A flurry of recent appointments include a new Arcadis Northern Cities executive, a new managing director at Kier Places in Jamie McKechnie and RECOM Passive Fire Protection debuting a new management team after a division expansion
There have been a variety of appointments to new leadership roles in the construction industry of late, such as a Arcadis Northern Cities executive, a new management team at RECOM Passive Fire Protection and the appointment of Jamie McKechnie as managing director at Kier Places.
Jamie McKechnie appointed managing director at Kier Places
Kier has appointed Jamie McKechnie as managing director of Kier Places, its housing maintenance and facilities management business, taking up the new role from 3rd April, following the departure of Mark Whittaker who is leaving Kier to take up a role elsewhere in the industry.
Stuart Togwell, Group managing director at Kier Construction, said: “The housing maintenance and facilities management sectors are vitally important to Kier, complementing both our regional build business and our strategic central and local government client base.
“Kier Places is at an exciting period in its ongoing evolution, and I am delighted that we have been able to fill the role internally and that Jamie has accepted the role of managing director. With his track record of transformational leadership and his commitment to developing individuals and teams to deliver new solutions for clients, he is well placed to drive innovation and growth in this important sector.
“I would like to thank Mark Whittaker for his excellent leadership of Kier Places over the last few years and wish him the best for the future.”
Jamie McKechnie has already made a name for himself at Kier
Jamie joined Kier three years ago as Group procurement director and, in this time, has transformed Kier’s approach to supply chain management, introduced new sustainable technologies such as Flywheel and battery storage units and played a leading role in securing Kier’s Real Living Wage accreditation.
Prior to joining Kier, Jamie held a number of senior leadership roles in his 25 years in the construction industry including housing maintenance, operational delivery and procurement for organisations such as Wates and Rok.
Jamie McKechnie, Group procurement director at Kier, said: “Kier Places is a fantastic business and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to further develop my career with Kier, drawing upon my experience in the maintenance services and construction sectors to deliver an exemplary service for customers. I’m excited to start working with the Places leadership team to build upon the great work which has already been done.”
Richard Jones named as new Arcadis Northern Cities Executive
Arcadis has appointed a new Northern Cities Executive, playing a crucial role in representing the organisation across the North of England.
A Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, Richard Jones will act as Arcadis’ representative at the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, bringing more than 25 years’ experience to the Northern Cities executive role.
Most recently the head of development led infrastructure at Arcadis, Richard has successfully delivered large complex projects across the North and internationally including Liverpool ONE and Stockport Interchange (one of Transport for Greater Manchester’s largest capital investment projects).
He also sits on the Rochdale Stations Alliance Board, guiding the delivery of over 7,000 new homes along the Calder Valley rail corridor.
The Northern Cities executive will help drive development across the region
As City Executive, Richard will work closely with local authority leaders and the business community across the region to help them navigate the urban environment landscape.
From the challenges of housing delivery and the crucial need for investment in rail infrastructure, to the devolution agenda and how our cities and towns can provide quality of life for all, Richard’s focus will be on helping to shape the North and the opportunities available to make it an ideal place to live and work.
Commenting on his appointment, Arcadis Northern Cities executive Richard Jonessaid:
“Having lived and worked in the North for most of my career I am excited to be taking on this role during an important period for our great Northern cities.
“With a renewed focus on the devolution agenda, there is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in allowing the North to realise its vast potential, working across the public and private sector.
“The opportunity, in critical areas including transport, energy and net zero, is immense and I am hugely looking forward to taking on this challenging and rewarding role.”
RECOM Passive Fire Protection debuts new management team as division expands
Revenues for RECOM Solutions’ passive fire protection division are on track to exceed £4.5m in the 12 months to April, up from £2.6m, following a raft of contract wins which has seen it expand into a nationwide operation.
RECOM Passive Fire Protection has doubled the size of its team of directly-employed installers to 40 over the past 12 months.
RECOM, which has its headquarters on the Waters Edge Business Park in Salford Quays, is an approved contractor under the UK’s Fire Accreditation Scheme (FIRAS) for its fire protection services, which include passive fire protection installation, fire door surveys and installations, repairs and upgrades, fire strategy reviews, compartmentation surveying, advice and guidance, training, development and support.
The team undertakes projects at locations including NHS Trusts and hospitals, schools and universities, government offices, social housing schemes, apartment blocks and office buildings.
The new RECOM Passive Fire Protection leadership team will drive fire safety across the UK
Sarah Leadbetter has been promoted to the newly-created role of head of the division, which will see her lead on the delivery of its commercial targets, focus on client retention and expansion, and support RECOM’s directors with their growth plans for the group.
Richard Green has joined RECOM Passive Fire Protection as a contracts manager from Bell Group. He brings expertise in fire doors, with more than 10 years’ experience in this specialist field.
Jay Newby has been promoted from contracts manager to the new role of operations manager for RECOM Passive Fire Protection. His new position sees him working closely with contracts managers and leading on all site operations and project delivery.
Gvidas Teresas has been promoted from supervisor to contracts manager and he will support Jay on service delivery.
Due to the division’s geographical expansion, Keron Jackson has been recruited as a contracts manager for the Midlands and is based in Birmingham. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to bolster RECOM’s national coverage.
Developing talent from within the RECOM Passive Fire Protection division
Director and company founder Jason McKnight said: “The creation of a dedicated management team for RECOM Passive Fire Protection, together with our new arrivals, provides an excellent platform for further strong growth for the division.
“The market is growing rapidly amid greater awareness of the need for risk assessments, remediation work, building upgrades and ongoing maintenance in the new-build sector as well as at existing sites.
“Only recently, new fire safety regulations have come into force as the government seeks to improve fire safety in high-rise apartment blocks by implementing recommendations made by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. This once again demonstrates how seriously the issue of fire safety and protection needs to be taken throughout the property and construction sectors.
“We have a highly-skilled and committed team and I am proud of their achievements to date. Our investment in new staff working alongside the new management team will give us the ability to take the division to the next level.
“We are continuing to expand the team by recruiting additional supervisors and contracts managers to reflect the growth we are seeing across the UK. At the same time, we are placing a lot of emphasis on nurturing talent from within, and five RECOM trainees have recently gained diplomas to qualify as passive fire installers.”
