Welcome to the August edition of Blakely Brown Insights!

This month marks a special milestone: one year since we launched our newsletter. A huge thank you to all of our subscribers who have been with us since the very beginning, and a warm welcome to the many new readers who have joined along the way.

It’s been a busy summer at Blakely Brown. We’re thrilled to share some exciting news about our co-founder Jacob, highlight important developments in U.S. infrastructure, and celebrate the continued growth of our Miami team.

Thank you, as always, for tuning in.

The Blakely Brown Team

Jacob’s U.S. Visa

We are delighted to share some exciting news for both Jacob personally and Blakely Brown as a whole. This week, our Co-Founder officially received his U.S. visa, enabling him to relocate from the United Kingdom to Miami later this month. His approval follows a five-month application process, which concluded with a final interview in Switzerland, and marks an important step forward in our company’s journey.

Jacob’s move represents more than a relocation. On a personal level, it is the realization of a long-held ambition, the opportunity to live abroad, lead a team, and continue building a business he is passionate about. For Blakely Brown, it is a strategic milestone that strengthens our presence in the United States, where Jacob will take on leadership of his own team while also mentoring our newest recruits.

Reflecting on this achievement, Jacob shared:
“Entering this next chapter is a milestone not just for me, but for Blakely Brown. Since the very beginning, this has been part of the vision and it’s taken a lot to get here, success is definitely not linear. I’ve always dreamed of traveling, building businesses and doing work I love and now it’s becoming reality. What makes it even more meaningful is sharing this journey with Ross, Ryan and the rest of the team. An exciting chapter lies ahead, time to scale.”

With two Co-Founders now established in the U.S., and the third soon to follow, this transition marks a powerful new chapter for Blakely Brown. It is a testament to the determination of our team and the vision we are committed to achieving: building a world-class executive search firm exclusively serving the American market.

Infrastructure Spotlight: MassDOT’s $327M Grant Rescinded

The Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation (MassDOT) has lost $327 million in federal funding for its $1.9B Allston Multimodal Project after Congress’s recent “One Big Beautiful Bill” eliminated unobligated Neighborhood Access and Equity grants. Only $8 million of the original award remains, leaving MassDOT to reassess how it can deliver on the project’s goals.

The Allston plan (reconfiguring I-90, replacing the Allston Viaduct, building a new MBTA station, and creating pedestrian/cyclist connections) was billed as transformative for Boston communities. Now, state officials are consulting outside engineers to chart a path forward.

Other major projects in Oregon, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Jacksonville were also impacted.

“We believe in the Allston Multimodal Project and will stay engaged with partners and stakeholders as we chart our path forward.”
— Monica Tibbits-Nutt, MassDOT CEO

Takeaways for Engineers

• Funding volatility: Even well-advanced projects can lose support—resilience and adaptability are key.
  
  
  

• Consulting opportunities: Agencies need outside expertise to re-scope and optimize projects.
  
  
  

• Value add: Engineers who can design with cost-efficiency and flexibility will stand out.
  
  
  

Takeaways for Recruiters

• Talent shifts: Expect increased demand for project managers, civil engineers, and transportation planners.
  
  
  

• Contract hiring: DOTs may look to short-term and flexible hires during reassessment phases.
  
  
  

• Strategic positioning: Candidates with stakeholder engagement and community-design experience will be highly attractive.
  
  
  

As federal priorities shift, the engineering and infrastructure landscape grows more unpredictable. For firms and agencies, success will depend on finding talent that thrives in uncertainty and delivers creative solutions under budget constraints.

Looking to strengthen your engineering team? Blakely Brown can connect you with leaders ready to navigate today’s complex infrastructure challenges.

Team Growth in Miami

This month we added two new starters to our Brickell team, and they’ve hit the ground running!

Both graduates of the University of Miami, our new team members already know the city and the Brickell area, which has helped them quickly adapt to executive search. Within their first week they were taking strong candidate calls and securing resumes. By week two, they were already competing in our in-house pitch competition, an all-expenses-paid team lunch on the line! With such strong starts, they’re off to a fantastic beginning.

We’re continuing to grow our Miami team. If you’re based locally and looking to take on an exciting career in executive search, we’d love to hear from you. Please send your resume to antonia@blakelybrowngroup.com.