Jacquelina Dankfort

Country Manager, Mexico, and Business Generation Lead, Latin America

If we focus on the wellbeing of our people, this will bring out the best in them and make the difference in how we serve our clients.

As Country Manager of Mexico, I have contact with all our clients to understand their objectives and make sure our commission teams fully understand them. In my role as Business Generation Lead for Latin America, I mentor our bidding and communications colleagues to help best showcase our business’ capabilities to the market.

I began my career working in port and environmental planning in Brazil, where I had the opportunity to develop the strategy for transferring the Port of Rio de Janeiro’s operations to free up the area for urban redevelopment.

I subsequently moved into the academic world after being invited to participate in an infrastructure research programme sponsored by the Dutch Ministry of Economy at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, which focused on adding value in supply chains through port planning.

Following my academic journey, I earned my Masters in Business Administration and pursued my doctorate. I collaborated on research with international universities, led a team in a technology innovation lab, participated in a ship design lab, and delivered lectures at top universities in São Paulo and Canada.

Returning to business, I have worked in numerous roles, including Project Lead on the development and implementation of built asset management systems for railways and other public sector companies in Brazil.

I've also been a Key Account and Service Management and Sales person for a large global office furniture manufacture. I also established three businesses prior to joining Turner & Townsend, one of them a design and project management firm where I worked for about 15 years in the corporate occupier, retail and industrial sectors.

Career highlights

Assumed role of Business Generation Lead for Latin America
2024
Promoted to Country Manager, Mexico
2017
Assumed role of Infrastructure Director, Brazil
2016
Joined Turner & Townsend as Project Management Director, Brazil
2014

Q. What attracted you to join Turner & Townsend?

A. I was attracted by the need to establish our Latin America business, as I had done previously starting new businesses in Brazil and Mexico. The fact that we are a partnership required a different operational approach to what I was used to, and I have loved that challenge.

Q. How has your career at Turner and Townsend developed?

A. I joined our business as Project Management Director in our São Paulo office in Brazil, where I later assumed the role of Infrastructure Director. A few years into these roles, I started actively growing our presence in new Latin America markets and then, after a temporary posting, was offered to move to Mexico as Country Manager and open our office in Mexico City. In 2024, I also assumed the role of Business Generation Lead for Latin America, continuing my passion for business development.

Q. Which project are you most proud of being involved in at Turner & Townsend?

A. Developing global accounts in the Latin America region has been a fulfilling experience as we connect with clients and project teams from around the world to ensure global best practice with local insights.

Q. How do you contribute to Turner & Townsend making a difference?

A. I believe my biggest contribution is developing good relationships with clients and colleagues and aligning our team with client objectives. As a global professional services consultancy, we are a people business and deal with people on the client side too. So it is important as a leader that I build strong, long-term connections with our clients, understand their businesses, and hopefully support them on future projects together.

Q. What do you most enjoy most about working at Turner & Townsend?

A. The fact that we are very dynamic as a global consultancy, allowing us to continuously learn new things and utilise our worldwide footprint to work with colleagues and clients from all cultures.

Q. How do you see your career progressing at Turner & Townsend?

A. There are always new opportunities to progress as our business grows. I prefer activities that keep me connected to the wider business, and as I come from an academic background, I have a passion for teaching and training people, which will be necessary as we continue to grow.