice.
Ayman is an Accredited Expert Witness and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS). He is the founder and principal director of VMC and is a key industry figure in Egypt.
In his spare time, Ayman enjoys spending time with his children assembling model rail track networks and building bridges with Lego® blocks.