Senior industry figures and sector influencers were among the career changes announced this week.
Ben Leather
Significant regional moves have been confirmed by homebuilders. Among them was Keepmoat, where Ben Leather has been appointed as regional managing director.
He will head up the West Midlands and South West regions to focus on implementing the firm’s land acquisition strategy. In line with the government’s planning changes, he has been tasked with regenerating “disused and abandoned brownfield land” as well as creating affordable housing options. Leather most recently worked as managing director at Spitfire and brings more than 20 years’ industry experience to the role.
Charlie Joseph
Fellow major homebuilder Crest Nicholson has appointed a new managing director for its South West division.
Charlie Joseph has moved up from sales and marketing director in the firm’s Chiltern division. Prior to joining the firm in 2022, she worked for Berkeley and Taylor Wimpey.
She has taken over from Mark Foyle, who is now the managing director of the firm’s south division in Surrey.
Structural change
Structural steel group Severfield has revealed it is making a change at board level.
In a note to City investors, the firm announced the appointment of Mark Pegler as its senior independent director. He has been chair of the audit committee and joined the board in 2022.
Severfield non-executive chair Charlie Cornish said: “I am delighted that Mark Pegler has agreed to become the senior independent director at Severfield. Our board and other stakeholders will continue to benefit from Mark’s experience and insight.”
Facilities
Also making changes this week was Galliford Try, where Tristan Mitchell has been appointed as assistant head of operations for the firm’s facilities management business.
He joined the company’s infrastructure and building arm in 2003 before becoming a facilities manager. His project experience includes schools and housing in the South East.
He will now develop Galliford Try’s operational strategies alongside established contract work.
Public sector
In a week of major updates on nuclear sector work, there also came a key appointment by the organisation employing contractors.
Liz Peace
Liz Peace is the new chair of Nuclear Waste Services, a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). She will succeed current chair Adrienne Kelbie, who is moving overseas.
Peace has more than 35 years’ experience in government and the property sector, including as chief executive of the British Property Federation for 13 years.
Peace will also leave her role as chair of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation in November. That project is focused on delivering 25,000 new homes and 56,000 new jobs around the new HS2 station. The Mayor of London’s team has already begun looking for her successor.
Peace said: “Now is the time to invite a fresh perspective to drive the corporation forward as it starts the search for development and investment partners to deliver this incredible urban transformation.”
Sense of place
Placemaking leader Muse is growing its southern team with the appointment of Hollie Boxall as project manager.
She joins from AtkinsRéalis, where she gained eight years’ experience supporting a range of projects across the commercial, residential and education sectors for both public and private sector clients.
