About
Hanscomb

Susan Neil is an Executive Vice President and oversees the direction and development of Hanscomb’s Central, Southern and Southwestern Ontario operations.

Susan’s work experience is comprised of an impressive list of projects and includes not only traditional design stage cost planning and control services, but also an extensive list of projects where her involvement has included the preparation, analysis, and certification of costs for public infrastructure and Public Private Partnership (P3) developments.

Considered one of the best and most knowledgeable cost planners in Canada, Susan has managed billions of dollars’ worth of public and private sector projects across the province of Ontario and is often sought after by clients for her presentation abilities.

Susan was a member of the Part-Time Faculty at Ryerson University, Department of Architectural Science (1995 – 2000) teaching ‘Building Economics, Project Cost Planning and Control Systems’ and guest lecturer for a number of years at the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture.

Arthur Maw is President of Hanscomb and oversees company operations from the Ottawa office. His experience working in offices in the Parries, Central Canada and Atlantic Region allows him an in-depth technical knowledge of the Canadian construction industry in all aspects of construction materials and techniques, service delivery, procurement strategies, and construction economics. As the executive in charge of Hanscomb’s four Middle East offices from 2000 until 2008, he also has first-hand knowledge of international industry trends.

His work experience includes a battery of design and construction stage services including pre-tender estimates and the negotiations of rates and change orders with contractors in support of a wide of major social and civil infrastructure developments. Arthur contributed his expertise to the joint Federal Government / Industry Cost Predictability Task Force, and as an experienced presenter, made presentations to senior public and private sector boards on topics like risk management, contingency planning, and escalation.

Dale Panday is a Director and a Senior Cost Consultant. In addition to providing leadership and direction to Hanscomb’s Toronto’s staff, he coordinates cost estimates and studies throughout all levels of the design and construction process for a wide variety of innovative, multi-faceted projects. He has extensive experience in complicated social and civil infrastructure projects that have been delivered under a diverse range of procurement models and is highly respected in the construction industry.

Highly regarded by clients and his peers for his expertise in the areas of transportation, Dale’s work experience spans a wide variety of project types across both public and private sectors. He is an excellent presenter and is often sought to represent Hanscomb and its clients to present project documentation and cost explanations.

Isaac Gwendo is the Director in charge of the Prairie Offices and Senior Cost Consultant of Hanscomb’s Winnipeg office. Since joining the Hanscomb team, Isaac has implemented management strategies that have driven our growth and expanded services in all sectors.

Isaac’s work experience includes an impressive breadth of knowledge of Canada’s Parries with an extensive list projects, both small and large-scale. He is regularly sought for his unparalleled understanding of the region’s construction markets and his costing knowledge and expertise with the broader North American and international markets.

Craig Bye is a Director and one of the country’s top Senior Electrical Cost Consultants who oversees Hanscomb’s Hamilton Office. Experienced as a Quantity Surveyor, trade estimator and licensed electrician, he is highly regarded for his expertise with specialized electrical systems including fire alarm, nurse call, IT and Integrated Communications and Technology (ICAT). Craig also has an extensive background in areas of dispute resolution and change-order negotiation. The total of Craig’s experience from both his on and off-site roles brings a valuable dimension to projects and makes him an asset to any project team.

In addition to leading the Hamilton office’s services on a vast number of different project types, Craig’s responsibilities include providing Master Plan and Functional Program estimates for a diverse mix of project types in Ontario and across Canada.

Tyler is Hanscomb’s Director of Finance responsible for the organization’s financial and operational stewardship. He comes to Hanscomb from his role as an audit senior manager for a Canadian leading mid market independent audit, tax and consulting firm. His focus was on medium to large-sized private companies, and leading the Private Client Services ("PCS") division with over 20 employees. Tyler is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University and obtained his CPA, CA in 2013.

Raymond Murray is a Vice President and oversees Hanscomb’s Halifax office and operations throughout Atlantic Canada.

With an extensive portfolio Construction Loan Monitoring and Cost Planning and Control services, he is one of the most respected Cost Consultants in Atlantic Canada.

Raymond’s work experience includes a diverse range of projects in Canada and the United States ranging from small renovations to educational facilities and the expansion of the municipal buildings and places of interest, to new, large, multifaceted hospital and casino developments.

Mike Swick is a Director and oversees the firm’s Western offices. A highly experienced Senior Cost Consultant, Mike brings an in-depth understanding of the Alberta construction market, escalation trends, cost modeling, life-cycle costing and the change-order review process.

Mike’s previous experience working with contractors informs his reconciliation of contractor costs with a project budget, and he has a proven track record of on-budget and on-time results in his collaboration with many of Canada’s major design firms and construction managers. A strong team player, he has a clear and concise understanding of the importance of team work on major development projects for a variety of sectors.

Brian McBurney is a Director and manager of the firm’s Ottawa office. In addition to providing leadership to staff, he is a Senior Cost Consultant, Scheduler and Cost Modeller with extensive experience in multifaceted one off studies and exercises. His background includes a wide range of project sectors such as residential, commercial, healthcare, education and defence.

Brian’s areas of expertise include schedule preparation and analysis for complicated civil and social infrastructure projects, as well as detailed data analysis, compilation and cost modelling. He works on some of the country’s most high profile and complex projects and is well respected for his analytical abilities. He is also responsible for Hanscomb’s cost databases and annual publications such as “Yardsticks for Costing”.

Ken King is the Manager of Hanscomb’s Vancouver office and a Senior Cost Consultant. His professional experience covers a range of complex projects in a multitude of sectors including education, transportation and healthcare.

Ken has successfully delivered quantity surveying, independent certifier and project management services to a wide variety of of traditional and P3 procured projects. Ken has lectured at Vancouver Community College, Langara College, Douglas College and the University of British Columbia. He has also presented programs featuring cost consulting, mortgage underwriting and management techniques to groups like Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Business Development Bank of Canada.

Bob Picken is a Director and a Senior Cost Consultant with 25+ years of consulting experience. He is responsible for Hanscomb's London office. Bob is highly skilled in capital cost planning, estimating and control for a wide range of projects in a multitude of sectors throughout Ontario and across Canada, particularly in Master Planning and Functional Programming for healthcare facilities and social infrastructure developments. Further, Bob is well versed in the reporting and templating employed by groups like the Ministry of Health, Infrastructure Ontario and other provincial and federal government agencies and crown corporations. Bob’s credits also include a breadth of educational, cultural, municipal, industrial and residential projects.

Nathan Thinagarippillai is Manager of Hanscomb’s Toronto office and a Senior Cost Consultant. He is responsible for leading projects, providing quality control and coordinating the roles of Hanscomb’s Toronto staff on all of its projects.

With a long career of working on complicated projects, small and large, Nathan is capable of bringing a vast amount of knowledge on the potential cost impacts associated with constructability issues and phasing and staging requirements. This insight is invaluable for any size project and has been critical for some of Hanscomb’s more recent major civil and social infrastructure and municipal related projects.

Murugan Thambiayah is responsible for managing the quality and production of the Toronto Mechanical and Electrical Estimating Department that provides cost consulting services to Hanscomb projects across the country. Highly regarded in the construction industry for his knowledge of both mechanical and electrical services, Murugan and his team also provide estimating support to some of the country’s most prominent mechanical and electrical firms.

Prior to relocating to Hanscomb’s Toronto office in 1999, Murugan began his career working in the firm’s office in Dubai as a Mechanical Estimator. Over his career, he has been responsible for the preparation of bills of quantities, feasibility studies and cost estimates; procurement analysis; value engineering; tender evaluation and recommendation; post contract administration; life cycle costing; and the pricing of complex and specialized mechanical and electrical systems for a variety of sectors including, transportation, education, healthcare, commercial and industrial. In an environment where mechanical and electrical systems play a critical role in energy, sustainability and facility management, Murugan consistently provides clients with expert cost advice to help bring projects on budget while planning for the future.

Melissa Trautmann is an Architectural and Structural Cost Consultant and Manager of Hanscomb’s Hamilton office. A key part of the Hanscomb Team, her responsibilities have included coordinating quantity take offs, undertaking cost and market research and the preparation of the construction cost estimates throughout all levels of the design process, including Master Plan estimates and Functional Area estimates. She has worked on a diverse range of projects including commercial, healthcare, recreation, educational and institutional type facilities. Melissa is highly proficient with electronic measuring software and brings a high degree of efficiency, accuracy and transparency to estimates.