Meet the Team

Steve Crowe

Steve co-founded Omnia Projects in 2012 and currently serves as Director of Project Services and Business Support. In this capacity, he has led the development and implementation of our Business Management System, achieving accreditation to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018. Beyond this, Steve has been instrumental in advancing our internal systems, overseeing the enhancement of key business support functions, including finance, HR, communications, recruitment, and IT. His efforts have strengthened operational efficiency and ensured seamless support for both our teams and clients.

Steve graduated with a First-Class Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester before joining National Grid’s Graduate Scheme in 2005. With a wealth of experience across client and contractor roles in electricity transmission projects, Steve has taken on diverse responsibilities such as Site Manager, CDM Coordinator, Commissioning Panel Chair, Project Manager, Health & Safety Manager, Principal Designer, and Temporary Works Coordinator.

Steve is deeply committed to fostering an environment where people can thrive. By developing robust business systems, he ensures that everyone at Omnia has access to the tools, equipment, and processes they need to excel in their roles and deliver exceptional results.

Rob Martin

Having co-founded Omnia Projects in 2012, Rob Martin currently serves as our Director of Engineering and Consultancy. A strong communicator with a passion for helping teams excel, Rob prides himself on his strategic, proactive leadership style and extensive experience in the Electricity Transmission and Distribution sector. After becoming an Associate Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Rob graduated from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology with an MSc in Electrical Power Engineering in 2005. Beginning his career with National Grid’s Graduate training scheme, he now specialises in overseeing large-scale transmission projects, with an exhaustive understanding of National Grid practices, Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) and renewable energy integration.

An ambitious professional with an unending commitment to excellence, Rob has spent the last two decades delivering a diverse portfolio of multi-million-pound projects. Always ready to take a proactive approach to innovation, along with his technical expertise and commercial acumen, he’s been instrumental in ensuring that Omnia remains at the cutting-edge of the UK energy sector's most exciting and dynamic technological developments.

Rob is dedicated to the continued success of Omnia Projects and has worked hard to maintain our reputation as the engineering consultancy to beat when it comes to delivering innovative, environmentally conscious projects at the highest possible standard.

Jacob Kilroy

Jacob Kilroy is a highly accomplished professional with over 15 years of experience in business management, project leadership and commercial management across the utilities, civils, mechanical and electrical sectors. As Head of the Project Management Office at Omnia Projects Ltd, Jacob plays a pivotal role in driving commercial and operational excellence, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards.

Jacob brings a wealth of expertise in developing and implementing robust commercial management frameworks, overseeing change control, and managing complex stakeholder relationships. His comprehensive understanding of various contract forms, including NEC and FIDIC, has enabled him to successfully deliver high-value projects. His extensive project portfolio includes managing multi-million-pound initiatives such as the critical gas infrastructure schemes, utilities associated with the HS2 Euston Station Development and Thames Tideway Tunnel and Beckton CHiP Waste to Energy Plant. Jacob has also led efforts to optimise financial forecasting, tendering processes, and supply chain management, consistently enhancing efficiency and performance through his career.

A graduate of Quantity Surveying with an MSc in Construction Law & Practice, Jacob is a member of several esteemed professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Building (MCIOB) and the Chartered Institute of Civil Engineering Surveyors (MCInstCES) and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (AssocRICS). His technical expertise, combined with a passion for fostering collaboration, ensures that Omnia Projects continues to exceed client expectations and maintain its reputation as an industry leader.

John Atkinson

With over 20 years’ experience in the UK Transmission sector, John joined Omnia in 2022 and currently serves as our Chief Engineer. Leading a variety of National Grid, DNO, and project developer projects, John’s considered yet can-do attitude makes him the go-to professional for feasibility, optioneering, front-end engineering design and detailed design, not to mention delivery and commissioning activities.

Having started his career with National Grid’s Graduate Training Programme, John holds an MEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Loughborough University specialising in Renewable Energy Systems and has completed numerous industry certifications, including Advanced TP141 Commissioning authorisations from National Grid, NEBOSH, and IOSH. As an alumnus of the Future Leaders Programme at National Grid, John understands the importance of maintaining a supportive team environment where brilliant engineers can learn from one another and stand together at the cutting-edge of industry developments.

Since joining Omnia, John has acted as Lead Principal Engineer and Senior Development Engineer on numerous major projects; recently, he was responsible for the FEED phase of a portfolio of 400kV, 275kV, 132kV and 13kV SGT tertiary connected battery storage systems across various National Grid Electricity Transmission and UKPN sites. Having also overseen the Detailed Design of numerous National Grid single asset replacement projects through to Optioneering and FEED designs of new and whole substation replacements at 132, 275 & 400kV, John has cemented his position as a diligent professional whose exacting standards serve to maintain Omnia’s stellar reputation as the UK’s leading engineering consultancy.

Bret Gibbons

With over 20 years’ experience in the transmission and distribution sector, Bret joined Omnia as a project manager in 2013, and has since become a crucial part of the team as Head of Design and Engineering. Adept at balancing both technical and managerial roles, his eye for detail and conscientious approach mean that he has developed a reputation as a skilled, effective leader who has played a significant part in numerous major UK Transmission and Distribution projects, including National Strategic Infrastructure Projects with values in excess of £1 billion.

Prior to joining Omnia Projects, Bret held Project and Contract Management Roles across a number of leading UK Construction companies where he managed multi-million-pound social housing and commercial developments, integrating sustainable technologies whilst ensuring project delivery was on time and within budget. With a BSc (Hons) in Construction Management and a range of professional certifications, including TP137 Principal Contractor Site Manager and NEBOSH Construction Certificate, Bret is passionate about maintaining a supportive work environment where he and those around him feel empowered to keep developing their skills- his continuous commitment to reviewing and improving performance and working practices makes his input especially valuable to everyone at Omnia.

Adam Chambers

Adam joined Omnia Projects in 2019 as a Project Manager with a background in Health and Safety. Adam now serves as Head of Assurance Services and is responsible for ensuring that Omnia’s clients are fully supported in resource provision and contract management, whilst also serving our experienced team of Design Assurance and Design Approval Engineers and Commissioning Panel Chairs.

Adam attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology from the University of Huddersfield before starting his career as a Health & Safety practitioner, culminating in his acceptance as a Chartered Member of the Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (CMIOSH).

In addition to the Head of Assurance Services role, Adam also undertakes various project-based roles such as Project Manager, P6 Project Planner, Temporary Works Coordinator, Principal Designers Representative and Development Engineer and is focussed on supporting our clients in all their project needs.

Paul Byron

Paul Byron is a Project Manager and Development Engineer with over 20 years’ experience in the electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) industries. He is currently Head of Project Services at Omnia Projects, leading the business unit in delivering critical T&D projects and managing client relations, business development, and project delivery.

Previously, Paul was EHV Connections Programme Manager at Northern Powergrid, overseeing a portfolio of EHV connection projects. He has also worked as a Senior Project Manager at Byron Engineering & Project Management LTD, managing projects for Northern Powergrid, and held roles at Powell Engineering UK, National Grid, and Atkins. At National Grid, he led teams on HV substation construction projects with a portfolio valued at £80m-£100m.

Paul’s expertise spans technical and managerial roles, excelling in project delivery, financial management, and safety leadership. A proven leader with a strong track record in delivering successful projects and fostering client relationships across the energy sector, Paul’s unparalleled industry experience makes him a safe pair of hands, and an asset to the team at Omnia Projects.

Jonathan Heap

Jonathan joined Omnia Projects in February 2023 as a Project Manager and now leads our Project Services team for Electricity Transmission. With over 20 years of experience in the UK Transmission & Distribution sector, he has a strong track record of delivering complex, multi-disciplinary infrastructure projects.

His expertise spans a wide range of projects, including Transmission and Distribution networks, HVDC connections, Network Rail connections, Operational Tripping, Transformer replacements, Offshore connections, Photovoltaics, Battery Energy Storage Systems, and Substation Builds. Within the team, Johnathan is renowned for his ability to develop optimal design solutions while challenging conventional approaches to drive efficiency and innovation.

A collaborative leader, Jonathan works closely with site delivery teams to ensure early engagement and alignment with project objectives. He is committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality, ensuring that contractors uphold best practices throughout project delivery.

Jonathan also brings extensive experience in contract management, financial forecasting, and project reporting. His focus on budgetary control, cost forecasting, and stakeholder communication ensures that projects are delivered on time and within budget, supporting the successful completion of critical energy infrastructure across the UK.

Helen Bentley

Helen joined Omnia Projects in 2020, and has since become an integral part of the team as our Business Support Manager. She currently leads a team of 6 Administrators, providing crucial business support to our fast-growing workforce. Having previously worked in HR, Helen’s experience and attention to detail meant that she was the perfect candidate to implement Omnia’s new internal finance system, a development which brings some much-needed order to our administrators’ hectic workloads.

Having run her own children’s day nursery and after-school club for 12 years, business administration was nothing new to Helen: the switch from the childcare sector to the electricity industry didn’t phase her one bit! Of course, her family history means she’s not entirely unfamiliar with the power sector- her husband, father, and great-grandfather were all employed in the industry, both in Britain and abroad. Perhaps various childhood visits to power stations in the UK, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Malaysia weren’t quite so pointless as they seemed back then!

Helen is committed to supporting the smooth running of the business by ensuring that her Administration team have the support and knowledge needed to perform their roles in a professional and competent way. Her patient, conscientious management style has created not only a happy team, but one which operates efficiently under pressure to achieve the best possible results.