Shapoorji Pallonji appoints Steven Miller FAIA, RIBA as Senior Vice President Business Development

Based out of the Dubai office, Miller will support the design management team and will pursue the firm's opportunities in the Middle East and Africa regions, as part of a growing worldwide practice.

With over 49 years experience in design management and construction administration for building and infrastructure, Miller is a recognised specialist in urban design, hotel planning and residential design, as well as an experienced real estate investment planner, with a career profile that criss-crosses the globe from the MENA region to South Asia, Central and Eastern Europe.

Prior to joining Shapoorji Pallonji, Miller served as Regional and Managing Director for acclaimed international architectural firms Kohn Pederson Fox, Perkins Eastman and FX Fowle, and for Dubai-headquartered Emaar Developers. He also founded his own consultancy - Planning and Design Consultants.

A past President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Continental Europe Chapter, the International Fellows Representative to the College of Fellows, and Chairman of the AIA International Committee Advisory Board - where he remains on the board - he was also a founder of the AIA's Middle East Chapter, a member of the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) MENA chapter, the Royal Institute of British Architects and an AIA, MIPIM, Cityscape Dubai and ULI design award winner.

Headquartered in Mumbai, India, Shapoorji Pallonji has an engineering and construction pedigree spanning almost 150 years and annual turnover of $2.5bn, with a project portfolio covering multi-asset class developments in India, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait Libya, Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, and Sri Lanka.

The international engineering and construction arm of Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd, one of India's oldest construction companies and operating in Oman for over 40 years, Shapoorji Pallonji International as a new entity was established in 2008 with a mandate to pursue opportunities in international markets and acquire a global footprint.

"Steven's documented leadership skills and marketing expertise are a fantastic match for Shapoorji Pallonji's development vision as we continue to build on our global presence and position the company as a trusted partner in delivering innovative and competitive construction solutions," said Mohan Dass Saini, MD and CEO, Shapoorji Pallonji.

"His innate ability to leverage a deep understanding of the issues that drive development, and the elements that make it successful, make him the perfect point man when liaising with clients from established and emerging markets," he added.

"Shapoorji Pallonji has an incredible legacy and reputation, and with so many exciting opportunities in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, my role is to identify those projects where we can combine my half century of expertise and the company's construction, as well as turnkey, capabilities to design and deliver award-winning developments from hospitality and healthcare to industrial, commercial real estate, airports and sports facilities," said Miller.

Shapoorji Pallonji International has established independent operating companies in UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Ghana, Gambia, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Mauritius, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Sri Lanka. Its project portfolio includes the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr hotel, Abu Dhabi; Marriot Hotel Abu Dhabi (set for completion in 2014); Sultan Qaboos Palace, Muscat; Damac's Park Towers, Dubai; the Barwa City Amenities Zone, Doha; Shatt Al Arab Hotel, Basra; and a number of sports, government and technology/exhibition projects and residential communities in Ghana, Guyana and Mauritius.