Nick Sarai

Founded in 2025, Cornhill Advisory is a boutique Business Consulting and Advisory firm. The team are driven and relentlessly focussed on high growth strategy and high impact project management initiatives where significant value opportunities are realised.

Supporting the business with growth strategy and implementation

The Infrastructure Nation growth journey came to its final home with BV following their acquisition on The APP Group in 2024. I stepped out of my Exec role in June 2025 and continue to support BV/APP in Australia advising on Infrastructure Projects and Growth.

Infrastructure Nation (IN) was a boutique Project Management and Advisory firm established by Richard Stewart and Hugh Connolly in 2016. Returning to Australia from the UK in 2017, I joined as 3rd Partner. Fuelled by huge capital expenditure in the infrastructure sector and the quality of the IN team, the business grew significantly through to 2021 where it was acquired by Private Equity (Five V Capital). Five V merged the business with The APP Group and was ultimately restructured more formally as part of this group in 2023. In July 2023 Infrastructure Nation, ceased operating independently and formed APP Transport Projects under a restructuring of the Group. APP Transport Projects has played a leading role in the delivery of over $40bn worth of transport infrastructure across Australia. The APP Group was acquired by international powerhouse Bureau Veritas in Dec 2024. I decided to transition out of my Exec role through to the end of that FY but will continue to support Bureau Veritas in an Advisory capacity supporting their clients and growth.

Responsible for delivery of the Midland Mainlines route changing infrastructure project, the Midland Mainline Electrification. Valued in excess of £600m this scheme will support the introduction of a new electric rolling stock fleet servicing Kettering and Corby from London St Pancras before pushing further North to Sheffield.

Responsible for establishing a private equity project development division within Amey's existing rail infrastructure business. Whilst with Amey I led the establishment of a £250m PPP submission to the DfT which was developed in partnership with open access train operating company First Hull Trains. The project involved power upgrades and OLE infrastructure from the East Coast Mainline at Selby to Hull to be delivered under private equity funding. My role also involved PPP offerings worth in excess of £1bn to the Welsh Government and early development of the High Speed 2 rail systems contracts.

In 2009 I migrated to Sydney from the UK to work with Laing O’Rourke as part of the Novo Rail Alliance. Novo Rail is an alliance of Transport for NSW in partnership with Laing O’Rourke, Aurecon and ODG/Haden, set up to deliver a substantial program of capital infrastructure upgrades across Sydney’s rail network. Novo Rail operates under a Program Alliance Agreement that encourages collaborative working and a contract mechanism strengthened by a 'win together or lose together' philosophy. The AUD$1bn program of works within the alliance covered all aspects of rail infrastructure upgrades; from bridges, traction supply upgrades, stabling facilities and junction remodelling. The programs more notable projects include; - Auburn Junction; $210m multi-asset design, construct and commissioning project aimed at easing one of Sydney’s most congested rail corridors, - South West Rail Links, Glenfield Junction; $155m multi-asset construct and commissioning project, which comprises of a complete reconfiguration of the areas North and South Junctions, - Sector 3b Traction Supply Upgrade; $140m design, construct and commissioning program consisting of several substation and HV feeder projects, - Automatic Train Protection; $50m design and install program charged with the roll out of a train borne safety system to large areas of the Sydney network. My core role consisted of single point responsibility for program operations, revenue forecasting and P&L accountability for our $160m pa turnover, leading the safety agenda within the alliance to ensure a positive culture is fostered, building strong trusting relationships with key clients through result driven delivery, working with our projects to ensure performance objective strategies are developed and realized.

I worked with Jarvis Rail for over ten years performing a number of management roles (Construction, Project, Business Improvement) across wide ranging projects and contract types. The key positions held whilst with Jarvis Rail include; - Project Manager - Integrated Management Team LNE (2008 - 2009) - Project Manager, Rail Systems - Rugby Remodeling (2006 – 2008) - Project Manager, Rail Systems - West Coast Route Modernization (2004 – 2006) - Construction Manager - West Coast Route Modernization (2001 – 2004) Key achievements include; In 2005 I was tasked with developing an innovative track renewals process that would enable increased outputs, at reduced costs and reduce risk of injury. During this high profile and challenging initiative I led the development of the pioneering Accutrack process. The “Accutrack” process set a record 3,328 composite meters of track renewal in a single 50hour possession for circa 50% of the industry target cost. This demonstration was delivered without a single accident or incident, reopening the railway to operational linespeed with 100% track quality and returned to the sponsor in an unrivalled time of T+0. The Accutrack process went on to be awarded; - ‘Most Innovative Transport Project – Private Sector’ at the 2006 UK Transport awards, - The Bechtel ‘Global Six Sigma Award’ 2006 for most effective PiP, and was also - ‘Highly Commended’ at the Railway Industry Innovation Awards 2006.