People Moves

Government confirms Mak as construction minister

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Alan Mak has been formally appointed as construction minister, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has told Construction News. The MP for Havant succeeds Nusrat Ghani, who left the role on 26 March, after 16 months in post. Mak becomes the 25th holder of the construction portfolio this century, and…

Mace appoints new engineering chief

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Mace has appointed a new head of civil and structural engineering. Martin Feakes served as UK market director for buildings and as head of buildings London during 18 years in two spells with structural engineering firm Ramboll. In between, he worked as group director at Buro Happold, acting as commercial…

Watkin Jones finance chief replaced months after new boss joins

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Watkin Jones has replaced its chief financial officer (CFO) with a finance executive from the property sector. Sarah Sergeant is stepping down after two and a half years in the role, the firm announced today, and will be replaced by Simon Jones, formerly CFO at Watford-based property firm Mapeley Estates Limited.…

Parliament renewal programme leaders quit

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Both client-side bodies running the programme to repair the Palace of Westminster are losing their chief executives simultaneously, Construction News has learnt. David Goldstone, chief executive of the UK Parliament Restoration and Renewal (R&R) Delivery Authority, submitted his resignation at the end of March, although a leaving date has not…

National Highways commercial boss departs

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The head of procurement at National Highways is to stand down after five years. Malcolm Dare will leave the roads agency, known as Highways England when he joined at the start of 2019, for a new job elsewhere. Among his responsibilities, Dare oversaw the body’s £8.7bn Regional Delivery Partnership framework…

East West Rail boss stands down

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East West Railway Company interim chief executive Beth West is to stand down at the end of May after her contract expires. West (pictured), a former HS2 commercial director and Balfour Beatty regional managing director, joined the client delivering the East West Rail (EWR) Oxford-to-Cambridge railway project in 2022. West…

HS2 land and property chief joins Sir Robert McAlpine

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HS2’s land and property director has left the project to take up a newly-created role in charge of defence at Sir Robert McAlpine. Mike Hickson has joined the tier one contractor as managing director of defence, as part of the firm’s strategy to grow its infrastructure business unit. Hickson has…

New roles for key figures at Gratte Brothers

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Gratte Brothers has promoted company stalwart Remi Suzan to managing director of its building services and engineering unit. Suzan, who was previously deputy managing director, takes on the role this week after more than 20 years at the London-based CN100 mechanical and engineering (M&E) specialist. Previous incumbent Iain Thomson becomes…

Former Laing and Lendlease chief takes reins at Bam

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Royal Bam Group has named former Lendlease finance chief Kim Sides as its new head of UK building. She will formally become executive director of construction for UK and Ireland at the Dutch parent company on Tuesday 2 April. Sides replaces James Wimpenny, who retired in January, and will report…

Galliford Try names new chief financial officer

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Galliford Try has named Kris Hampson as its new chief financial officer. Hampson will join the contractor by September this year, moving from group financial controller at FTSE 100 pest-control firm Rentokil Initial. He replaces Andrew Duxbury, who is leaving Galliford Try to become chief financial officer at Persimmon. Hampson…