Our story
How we’ve transformed to create global impact.
From local beginnings to global impact
In 1946, Cornelius Turner and Francis Ing founded a small quantity surveying partnership in Darlington, UK.
From those modest beginnings, Turner & Townsend has grown into the global leader in programme, project and cost and commercial management.
Decades of dedication
Our journey has been shaped by bold steps, continuous innovation and a shared belief in the power of collaboration.
Where others see complexity, we’ve always seen opportunity – a mindset that has driven our evolution into a global business.
In 1956, we became Turner & Townsend.
By 1982, we took the first step towards becoming a global business, opening an office in Johannesburg.
The 1990s saw us expand across Asia and deepen our presence in Africa, adding five new offices to our network.
By the 2000s, we established operations in the Americas and Australia, achieving a presence on six continents.
Today, we're majority-owned by CBRE Group Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm.
In January 2025, we reached a defining moment by combining with CBRE Project Management.
The integration expands our team to more than 20,000 people operating from over 60 countries, making us the global market leader in independent programme, project and cost and commercial management.
Our business is unmatched in its scale, breadth of capabilities and access to expertise and talent.
A future with a purpose
Even after decades of growth and innovation, we see this as just the beginning.
The world is changing fast, and so are the needs of our clients. Our focus is clear: to help navigate complexity, drive performance and deliver outcomes that make a lasting difference.
Our purpose is creating a greener, more inclusive and more productive world – one project at a time.
