High-level departures dominated this week’s comings and goings in the construction sector.
Joanne Conway
FM Conway executive group chair Joanne Conway has left the firm her grandfather founded after a 22-year stint. Conway’s departure came with the completion of FM Conway’s sale to French multinational contractor Vinci, which was announced last October.
Chief executive Andrew Hansen is now FM Conway’s managing director and a member of Vinci Construction UK’s executive committee.
Highways specialist FM Conway will operate independently within Vinci, although it will benefit from the group’s resources.
Meanwhile, the National House Building Council announced this morning (7 February) that its chief executive Steve Wood is to step down after eight years in the post.
Wood joined the NHBC in July 2017 after more than 20 years with various corporate, private equity-backed and specialist insurers.
The NHBC said it had begun to search a successor while Wood remained “fully committed to ensuring continuity and supporting the transition process”.
Elsewhere in the housebuilding sector, Cala Homes has made two new appointments to its board, following its acquisition last October by Sixth Street and Patron Capital.
Former Countryside Partnerships group chief executive Ian Sutcliffe has become the group’s non-executive chairman, while ex-Crest Nicholson chief operating officer Tom Nicholson has taken up the role of non-executive director.
Patron Capital managing director and founder Keith Breslauer said: “Ian and Tom bring valuable experience to Cala’s board as they have both held multiple successful leadership positions in the UK housebuilding industry.”
Rochelle Theaker
Persimmon Homes has appointed a new finance director at its Wessex business. Rochelle Theaker joined Permission three years ago as the finance manager for East Wales, moving over to the Wessex business in September 2023.
Consultancy moves
Engineering and environmental consultancy Waterman has appointed James Barker from Hydrock to head its sustainability delivery in the North.
Barker, who specialises in whole-life carbon assessments, building certifications, energy modelling and overheating, will work from the firm’s Leeds office.
He spent seven years at Hydrock, latterly as an associate since July 2023.
Civil and structural engineering firm BSP Consulting has promoted 25-year industry veteran Jason Davenport to head of traffic and transportation. Davenport joined the East Midlands-based consultancy as a transport engineer in 1999, a month after it was set up.
In other consultancy news this week, Glasgow consulting engineers MHB Consultants appointed four members to its new operations board. Alistair Gray will be board director and also responsible for engineering delivery and operations. Reporting to him are geotechnical director George Marjane, temporary works and civils director Gillian Pettigrew and bridges director Jordan Brownlee.
The board will support new managing director Fergus Aitchison, who took over from founder Hendrie Barbour at the beginning of 2025.
