Anthony McKenna

Anthony McKenna is a highly accomplished, commercially focused, and results-driven senior leader with over two decades of experience driving complex, high-value infrastructure projects across the UK rail and water sectors. He currently serves as the Director of Sponsorship and Commercial Programmes at Transport for Wales, overseeing a multi-million-pound portfolio of strategically significant public transport schemes.

Throughout his career, Anthony has built a reputation for uniting cross-industry teams, streamlining governance, and securing critical government funding. Notably, he established a collaborative, multi-organisational “sponsorship centre of excellence” bridging Transport for Wales and Network Rail. This initiative unlocked annual efficiencies and was instrumental in securing industry consensus on a landmark 20-year, multi-billion rail enhancement pipeline. His high-profile portfolio includes pioneering projects like Wales’s first tram system (Cardiff Cross Rail) and the Cardiff Central Enhancements Programme, and he serves as a key member of the Network North Wales leadership team.

An expert in navigating complex change, Anthony successfully spearheaded the award-winning transition of Transport for Wales Rail Limited from the private to the public sector under remote-work pandemic conditions. Prior to his 7 years of leadership in rail, he spent 13 years managing capital delivery and engineering schemes within the water industry, including roles at Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.

Anthony is proud of his progression from starting his career working on the tools, and holds qualifications in civil engineering, programme management, and safety, combining robust methodology with a practical, safety-first approach to infrastructure delivery.