Routs received a Masters of Chemical Engineering degree from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands in 1969.
He retired from this position and as a group managing director and member of the executive committee of Shell at the end of 2008.
He was succeeded by Mark Williams who reported to Routs as executive vice president of supply and distribution.
In February 2009 he was selected to replace Dudley Eustace as chairman of the insurance and pension group AEGON in 2010.
He will join the AECOM Board's Audit, Nominating and Governance as well as its Planning, Finance and Investments committees.