Matthew Lawson

Matthew is a leader with exceptional team building, mentorship, and client relationship management skills. He has led numerous successful projects, including the Rutherford GO Station and Grade Separation in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. As the Design and Compliance Manager on the project, he led a team of intermediate and senior professionals through the review and assessment of $239 million worth of infrastructure and construction deliverables and managed multiple client and stakeholder relationships.

Matthew also participates in several volunteer and mentorship activities. He assists university students in their career development journeys and has helped Hatch secure exceptional interns for its co-op program. Additionally, he has spoken at the Canadian Society of Engineering national conference, and served as a judge for the Ontario Engineering competition. He is also an organizing member of Hatch’s cycling team, which has participated in the Great Cycle Challenge and raised over $150,000 to support the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto.

Hatch’s Matthew Lawson, who works out of the Mississauga, Ontario, office, is among the 2023 Railway Age magazine’s 25 Under 40 ‘Fast Trackers,’ an annual award that honors those making an impact in the railroading industry.

What does positive change mean to you?

Positive change to me is a mindset that implores us to continually review what we are doing, how we are engaging with clients, and the solutions that we are pursuing against a broader set of criteria. Including positive change into project management allows us to think beyond the lowest cost or fasted solution. It allows us to incorporate whole life cycle safety, quality, operability, diversity, and sustainability into a commercially viable solution while deriving long-term value for our clients and satisfaction for our team.

How are you changing the world?

As a member of the Hatch Transit team, I help deliver world-class transportation systems for our clients. In Ontario, we are focused on delivering best-in-class services, and technical and commercial knowledge to improve public transportation. The transit systems we are building connect communities and people, provide reliable alternatives to cars, ease congestions, and lessen the demand on our environment for decades to come.

What do you think are the toughest challenges facing your clients?

There is a demand from our clients to deliver meaningful, quality public transportation across the globe. However, the ability to deliver this infrastructure is strained by budgetary constraints resulting from a decrease in ridership, the increasing cost of operations, and the increased cost of construction. This has given Hatch the opportunity to engage even more collaboratively with our clients and join them in piloting novel approaches to procuring and constructing these systems.

What are you most proud of?

I am proud to be a part of a team and company that is invested in the recruitment and mentoring of young professionals. I enjoy spending time at universities and colleges across Ontario to share how rewarding and diversely fulfilling a career in transit can be; inspiring the best and brightest to join our team; and developing the next generation of transit professionals. It is greatly rewarding to see so many in the industry start their professional journey at Hatch.