Beard, an award-winning contractor in the south of England, has announced the promotion of Paula Baleson to social value manager. In the newly-created position, Paula will take the lead in defining a new company-wide strategy and provide support to a team of social value coordinators, ensuring Beard’s work and actions
A Warwickshire manufacturer of solar-powered lighting that does not need to be connected to the grid is hoping to grow its team following advice from a business support programme. Ryton-based Solar Vision Lighting Technologies (SVLT) designs green street lighting and CCTV solutions for main roads, residential developments, industrial sites, and
Savills has expanded its Technical Due Diligence (TDD) team, part of building & project consultancy (BPC), with the appointment of Paul Harper who joins as a director based at the firm’s Margaret Street head office in London. Paul has over 25 years’ experience specialising in providing technical due diligence and
Global engineering, design and sustainability consultancy Ramboll announces a change to its UK leadership, with Managing Director Philippa Spence to take over the leadership of its Environment & Health (E&H) Division from 1 August. Neil Sansbury, current Finance and Executive Director will take on the role of acting Managing Director
A new chief executive officer has been appointed to lead Aggregate Industries UK, part of the global Holcim group. Earlier this year it was announced that current CEO, Dragan Maksimovic, had been appointed as Region Head West Europe overseeing the leadership of the Holcim businesses in the UK, France, Belgium,
Expanding UK property and construction specialist Watts Group has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Rob Burke as Lead Director of its Commercial Building Surveying team in London. Following a spell with another surveying firm, he is re-joining Watts where he previously spent 15 years, rising from
DOMIS, one of the UK’s fastest-growing national construction companies, has announced the retirement of its Co-Founder and Managing Director, Lee McCarren, after seven years of service. Kingsley Thornton, currently Director at Domis, becomes Managing Director of the business with immediate effect. With Kingsley’s help, Lee McCarren has steered Domis’s fast
Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has appointed Paul Morris as group commercial director, joining its executive board. With 30 years of experience working in people, project and commercial management roles, Paul will be responsible for leading the commercial function and supporting Costain’s growth strategy. Paul joined Costain in 2011 and
Award-winning housebuilder, The Hill Group, has announced the promotion of Cain Peters to Managing Director in charge of Special Projects, which specialises in large high density construction projects. Cain, who began his journey with Hill as a site manager 17 years ago, will leverage his extensive experience managing this region,
LEADING firm GT3 Architects has announced the appointment of Eric Hampel as its new finance director, further expanding its senior leadership team. Formerly of Deloitte and Tribe Technology PLC, Eric brings more than 12 years of financial expertise and leadership experience to GT3 Architects, working within Canada, Australia and UK
Beard, an award-winning contractor in the south of England, has announced the promotion of Paula Baleson to social value manager. In the newly-created position, Paula will take the lead in defining a new company-wide strategy and provide support to a team of social value coordinators, ensuring Beard’s work and actions deliver wider social, economic and environmental benefits. One of her first duties has been developing the company’s new social value framework. This will set out social value targets for the business for 2030, and will be rolled out across Beard’s entire team and its five regional offices in the coming months. Paula joined Beard in 2022 as communications manager, having previously spent five years at building firm Midas Group. Having emigrated from South Africa in 2016, Paula joined Midas’s residential division, Mi-space, as business development and office coordinator, before moving into a central role as group marketing executive. She has also spent time as marketing communications manager for water solutions company SDS Limited. Across its 130-plus year history, Beard has been committed to social value through its sustainable construction, its charitable work and good relationships with the local communities in which it works. But social value is becoming both more formalised in the construction sector, and increasingly important from both an ethical and business perspective, with a growing number of tender opportunities, including Government contracts, now having social and environmental requirements. Beard’s social objectives and ambitions align well with the new Government’s agenda of supporting SMEs, increasing their spend with social enterprises and providing best value to customers. Alongside the introduction of the new Procurement Act in October this year – which is designed to make public procurement more accessible, efficient and beneficial for councils and suppliers – the Government has used its first King’s Speech to set out imminent plans to change planning regulations and increase infrastructure delivery. Speaking on her promotion, Paula Baleson said: “I am incredibly proud to be taking this next step in my career with Beard and taking on such an important role. While Beard’s community, environmental and charitable spirit has always been clearly visible, the focus this new role brings enables us to really strengthen our efforts, particularly as social value continues to play an even bigger part in the construction sector in the UK. “I’m hugely passionate about supporting everyone at Beard to create positive social, economic and environmental outcomes for local communities. The development of our social value framework will certainly help to facilitate this and I look forward to sharing this with all our colleagues, partners and customers very soon.” Mike Hedges, company operations director at Beard, added: “As a proud family-run firm, Beard has always been a business with social consciousness. Our ongoing commitment of adding value to the communities in which we work and taking care of the planet, highlights the broader benefits of our projects. Beyond constructing buildings, we focus on ensuring that every project lives on beyond its site boundaries, delivering meaningful value to the entire community. Paula is a fantastic fit to lead this initiative, and along with her talented team, will ensure our work and our actions have a clear social footprint and a lasting legacy.” Beard is a family-owned and run construction company based in Swindon, with a wealth of experience in both public and private sectors, including education, healthcare, sports, leisure and the arts. Alongside its head office in Swindon, Beard has regional offices in Bristol, Oxford, Guildford and Southampton. For more information, please visit www.beardconstruction.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A Warwickshire manufacturer of solar-powered lighting that does not need to be connected to the grid is hoping to grow its team following advice from a business support programme. Ryton-based Solar Vision Lighting Technologies (SVLT) designs green street lighting and CCTV solutions for main roads, residential developments, industrial sites, and more, which customers can either buy outright or rent as needed. The lighting can be used without a grid connection and is charged by a solar wrap during the day, and the process is much more eco-friendly and simple to use compared to permanent lighting. SVLT is hoping to get equity investment and grow its team from four to eleven in the next 12 to 18 months – following advice on a number of commercial topics from Rod-Roberts Dear at the University of Warwick Science Park’s fully funded business support service Business Ready – saw its order book balloon overnight. Rod worked with Greg to rework the company’s business plan and value proposition to be as attractive as possible to potential investors and then went on to overhaul its website and approach to SEO. Greg Ketteridge, Managing Director of SVLT, said: “Before working with Business Ready, we simply did not realise how many potential customers we were missing out on. I do not have a background in marketing, so working with Rod was a real eye-opener for me and the company. “We weren’t measuring where the money was going and how it was working for us. Rod encouraged us to better track that data, which showed us we ought to be focusing much more on B2B sales, such as housebuilders and local authorities involved in roadworks and open space areas. “Our approach to our website also changed to ensure our SEO ranking enabled us to appear on the first page of Google. “This new strategy has really boosted our sales growth, and it means we can now look at growing our core team of four by hiring some of our contractors full-time – something that was simply impossible before. This will allow us to take on more work and grow even further.” Rod is also hopeful that SVLT’s new business plan and value proposition could take it to greater heights. “SVLT’s original business plan was somewhat loose, which is not what investors are after,” he said. “We worked with Greg to tighten up the plan, and really dig into the data to work out what is worth presenting to possible investors. “In the past the sector has faced some issues of poor product reliability and so we helped them come up with the succinct and slightly challenging tagline ‘off-grid solar products that actually work’. We then helped them to make their website more attractive and streamlined. “It’s great to see the strategy working for SVLT, and I’m confident its new business plan could see even more external investment come its way.” Councillor Martin Watson, portfolio holder for Economy at Warwickshire County Council, said: “We are delighted that the Business Ready programme has supported Solar Vision Lighting Technologies to improve order numbers, their website and approach to SEO, all with the intention to position itself for equity investment which will enable them to create additional job opportunities and grow their team. “Supporting Warwickshire’s businesses is a key priority, and the Business Ready programme can provide businesses in need of support with free, tailored advice, expertise, business workshops and much more to help them grow and develop.” Cllr Louise Robinson, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for growth, investment, digital and communications, said: “The expert advice on offer from Business Ready aims to help businesses in the borough develop robust plans for growth, creating new jobs, securing investment and supporting the borough’s economy. “Solar Vision Lighting Technologies has really benefited from the holistic approach taken by Business Ready, from strengthening the company’s business plan and identifying new markets to maximising the opportunities online. It’s delivered immediate results with an influx of new orders and plans to create more full-time roles, putting in place a business strategy which can support SVLT’s growth in the future.” Business Ready forms part of the Business Growth Warwickshire programme. It is delivered by University of Warwick Science Park on behalf of Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire’s five District and Borough Councils. The support is part funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (via the District and Borough Councils), and Warwickshire County Council. Find out what other support is available to your business by calling Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747 or visit the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub website. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Savills has expanded its Technical Due Diligence (TDD) team, part of building & project consultancy (BPC), with the appointment of Paul Harper who joins as a director based at the firm’s Margaret Street head office in London. Paul has over 25 years’ experience specialising in providing technical due diligence and development monitoring services for a wide range of clients who provide debt finance or equity funding. This included managing the TDD process for institutional investors on a wide range of projects throughout the UK and mainland Europe. As part of this, he recently monitored several large Build to Rent (BTR) and private for sale residential developments, building up a wealth of knowledge in the living sector. Prior to joining Savills, Paul was a director in the project monitoring team at Colliers and before that at JLL, having also spent six years in central Europe whilst at King Sturge. At Savills, Paul will work as part of the central London development monitoring team, helping to grow this capability on a national and international level. Paul Harper comments: “I am very excited to be joining Savills market leading TDD team. This continues to be an interesting time for the real estate sector, with due diligence now more important to clients than ever as they seek to make sustainable, future proofed investments.” Steve Page, head of the TDD team at Savills, adds: “We are very pleased to welcome Paul to Savills. His skillset and expertise will undoubtedly help to further strengthen the team and ensure we can continue to offer exceptional service to our clients.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Global engineering, design and sustainability consultancy Ramboll announces a change to its UK leadership, with Managing Director Philippa Spence to take over the leadership of its Environment & Health (E&H) Division from 1 August. Neil Sansbury, current Finance and Executive Director will take on the role of acting Managing Director for UK & Ireland. Ramboll has today announced the appointment of Neil Sansbury as Acting Managing Director for UK & Ireland as Philippa Spence steps into a global leadership role in Ramboll’s 3,000-strong global E&H Division after three years in her current role. Neil, who takes the helm for the UK and Ireland, joined Ramboll in 2016 and played a crucial role in navigating the company through the challenges relating to Brexit, Covid and more recently inflation, whilst helping to double revenue and deliver sustainable growth. He will bring his considerable experience and in-depth knowledge of Ramboll’s business in the UK & Ireland to the role. As head of the E&H Division, Philippa will oversee Ramboll’s largest and most profitable market, which holds a top-10 leading position globally among environmental consultancies. Philippa takes on the global role having led the company’s E&H Division in the UK from 2019-2021. An industry leader in sustainability and environmental consultancy, Philippa chairs the Environment Industries Commission (EIC), where she has been a passionate advocate for the environment alongside her role at Ramboll. Commenting on Neil’s new role, Philippa said, “I am delighted that Neil will be taking on the acting MD role, he has been a firm hand on the tiller in our growth journey, helping drive our strategy: ’The Partner for Sustainable Change’. He has worked alongside the UK Executive to empower our people to deliver innovative and leading solutions that support the transition to a more sustainable society, whilst creating a culture in which our people can grow and flourish”. Neil added, ”I’m looking forward to leading the UK and Ireland business. It’s an exciting time for our industry with early promising signals from the new Government on a variety of matters. Bringing stability and confidence to the market with the green energy transition, establishing Great British Energy and the National Wealth Fund, planning reforms. These initiatives and other clear policy signals are essential for the UK’s growth and decarbonisation ambitions. Our significant investments into sustainability means we are well placed to support clients in the green transition, I have no doubt that the next five years will be transformational for our industry”. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new chief executive officer has been appointed to lead Aggregate Industries UK, part of the global Holcim group. Earlier this year it was announced that current CEO, Dragan Maksimovic, had been appointed as Region Head West Europe overseeing the leadership of the Holcim businesses in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and Spain. Holcim group has now announced Lee Sleight as the new CEO of Aggregate Industries UK. He will take up his position on 1 August 2024. Lee joined the business in 2021 as Managing Director of the readymix concrete division and in his time there transformed the business. Last year he moved to take up the role as Managing Director of the aggregates division. Lee has more than 20 years of experience in the construction industry holding various senior leadership positions. Outgoing CEO and Holcim Region Head West Europe Dragan Maksimovic, said: “Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Lee on his appointment. He will make an excellent CEO. “I have worked closely with him for the last few years and he has a proven track record in leading and transforming businesses. I am confident he will continue to drive the business forward while delivering on our ambitious plans of decarbonisation and green growth.” Lee Sleight, Aggregate Industries UK new CEO, said: “It is a very proud moment for me to be chosen to lead this fantastic business. Having been with the company for a number of years I know first-hand how amazing the people who work here are. “I am now really looking forward to working with our teams around the country in order to deliver on our ambition to be the UK’s leading supplier of sustainable construction materials and to keep progressing on our journey to a net zero future.” Kaziwe Kaulule will succeed Lee as Managing Director of the company’s aggregates division. Kaziwe joined AIUK in October 2023 as Director of Strategic and Commercial Growth, having previously been CEO of Holcim’s South Africa and Zimbabwe businesses. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Expanding UK property and construction specialist Watts Group has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Rob Burke as Lead Director of its Commercial Building Surveying team in London. Following a spell with another surveying firm, he is re-joining Watts where he previously spent 15 years, rising from associate to director. Watts Group’s Chairman, Trevor Rushton, said: “This is an exciting appointment. As a well-known figure in the industry, Rob will play a key role in developing the team, growing the business and providing sustainable property and construction advice. This reflects our commitment to providing the right workplace as well as a trusted and valued service.” Rob commented: “Increasingly, we are seeing clients seeking out specialists, and Watts is well placed to meet that need as an established, forward-thinking business. It is great to be part of a profitable, innovative firm with highly skilled and motivated experts. I look forward to helping the business to grow, to expand our service portfolio and to continue to deliver quality advice around the built environment and ESG.” In a career spanning more than two decades, Rob Burke has been involved in multiple aspects of the property sector. His track record includes adding value and saving costs on projects, carrying out technical due diligence on landmark buildings, advising and settling large dilapidations claims, monitoring large complex developments and delivering a variety of projects. He also brings a wealth of experience on teambuilding and ESG. Rob is a Fellow of RICS, a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers and a member of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors. During his previous tenure at Watts, he played a pivotal role in the firm’s growth and building its reputation. Married with two children, he is a keen road and cross-country runner, and has completed two ultra-marathons. He also enjoys cycling, climbing, sailing, skiing and gardening. Rob’s appointment comes at a time of growth and expansion for Watts Group, as the firm continues to strengthen its position in the competitive property and construction market. With his leadership, the Commercial Building Surveying team is well-positioned to capitalise on new opportunities and drive sustained growth in the years ahead. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
DOMIS, one of the UK’s fastest-growing national construction companies, has announced the retirement of its Co-Founder and Managing Director, Lee McCarren, after seven years of service. Kingsley Thornton, currently Director at Domis, becomes Managing Director of the business with immediate effect. With Kingsley’s help, Lee McCarren has steered Domis’s fast growth since the company’s formation in 2017. To date, Domis has delivered over 5,000 new homes and a full portfolio of commercial spaces across dozens of schemes around the UK. Succession planning at Domis has been underway for some time. Kingsley Thornton is unanimously agreed by all members of the Board to be Lee’s natural successor to take Domis into its next phase of growth, supported by the mature, experienced management team that Lee has put in place. Lee McCarren comments: “It has been a huge honour to serve as Managing Director of Domis for seven years and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a team in that time. The time is, however, now right for me to think about life beyond Domis and enjoy what comes next for me and my family. The business couldn’t be in a better position and I am delighted to hand over the reins to Kingsley under whose stewardship I am certain Domis will continue to build inspiring new schemes and delight clients across the UK.” Kingsley Thornton comments: “Lee has been a fantastic leader, mentor and friend to me over the last few years and, speaking on behalf of all of the Domis team, we thank him for his commitment to building our business and pushing us to be ambitious and successful. Now as Managing Director of Domis, I am looking forward to taking the business forward into a new phase, building on the success Lee and I enjoyed together as we deliver more high-quality schemes in places around the UK where new homes are in shortest supply and highest demand.” Simon Ismail, Managing Director of Salboy, concludes: “Together with Fred Done, Salboy’s founder and biggest supporter, I want to thank Lee McCarren for the enormous contribution he has made not only to the Domis business but to the skylines of Manchester, Salford and many other cities across the UK. Lee has been a fantastic leader who has built a hugely capable and ambitious team at Domis who have a proven track record of executing to the highest standards on each and every scheme they take on. Kingsley has the Board’s full support and confidence to continue in Lee’s footsteps.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Costain, the infrastructure solutions company, has appointed Paul Morris as group commercial director, joining its executive board. With 30 years of experience working in people, project and commercial management roles, Paul will be responsible for leading the commercial function and supporting Costain’s growth strategy. Paul joined Costain in 2011 and has held a number of commercial leadership roles across the organisation, most recently as commercial services director. He takes over the role from David Taylor, who has chosen to step down from the executive board after 10 years as Costain’s group commercial director. David will remain in the business, using his extensive experience to provide commercial support for specific projects. Alex Vaughan, CEO at Costain, commented: “Paul has a wealth of commercial experience, more than a decade of which has been spent with Costain, and we’re pleased our strategic planning has allowed us to maintain such strong commercial continuity. Paul will help ensure our business strategy remains firmly aligned with the needs of our customers in the UK’s critical infrastructure sectors.” Paul Morris, group commercial director, added: “The UK faces significant, strategic infrastructure decisions over the next few years and Costain will play a pivotal role. I’m looking forward to helping our customers solve their challenges and fulfil their business plans.” Paul has held the position on an interim basis since October 2023. During that time Costain has seen commercial success with significant contract wins with Northumbrian Water Group, United Utilities and with bp as part of a landmark carbon capture scheme in Teesside. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Award-winning housebuilder, The Hill Group, has announced the promotion of Cain Peters to Managing Director in charge of Special Projects, which specialises in large high density construction projects. Cain, who began his journey with Hill as a site manager 17 years ago, will leverage his extensive experience managing this region, which includes key joint venture partnerships and has become a major pillar of Hill’s recent success. Since 2015, in his role as Regional Director, Cain has worked closely with the Special Projects region. The move exemplifies Hill’s commitment to career progression and the wealth of talent within the organisation. Cain will now manage a team of over 100 employees and a division with a projected turnover of £300 million for the current financial year. Andy Hill OBE, Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group, comments: “Cain has demonstrated exceptional loyalty and a commitment to continuous improvement during his time at Hill. This latest promotion is both a well-deserved progression for Cain, reaffirming the confidence I have in his lead and develop further our Special Projects team to remain the ‘partner of choice’ on large joint venture projects with key partners across London and the South East.” Cain Peters, Regional Managing Director for Special Projects, comments: “I am passionate about Hill and proud to have been a part of the company’s success over the past 17 years. I look forward to leading the Special Projects division and contributing to the company’s future achievements and planned period of growth.” Hill has gone from strength to strength in recent years and was recently named Housebuilder of the Year at the 2023 WhatHouse? Awards. The company is set to announce its financial results for its previous financial year, ending March 2024, and is currently planning for the next phase of its business strategy, in which the Special Projects region will play a key role. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LEADING firm GT3 Architects has announced the appointment of Eric Hampel as its new finance director, further expanding its senior leadership team. Formerly of Deloitte and Tribe Technology PLC, Eric brings more than 12 years of financial expertise and leadership experience to GT3 Architects, working within Canada, Australia and UK markets. This strategic addition to the practice’s leadership team marks a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing growth and expansion efforts. It also comes shortly after GT3 was included in The Architects’ Journal’s list of the 100 largest and most influential architectural practices in the UK, and as the team has added several more project award wins to its trophy cabinet. Simon Dunstan, director and co-founder at GT3 Architects, said: “As directors, Mark Gowdridge and I are delighted to welcome Eric to the team, especially at a time our success continues to gain recognition with the likes of our AJ100 listing. This is an exciting strategic hire for us, and one which we believe highlights our commitment to diversification and growth and our dedication to the wider GT3 team. We’re looking forward to benefitting from Eric’s expertise and experience and valuable insights as we continue our sustainable growth strategy.” Eric Hampel expressed his enthusiasm about joining GT3 Architects, stating: “I’m delighted to be joining GT3. The people architecture approach is something that resonated strongly with me when being introduced to the practice and what the team does, and I’m keen to support that within my role. I’m excited to contribute to the further growth of a business that places such a strong emphasis on creative solutions that serve the community through every single action and design.” Eric is the fourth new director added to the business in the past 12 months, following the promotions of Suzanne Blair, Paul Reed, and Michael Simpson in 2023. For further information, please visit www.gt3architects.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
