io consulting (io) today announces the next phase in its leadership evolution, with Imran Esmail appointed Chief Executive Officer and Mike Nevin appointed Executive Vice President, effective 1 July 2026. The changes follow the decision by Richard Dyson to retire after a 41-year career, including the ten years he spent building and leading io.
Over that decade, io has grown into an advisory and engineering business spanning early-stage project development, FEED, Owner’s Engineering and transaction support, working across energy, the energy transition, decarbonisation and resources sectors.
Richard Dyson will step down as CEO at the end of June 2026, and will remain available in an advisory capacity through the end of the year. The transition reflects a long-planned succession process and ensures continuity for clients, partners and employees across io’s global operations.
Imran Esmail joined io seven years ago and has been instrumental in its growth, most recently as Chief Operating Officer for Value Protection and Vice President for the Middle East, North Africa and India (MENAI) region. He has led io’s move into FEL2b/3 and Owner’s Engineer work, extending the business beyond its early-stage advisory roots into the execution phase of major projects, including the successful execution of seven FEEDs, and has been a central figure in shaping the business as it stands today.
Mike Nevin steps up to Executive Vice President as io’s leading technical authority in project architecting and decision-quality methodologies. He has shaped much of the methodology that underpins io’s reputation with clients and remains closely involved in the work itself. As EVP he will continue to lead key Middle East regional activities and play a central role in setting the technical and strategic direction of the global business alongside Imran and the wider executive team.
Imran will be based in Qatar and Mike in the UAE, reflecting io’s international footprint.
“Ten years in, io has the leadership, the breadth and the discipline to run itself without me. That is the test, and we have passed it.
Imran is the right person to take the company forward, and Mike’s elevation to EVP, — both as a leader and as the technical conscience of the business — is just as important to what comes next. I will step back with confidence in both of them, and in the team they lead.”
Richard Dyson commented
“What makes io distinctive is the way we think across the full project lifecycle — from early business case and strategic definition through to operating asset — whilst bringing real engineering judgement to early decisions.
Over the last few years, we’ve deliberately extended that capability deeper into the delivery lifecycle through our FEL2b/3 and Owner’s Engineer work, and my focus now is on continuing to build on that momentum that Richard has created: strengthening key client and parent relationships, expanding intelligently across the sectors and segments where we know we can add real value, and ensuring the next generation of engineers coming through io continue to uphold the standards and culture that have made the business successful.”
Imran Esmail added
“io’s edge has always come from how we think, not just what we do, delivering actual outcomes for our clients from the initial project architecting stages through to project sanction. Imran and I have worked closely for years, and that continues.
My focus stays on the technical standard, the regional delivery, and supporting Imran as we take io into its next chapter, building on the significant legacy Richard has created.”
Mike Nevin added
