Experienced staff have led this week’s people moves, with a mixture of internal and external appointments at a tier one contactor, a fit-out specialist and two consultancies.
Change is also in the air at government housing and regeneration agency Homes England after it announced the departure of two senior figures.
Familiar face
Phillippa Prongué
Wates has announced Phillippa Prongué as the new executive managing director of its residential business, taking over from Helen Bunch who is retiring after a 19-year career with the firm.
Prongué will take up the position in early 2025. She joins from Bouygues UK where she was managing director for London and the South East.
Wates said she will be overseeing 10,000 homes being delivered or in the development pipeline for the next five years.
Eoghan O’Lionaird, chief executive at Wates Group, said its residential business will focus on large-scale regeneration and “residential-led development schemes”.
Wates is now in the process of hiring a new managing director for its London region and other leadership roles within its development team.
Fit-out goes all out
A fit-out specialist has added to its top team to help achieve its goal of reaching £275m turnover in 2025.
BW: Workplace Experts has promoted long-time employee Kevin P’ng to managing director. He will work alongside joint managing director Peter Nagle.
It comes after an 11-year tenure during which P’ng has held positions including commercial director and chief commercial officer.
The firm is aiming for new and repeat business across the commercial office, higher education, financial services, tech, creative and legal fit-out markets.
BW: Workplace Experts posted a turnover of £200.1m in its latest accounts for the 2023 calendar year.
The firm said the £275m target is next, and P’ng’s appointment “will be as part of the senior leadership team managing the fit-out firm’s strategy for growth”.
Double departure
Homes England announced today (8 November) that its chair Peter Freeman and chief executive Peter Denton are stepping down.
Both have spent four years running the agency.
Denton will depart on in the new year, while Freeman will leave when the recruitment of a new chair is completed “later next year”, Homes England said in a statement.
Freeman said he will focus on his role as chair of the Cambridge Growth Company once he is replaced.
Denton said that government plans to build 1.5 million new homes in the next five years, and to empower local councils to deliver growth plans, “will require a leadership team with a time horizon extending beyond the period I had originally set for myself. It’s important, therefore, that 2025 sees a new chair and a new CEO taking on this incredible fresh mandate”.
Virtuous circle
Jonny Burke
Consultancy Pick Everard has appointed its first associate circular economy consultant to the practice.
Jonny Burke brings 14 years’ experience to the firm to lead strategy, investment planning, environmental strategies and asset management.
In his previous role at Mott MacDonald, he led the development of a global circular economy strategy, working on client-facing projects for National Highways and Hitachi-BAM.
Pick Everard said he will be working with both public and private sector clients, including on built environment projects.
“Already, we’re working together to deliver a three-year plan that will position our teams as leaders in this field,” the firm said.
Double up
Project and cost consultancy Russell Bolton Consulting (RBC) has announced two senior promotions.
Ilyas Patel and James Alderson are becoming directors as the firm widens its capabilities and service offering.
Patel joined RBC from Arcadis and has held previous roles with Investar and RLB, where he headed the residential and commercial team, working with public, private and institutional clients.
Alderson has held roles at Arcadis, Investar, Cityheart and Mulbury City and continues to work closely with private and institutional investors in the UK and overseas.
Russell Bolton, RBC co-founder and director, said: “We remain focused on expanding our service line and pipeline, with James spearheading our development management offering.”
