Parsons appoints Tom Elam as HR Director for Middle East

Parsons Corporation has appointed Tom Elam as Human Resources Director for its Middle East operations, strengthening its leadership bench as it scales regional growth.

Elam will oversee HR operations across Dubai, the Northern Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, the company said in a statement in March 2026.

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Strengthening regional people strategy

In his new role, Elam will work closely with business leaders to deliver strategic HR initiatives, organisational performance and talent development across a multi-country footprint.

The appointment comes as Parsons continues to expand its presence in the Middle East, where infrastructure, defence and digital transformation projects are driving demand for skilled talent and agile workforce strategies.

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Deep experience in HR transformation

Elam joins Parsons after more than a decade at AtkinsRéalis, where he held several senior HR leadership roles.

Most recently, he served as HR Director for Talent, Social Value and Inclusion, where he led regional inclusion strategies, HR digital transformation programmes and leadership assessment initiatives supporting large-scale organisational change.

Earlier, he worked as HR Director and HR Business Partner for large infrastructure and engineering units, managing teams of over 1,700 employees and leading organisation design and HR operations transformation across multiple countries.

He also served as Talent Acquisition Director for the Middle East, Africa and APAC, overseeing high-volume hiring programmes of up to 6,000 hires annually, while strengthening sourcing capabilities and governance frameworks.

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Focus on scaling workforce capability

Before moving into corporate HR leadership, Elam held roles in executive search and recruitment, including positions at Macdonald & Company and Upgrade Recruitment, building experience in global talent markets.

His appointment reflects Parsons’ focus on building scalable, future-ready workforce capabilities as it navigates complex regional operations.

Parsons Corporation is a digitally enabled solutions provider operating across defence, intelligence and critical infrastructure sectors. Founded in 1944, the company has a global footprint and continues to invest in technology-led capabilities and workforce development.

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Looking ahead

As Parsons expands in the Middle East, Elam’s mandate will centre on aligning talent strategy with business growth while managing workforce complexity across multiple markets.

The role underscores a broader trend among global engineering and infrastructure firms: elevating HR leadership to support scale, transformation and cross-border operations in high-growth regions.