Highbourne Group, one of the UK’s leading plumbing and heating merchants and owner of brands such as City Plumbing, Plumbworld and PTS, has appointed a new Chief Marketing Officer. Liz Forte, an award-winning marketing director with over 20 years’ experience working for some of Europe’s best-loved brands such as Starbucks
Savills has continued its expansion of its Savills Earth division with the appointment of Joanna Conceicao, associate director in sustainable and zero carbon strategies based in the firm’s Finsbury Circus office in London. Joanna joins the sustainable design team, now 14 strong since launching in July 2021, working to facilitate
CITB has announced an investment of more than £800,000 for the launch of a new employer network pilot project, which could revolutionise the way the construction sector access and receive funding for training in the future. Over 3,800 levy-registered construction businesses will be eligible to benefit from the pilot, offered
The Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) is on track to train a record number of apprentices this year. It would normally expect to enrol between 60 and 80 a year but the 2022 figure already stands at around 130. Demand from employers for skilled apprentices is being fuelled by an
Business improvement specialists, BBI Services strive to transform business performance across the built environment industry in partnership with the Supply Chain Sustainability School (the School). BBI Services has developed a series of exceptional training and coaching programmes, which build the skillsets, mindsets and toolsets of individuals and teams to achieve
A BUSINESSMAN with more than 30 years of experience in leading and developing teams across the globe is sharing his expertise to help an ambitious house building company continue to grow. Isaac Wharton has worked globally at a strategic level for public multinational corporations and private equity companies, growing the
Civil and structural engineering consultancy, Howard Ward Associates (HWA) has restructured its management team with members stepping up to senior positions, as the company goes from strength to strength with a large pipeline of work and three new hires appointed recently. HWA sees two new buy ins to the senior
Tim Burgess and the VOP Group Architects he founded, have joined AJ100 practice TODD Architects, with Tim becoming the new Principal of TODD Architects’ growing London studio. Tim brings over 20 years’ experience, working across private and public sectors, including for the past 12 years leading and managing Cove Burgess
Aart Koning has joined CHQ Architects as a Director. With over 30 years’ experience working in the UK for internationally and nationally award-winning practices, Aart will be heading up and growing the design side of CHQ across the Group. Aart has previously worked for Foster + Partners, Rock Townsend and
An independent, multi-disciplined construction consultancy has announced two new appointments to meet a growing national demand for its services. The Construction Consultants (TCC) has recruited Allan Davies as Director and Clint Howell as Senior Building Surveyor, as part of an expanded team at its headquarters in Cannon Street, Birmingham. The
Highbourne Group, one of the UK’s leading plumbing and heating merchants and owner of brands such as City Plumbing, Plumbworld and PTS, has appointed a new Chief Marketing Officer. Liz Forte, an award-winning marketing director with over 20 years’ experience working for some of Europe’s best-loved brands such as Starbucks and Sony, joins the business starting on 8th August from the world’s largest food contract company, Compass Group. Liz is now responsible for developing and overseeing the marketing and brand strategy of Highbourne Group to support commercial performance and raise visibility amongst new and existing customers, ultimately driving business growth. At the core of this senior role is leading and managing a large multi-disciplined team to market plumbing and heating products to our large installer base, major contract customers through a range of marketing tools available to us. This helps to make our customer journey easier for them to work with us on a daily basis. John Vaughan, Chief Customer Officer of Highbourne Group, said: “We are excited and delighted to appoint Liz, who has built her career on understanding business objectives and translating them into powerful and innovative marketing strategies, as our new chief marketing officer.” “Liz has a wealth of experience and specialises in growth transformation projects, demonstrated most recently in her previous role where she generated impressive figures for new business, despite challenges associated with the pandemic. “We are looking to unlock the next phase of Highbourne Group’s development and need a strong, insight-led, customer-focused strategic marketing leader. Liz is a perfect fit for this role, and we see her as a significant investment in our company’s future. Liz will report directly into myself and join the Highbourne SLT board.” Liz, who won the Contract Catering Marketing Award in 2022 for her work with Compass and has a history of consulting for private equity firms, takes pride in forging new marketing initiatives underpinned with a data-driven and evidence-based approach. She added: “This new role is a tremendous opportunity, and I am looking forward to being part of the team that will help shape the future and upwards trajectory of Highbourne Group. “I plan to use my expertise to enhance the trading brands of the company, building tangible relationships with its customers and driving sustainable business growth through innovative marketing techniques. “My new colleagues have given me a warm welcome and I already feel part of the Highbourne family.” For more information, please visit www.highbournegroup.co.uk Highbourne Group Limited, through its brands City Plumbing, The Bathroom Showroom, PTS, Plumbworld, The Underfloor Heating Store, Plumbnation, DHS and NSS is one of the largest merchants operating in the UK’s plumbing and heating sector. It sells and distributes plumbing and heating products to installers all the way through to major corporate customers and housebuilders. The group’s team of 3,500 colleagues operates from more than 600 branches and sites around the UK. Highbourne Group’s employees are experts and dedicated to delivering a fantastic service to its customers. Their mission is to supply the highest quality materials in the UK. The company’s business revolves around supporting our customers and exceeding their expectations, from providing first class service to sourcing our products and materials as sustainably as possible.
Savills has continued its expansion of its Savills Earth division with the appointment of Joanna Conceicao, associate director in sustainable and zero carbon strategies based in the firm’s Finsbury Circus office in London. Joanna joins the sustainable design team, now 14 strong since launching in July 2021, working to facilitate sustainable design and energy strategy consultancy services to minimise energy demand and achieve net zero targets for new build and retrofitted schemes. Joanna has over 11 years’ experience as an environmental consultant in the built environment. She is a Chartered Environmentalist and Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessments, an On Construction Domestic Energy Assessor and Home Quality Mark Assessor. She holds a MSc in Sustainable Environmental Design from the Architectural Association School of Architecture and has previously worked at the MEP engineering practice BDSP, later chapmanbdsp. Joining Savills, Joanna comments: “This is an exciting next step in my career and I am looking forward to collaborate with the wide range of expertise within Savills and our clients to address our current climate emergency.” Dan Jestico, director in Savills Earth, adds: “We are pleased to welcome Joanna to our rapidly growing sustainable design team. With her expertise in environmental design, sustainability, and net zero carbon strategies, Joanna’s appointment will help us to continue to work with clients on their ESG agendas for both new development and retrofit projects.”
CITB has announced an investment of more than £800,000 for the launch of a new employer network pilot project, which could revolutionise the way the construction sector access and receive funding for training in the future. Over 3,800 levy-registered construction businesses will be eligible to benefit from the pilot, offered across five locations in England, Scotland and Wales. While the pilot is open to businesses of all sizes, there is a primary aim to simplify the process for small and micro businesses, helping to place them at the heart of local training provision. Through the support of established and experienced delivery partners, the pilot enables employers to recognise their training priorities and receive guidance on how best to find and fund the training most appropriate to them. This transformative way of working provides a huge opportunity for employers to not only voice their training requirements, but also play a fundamental role in deciding how funds are used in their local area. As part of this new model, construction businesses will not need to access the grant scheme, as CITB is supporting the employer network to help organise and fund training directly. Many of the current requirements around training being “in scope” will also be relaxed to ensure the pilots can be as reflective of the employer’s needs as possible. Therefore, training can predominantly be in anything that helps a business work better, whether that’s a construction skill; a health and safety course; a business skill; or a future skill need, such as net zero. Tim Balcon, CITB Chief Executive, said: “I’m really excited about this pilot – this is about putting employers in the driving seat to identify and address their local skills challenges and how best CITB can align our funding and resources to support their skills needs. I would encourage employers in the pilot areas to get involved and use their voice to shape and engage with the local training provision. “The pilots are being funded by CITB and delivered by local organisations with a pedigree in finding and delivering training in their area.” The five pilot areas covered are: Inverness in Scotland, provided by Scottish Civils Training Group Norfolk in England, provided by Norfolk Construction Training Group Lincoln in England, provided by Lincoln Group Training Association South West Wales, provided by Cyfle Building Skills The final pilot is specifically for Civil Engineering firms in the Midlands, provided by CECA Midlands. Anthony Rees, Regional Manager, Cyfle Building Skills Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be part of the employer network pilot scheme for the region. This will be a great opportunity for construction employers from the south-west Wales area to develop their workforce with relevant training. The pilot scheme will help construction organisations to engage with other local employers, our three local training groups, and industry stakeholders, and give them the opportunity to have their say on how funds are spent to develop their training needs.” John Farley, Chair, Norfolk Construction Training Group, said: “As an extremely active training group, we are delighted to be a part of the new employer network pilot, aimed at encouraging the wider construction community to engage in training. “We identify that training is essential for the industry to grow and thrive – this programme is an exciting opportunity to make that happen. “We feel once implemented it will have a serious impact with employers and improve much needed skill levels within the local area.” Herman Kok, Chair, Lincoln Group Training Association, said: “As chair of Lincoln Group Training Association (LGTA) l am excited and looking forward to delivering the employer network pilot and delivering innovative training support for Lincoln-based construction companies and their supply chain. We are grateful for the support we receive from CITB for these activities.” Through a more collaborative approach, the hope is to tackle specific local skills shortages and improve ease of access to training, particularly for smaller businesses without dedicated office admin or training staff. This pilot forms a part of CITB’s continuous efforts to create a skilled, competent, and inclusive workforce, now and in the future. For further information on the pilot and its associated areas, visit the CITB website.
The Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) is on track to train a record number of apprentices this year. It would normally expect to enrol between 60 and 80 a year but the 2022 figure already stands at around 130. Demand from employers for skilled apprentices is being fuelled by an ongoing boom in construction projects, combined with a post-Brexit exodus of EU workers. The sector has traditionally relied on recruiting self-employed contractors, many of whom hailed from eastern Europe, as a cost-effective and flexible way of bridging the skills gap. Due to the increased demand from within the sector, TICA launched an additional January intake for its Thermal Insulation Apprenticeships, which attracted 31 people, and is on track to recruit more than 100 apprentices to the September intake at its National Training Centre in Darlington. The only trade association representing the thermal insulation industry, it is also the sole provider of the industry’s Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeship standards. These involve a mix of on the job training, supported by classroom and workshop-based learning, allowing apprentices to gain the technical knowledge and practical experience to gain a nationally recognised qualification relevant to the thermal insulation industry. Marion Marsland, chief executive of TICA, said: “There is currently a dearth in independent insulation contractors due to a combination of Brexit and the pandemic – which has created a general shortage of qualified thermal insulation engineers. “The industry has always trained apprentices, but never on a sufficient scale and there has been a self-fulfilling reliance on agency contractors working a day rate. “Many companies in the UK now recognise the benefits of retaining the skills and knowledge by employing people directly. Recent events do seem to be changing the industry’s mindset away from the self-employed model.” TICA also provides its members with a full apprentice recruitment service, writing and placing apprenticeship vacancy adverts, providing an initial sift of applicants, and arranging interviews.
Business improvement specialists, BBI Services strive to transform business performance across the built environment industry in partnership with the Supply Chain Sustainability School (the School). BBI Services has developed a series of exceptional training and coaching programmes, which build the skillsets, mindsets and toolsets of individuals and teams to achieve high performance. The School is a free online learning platform offering 50,000 registered users access to 3,000 learning resources, 400 virtual training sessions each year, and a range of diagnostic and benchmarking tools to support companies with their sustainability strategies. By partnering with the School, BBI Services can train the sector to tackle low productivity levels, enhance quality and reduce cost – all of which will have a positive impact on the ultimate goal, sustainability. The School also enables BBI Services to support members by utilising their CITB levy pot to fund the Improvement Skillset training, allowing them to earn Continued Professional Development points (CPD), positively impacting business performance. Ian Heptonstall, Director of Supply Chain Sustainability School, said: “We started working with BBI Services in 2018 and, in the last two years, the team has been delivering their Improvement Foundation Skillset programme as well as a series of Lunch ‘n’ Learns and interactive workshops to School members on several topics. “We receive incredibly positive feedback from the participants who attend the BBI Services training, and we have seen first-hand how they can help to make a real difference across all levels of an organisation within the built environment. “The industry has faced unprecedented times in the last two years, but the BBI Services team has continued to deliver to a great standard. They offer members great advice, recommendations, and coaching to help organisations tackle their challenges, without sacrificing quality or safety.” Mark Worrall, CEO of BBI Services, said: “Since becoming an official Partner of the Supply Chain Sustainability School two years ago, we’ve been delighted to deliver such valuable sessions to an engaged audience in the construction sector. “This is a great partnership that has created lots of opportunities for us to support the different leadership groups, including offsite, infrastructure and digital. “As well as delivering our specialist training programmes, I also co-chair the Operational Efficiency and Lean leadership group alongside Ian which engages representatives from clients, contractors and manufacturers. “Working closely with the School has also provided the chance for us to access their incredible resource bank, excellent learning management system as well as fully utilise their sustainability tools and techniques. “Following celebrating the School’s tenth anniversary this year, there are some more exciting plans in the pipeline and we can’t wait to get started.” For more information on the BBI Services team and how they can enhance a team’s personal growth and build team engagement and involvement visit: https://www.bbiservices.com/what-we-do/training-services
A BUSINESSMAN with more than 30 years of experience in leading and developing teams across the globe is sharing his expertise to help an ambitious house building company continue to grow. Isaac Wharton has worked globally at a strategic level for public multinational corporations and private equity companies, growing the creation of value within the businesses and successfully negotiating mergers and acquisitions, business turnarounds and improvement activities. During his 30 plus year career, he has held roles as Managing Director, European Group President and International Vice President and General Manager at the firms he has represented. Following his recent return to the area, Isaac has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Cumbrian-based homebuilder Genesis Homes, where he will advise on how to develop the rapid expansion of the business which now employs more than 60 members of staff. Isaac said: “I have a long history with Genesis Homes since it was formed in 2017 but I’ve only recently taken an active role. “Having acquired South Cumbrian homebuilder Russell Armer Homes in 2021, I’ve witnessed the meteoric growth of the company from the early days and I’ve been impressed with the passion and commitment within the business, particularly from the managing director Nicky Gordon. “Seeing Nicky’s desire to succeed in business, it seemed a natural progression for me when retiring from a full-time role to bring those skills I’ve acquired to Genesis Homes and help take the business to the next level. “It’s about adopting a consistent development focus and ambition to grow the business and increase the creation of value, that is the passion I see in Genesis Homes and exactly the environment I have been used to and love working in so the company is definitely a good match for my ambitions.” During his successful career, Isaac worked more latterly as the international operations vice president and general manager at America-headquartered company Phillips & Temro, part of private equity giant Harbour Group Ltd. His role included acquisitions, growing and creating value of businesses outside of America, largely working in Europe, China and India. Isaac said: “The role was very fulfilling and it was all about value creation by either creating more efficient, more effective business activities, reducing overheads or the bolting on of strategic acquisitions to strengthen the core business or products. “I have loved my time working at international companies and travelling the world, and now I’m looking forward to being involved in the next, exciting chapter of Genesis Homes and seeing how far we can grow the business.” Prior to working with Phillips & Temro, Isaac worked at three other American-based private equity groups. Nicky Gordon said: “Isaac has been really helpful throughout the Genesis Homes journey and we are absolutely delighted that he has agreed to take on a more hands-on role to grow the company even further. “His experience and expertise in business will be vital to us as we aim to achieve and develop our growth ambitions in the coming years, with 2022 our biggest year to date as we currently work on constructing 750 new homes.”
Civil and structural engineering consultancy, Howard Ward Associates (HWA) has restructured its management team with members stepping up to senior positions, as the company goes from strength to strength with a large pipeline of work and three new hires appointed recently. HWA sees two new buy ins to the senior management team with associates Andy Bowler who has been with the company for six years, and Dave Taylder who has been with the company just under two years, each stepping up to director level. From its head office in Nottingham, HWA delivers construction engineering consultancy services across the country across sectors including education, healthcare, emergency services and residential. The company is experiencing a period of rapid growth, appointing three new team members in recent months – including senior technician Nadeem Chaudhry, administrator and business development assistant Iqra Saleem, and senior civil engineer Theodora Francis. The expansion of the team comes in response to the growing pipeline of projects that HWA is involved in – with an approximate construction value of £100million. Director Dan Bailey will be also taking on the role of managing director, as the company’s current managing director Giles Ward takes a step back following 26 years at HWA. Dan, who joined HWA in 2013, has more than 25 years’ experience as a civil and structural engineer, working in the public and private sectors on varied projects both regionally and nationally. The firm has recently worked on impressive projects such as the Alfreton Park Community Special School in Derbyshire and the Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service joint headquarters as well as substantial high quality student accommodation schemes in Brighton and Coventry. On the restructure, managing director, Giles Ward said: “During my 26 years with the company I have been delighted to see our client base, portfolio and the range of services we offer continue to grow. We have been involved with a huge array of schemes across the country from pre-acquisition through to project completion – from heritage to healthcare, and the future of the company is positive as we expand our team to manage our strong pipeline of work. “Congratulations to Andy, Dave and Dan on their new positions – It is an exciting period for the team, as we focus on nurturing the relationships that we have with our clients and celebrate the fantastic work that has been achieved to date.” Dan Bailey commented: “I am extremely pleased to be taking on this new role at an exciting time for the company, and to be able to reward Andy Bowler and Dave Taylder for the key parts they have played in the success of the business over recent years. Congratulations to them on stepping up to director level. “I believe that an expanded senior management team gives a solid base for growth and we look forward to further diversifying HWA’s client base and the sectors in which we work.”
Tim Burgess and the VOP Group Architects he founded, have joined AJ100 practice TODD Architects, with Tim becoming the new Principal of TODD Architects’ growing London studio. Tim brings over 20 years’ experience, working across private and public sectors, including for the past 12 years leading and managing Cove Burgess Architects and then VOP in London. Tim is also a member of Southwark Design Review Panel and since 2012 has been a visiting critic at the University of Bath. Peter Minnis, TODD Architects’ London studio director commented: “Tim and the VOP Group joining us is another positive step for the practice, coming shortly after our appointment of Gonzalo Vargas as our new Head of Healthcare. It further strengthens our offer to clients in the city, particularly in the private sector, building on the reputation we have established in recent years in the design and delivery of over 2,500 homes in the capital.”
Aart Koning has joined CHQ Architects as a Director. With over 30 years’ experience working in the UK for internationally and nationally award-winning practices, Aart will be heading up and growing the design side of CHQ across the Group. Aart has previously worked for Foster + Partners, Rock Townsend and astudio working across the residential, education, leisure, community and commercial sectors. Over the past 15 years he has played a leading role finding new opportunities, introducing new skills, mentoring staff and managing the practice to ensure a continuous high quality of work combined with an efficient performance. Barry Harper-Smith, Managing Director of CHQ Architects comments, “Aart is a fantastic new addition to our senior team within CHQ and I look forward to working closely with him to continue to build the strength and depth of our design expertise across a range of sectors.” Aart Koning comments, “The increasing demands of the built environment require innovative solutions, achieved through collaboration and sharing intelligence. I am acutely aware that it is key for an architectural practice to remain relevant, and I am delighted to be joining the team at CHQ who have a rich history and are actively working at the forefront of new developments, leading the process of change in the construction industry.” Celebrating its 40th anniversary, CHQ Architects has grown into a substantial practice with a talented team of over 50 architects, interior designers and 3D visualisers operating out of Central London and Baldock, Hertfordshire. CHQ offers clients a wide field of expertise at all RIBA work stages from feasibility to completion and beyond. Its sister company, DMWR Architects is also based in Manchester and London. With a wealth of experience in both designing and delivering prestigious projects, CHQ Architects and DMWR are using intelligent software that supports an outcome-based design approach which is fundamental for an interdisciplinary process that optimises the environmental performance of a development and meets the aims of the recently published new parts O, F and L of the Building Regulations.
An independent, multi-disciplined construction consultancy has announced two new appointments to meet a growing national demand for its services. The Construction Consultants (TCC) has recruited Allan Davies as Director and Clint Howell as Senior Building Surveyor, as part of an expanded team at its headquarters in Cannon Street, Birmingham. The appointments bolster the consultancy’s capability and will support its strategy of unlocking new business opportunities by developing long-term relationships with new and existing clients. Allan Davies is a construction industry professional with more than 20 years’ experience, including senior roles with international property and construction consultancy, McBains. He has established a track record of securing new business from a diverse range of clients and will be responsible for driving TCC’s new business growth. He is joined by Clint Howell, an RICS award-winning chartered building surveyor, who has previously worked for AECOM, RPS and Six Property Consulting. Recent experience includes the delivery of a national fit out programme on behalf of 24/7 leisure operator, The Gym Group. Established in 2017, TCC has expanded into a team of 18 employees, specialising in a wide range of disciplines including project management, employer’s agent, quantity surveying, fund monitoring and CDM consultancy. The consultancy operates across a range of sectors including residential, commercial, industrial, student accommodation, leisure and retail and has developed a growing portfolio of clients such as The Gym Group, Zone Developments, Ocado, Equation Properties, Apsley House Capital, Godwin Developments, Wolverhampton Council and St Francis Group. Notable projects include the delivery of a 203-unit build to rent apartment scheme in Birmingham, a 200-bed student accommodation scheme in Northampton and a 113,000 sq ft industrial development on behalf of St Francis Group. Co-founder and Director of TCC, Sandeep Singh Sunner, said: “We are delighted to welcome Allan and Clint who further boost our existing team. Allan has been appointed to drive the business into the next phase of growth and brings with him a wealth of industry experience. We have been searching for a suitable candidate to join our building surveying department for nearly eight months and have finally found the right person in Clint. “Since launching the business just over five years ago, we have developed into a specialist company with a team of industry professionals who share a desire to deliver successful projects and establish long-term relationships with our clients”.
