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Tonight we’re joined by Geoff Hunt, Group Commercial Director at Arup — a global engineering powerhouse with 20,000 staff, 44 countries, and a turnover of £2.5 billion. Big numbers… so big I had to sit down and have a cup of tea before the show.
Geoff has spent 40 years navigating the engineering world at every level — contractor, consultant, COO, and now Group Commercial Director. But what makes tonight’s conversation unmissable is his insight into high-value, high-pressure negotiation — the kind of deals where a wrong move costs millions, and the right move saves entire projects.
Settle in — this is a Masterclass. 👇
🌟 Geoff’s Journey: From Construction Sites to the Top Table
Geoff began as a civil engineer on construction sites before realising there was far more to explore in consultancy. Over the decades he moved from small firms to major international consultancies before joining Arup — where he’s now been for 23 years.
He’s led big teams, delivered major global projects, shaped commercial strategy, and steered Arup’s operations across the UK, India, Middle East, and Africa.
But the thread through his entire career?
Negotiation.
Fees, disputes, variations, obligations, insurance, approvals — the whole spectrum. And in Geoff’s world, it’s never just about the money. The value is in the variables.
🔥 The $25 Million Stand-Off: When Two Styles Collide
Geoff shared an extraordinary story from a $25 million claim negotiation on a Middle Eastern metro project.
Two mediations.
Twenty-five people around the table.
Lawyers, counsel, technical teams — the works.
And then… the opposition’s commercial director arrives with the full “stamping, shouting, paper-throwing” approach. Geoff responded by doing the exact opposite:
The louder the other side got, the quieter he became.
This completely threw their strategy off balance.
The first mediation failed — yet the follow-up negotiation with a calmer counterpart ultimately settled the deal. A reminder that:
👉 Staying composed is more powerful than shouting.
👉 Match the logic, not the volume.
🧠 Reading the Room – Even When It’s Online
In another case, mediation was partly remote and partly in-person — a potential nightmare.
But Geoff’s team had a secret weapon: a bilingual lip-reader on WhatsApp.
Yes, really.
This colleague quietly messaged Geoff what the other side were discussing. That vital insight allowed Arup to reorder negotiation topics and secure early wins before tackling the fee.
Takeaway:
👉 Preparation meets opportunity… and sometimes luck joins the party.
📱 The Paddington Station Plot Twist – Negotiating on the Go
One of the night’s most memorable stories came from Paddington Station at 7:30am.
A Qatar client — silent for three years — suddenly phoned wanting to settle a major fee claim. They offered 25% of the amount owed. But Geoff’s network quickly uncovered the truth:
The client desperately needed a clean bill of health from auditors to unlock their next project.
Armed with that insight, Geoff held firm — and secured 90% of the claim.
From a train station bench.
That’s world-class negotiation. 🚆🧠
🤝 Why Face-to-Face Still Wins
Geoff reinforced a timeless principle:
👉 Never negotiate tough issues by email.
A handshake, a coffee, and honest eye contact change everything. You learn their pressures, their motivations, their constraints — the things no email ever reveals.
Negotiation is human.
And humans work best in person.
💡 Final Takeaways from Geoff Hunt
Build a strong, briefed, well-prepared team
Watch the order of negotiation topics
Look for upstream pressures on the other side
Secure small wins early
Don’t fear silence
And above all… stay resilient
Geoff’s an engineer at heart — a problem-solver — and that mindset serves him brilliantly in high-stakes negotiation.
🙏 Thank You, Geoff!
A huge vote of thanks from all of us at Monday Night Live for sharing such invaluable stories and strategies.
Geoff, we’d love to welcome you back next year — your insights help everyone sharpen their negotiation skills.
If you’re watching the replay, grab a notebook. This one’s pure gold. 🏆