The Scotsman

Architects need total confidence in their work, especially when building global landmarks. That certainty work must be unflinching, not only for the sake of the statement they are making, but to armour-plate them against aggressive critics. Tony Kettle, it must be said, has no confidence problems. The 41-year-old UK managing director of Edinburgh-based firm RMJM is a man whose pride in his work is matched only by his certainty of its quality. In an increasingly international firm, with more than 600 staff in 11 offices from Edinburgh to Beijing, Kettle's teams have bagged some of the most prestigious contracts available. These range from the Falkirk Wheel, to the mining-inspired "Visit Northumberland" Museum at Woodhorn, to the soaring 55-storey City Palace Tower to be located in Moscow's financial services district. This month, RMJM won another Russian contract to eclipse all of the company's projects to date: the Gazprom Tower in St Petersburg.