GDG expands USA footprint to the West Coast with Californian presence
Following the successful launch of its USA office in Providence, Rhode Island in 2021, specialist engineering consultancy, Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions (GDG), further expanded its footprint to the West Coast with the appointment of Dr Mohamed Mekkawy.
Mohamed, a Principal Engineer with 14-years’ experience, is a technical expert in site investigation and the design of coastal and offshore structures. He has a particular interest in the design of deep foundations, site characterisation and the integration of geotechnical and geophysical data for managing subsurface risk. Mohamed will lead GDG operations on the West Coast from his base in California.
GDG is already active on the East and West Coasts of the US and the team has worked with several bidders for the recent California auction. They have supported approximately 50GW of offshore wind farm projects globally through a mix of advisory, consenting, and engineering design roles.
“Dr Mekkawy’s appointment demonstrates GDG’s commitment to the US market as well as their ambition to grow the American technical team. 2023 will be an exciting year as we build our current USA platforms.”
In his previous role, Mohamed managed integrated technical and commercial offshore renewable projects and led several U.S. offshore wind projects that utilised nearshore marine site investigation and geophysical methods as well as the design of various foundations for offshore turbines.
Mohamed was a project manager on several offshore wind projects including the Skipjack Offshore Wind Farm in Delaware, the Icebreaker Wind project in Ohio, and the Virginia Offshore Wind Technology Advancement project for Dominion Energy.
“I am delighted to join the GDG team at such a pivotal time for the offshore wind industry here on the West Coast. I look forward to bringing my local expertise to their extensive global experience to deliver the best solutions for our clients.”
GDG is a member of Venterra Group, a dedicated offshore wind company with over 500 employees worldwide. Venterra is actively growing its service offering across the lifecycle of offshore wind projects, including development, construction and support.