CE South West Award Judges

Dan has worked in the insulation and cladding industry since 2008, however, has been involved in the construction industry since the age of 17 giving him a wealth of experience and knowledge in both new build and refurbishment sectors.

Dan has recently set up Holistic Housing Solutions Ltd to specialise in modern methods of construction and offsite technologies offering a variety of solutions through his collaboration with supply chain partners attributing to the rapid delivery and efficiency of much-needed homes without compromise.

Used individually or collectively these concepts have a positive impact on improving the quality, enhancing the performance and reducing the overall build programme when compared to traditional methods.

The use of MMC and Offsite technologies aid to positively disrupt the housing sector to bridge the gap between traditional developments and the Government demand for more homes. Without embracing the use of these rigorously tested innovative solutions, this demand grows further out of reach.

Dan is passionate about collaborative working which will be a driving force behind the growth of Holistic Housing Solutions Ltd.

He takes a very personal approach to exhaust all avenues that will improve build times and methods whilst maintaining high-quality standards of both materials and supply.

Emma is a Chartered Building Surveyor with over 20 years of professional consultancy experience in property, construction and development. She is currently the Housing Development Manager at Exeter City Council and Client Lead for the Exeter Bus Station Redevelopment Project. Emma’s career has spanned the private sector in commercial development across Europe and the Charitable Sector within the Church of England. She is an experienced leader of project teams and has a successful track record for delivering complex and challenging developments.

Emma champions low energy and healthy design and has been instrumental in promoting the German Passivhaus and baubiologie standards in the UK. She has delivered the UK’s first Passivhaus multi-residential development and is presently developing the UK’s first Passivhaus Leisure Centre and Extra Care Home.

Emma is Chair of Exeter YMCA, a Housing Association providing supported accommodation for young people and community outreach projects including job clubs, prison projects and youth work.

Carol has worked in the construction for over 25 years from designing drainage systems and managing building product portfolios in the 90’s; moving to the regeneration sector working with both the public and private sector to attract developers and investors to one of the regions major towns; and now for the last 10 years working with contractors working in marketing, business development and business transformation.

Having worked with a major public sector client to achieve ISO 44001 the Collaborative working accreditation Carol believe that collaboration, good leadership, innovation and strong environmental and social credentials will ensure greater success in the industry.

Kingsley Joined the SCF team in February 2018, based out of the Exeter office Kingsley has responsibility for heading up the South west region. Previously Kingsley held senior roles within the Estates team at Devon County Council and was responsible for overseeing a large capital and revenue programme. Kingsley is a big believer in collaborative working and 2 stage open book procurement and joined the SCF team with a wealth of experience in managing contractor relationships.

Based in the Exeter office, Eleanor has worked with SCF since its inception in the South West in 2009 working alongside SCF contractors and clients. Through working on the procurement of the framework’s diverse range of building projects, she has developed an understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by both contractors and clients as projects come to fruition. Eleanor works on a number of framework initiatives and has a particular interest in the SCF Health & Safety Forum and collaborative working.

As Managing Director at Bamboo Technology Group, Kevin has a clear understanding of the importance of good communications and IT infrastructure in construction.

He has worked with numerous clients and design teams from concept design through to project completion and brings a unique perspective and understanding to each project he works on. His varied roles have given him a wide range of skills which are proving invaluable for his work in the sector

AJ has worked in the social housing sector since leaving university in the 1990’s. Having worked on both the client and now contractor side, he has a unique insight in to the sector. AJ was a statutory director at the award winning Mi-Space and over the past eight years has led a team to quadruple the turn over of the business and established a reputation for delivering clients visions and values. Mi-Space have recently delivered the largest Passivhaus development in the UK and are undertaking decarbonisation of existing properties for clients in the South West and Wales.

They are also undertaking Energiesprong pilot programmes for three social housing clients. AJ is a part of the Constructing Excellence South West Board and plays an active part in the Innovation & Sustainability Thought Leadership Forum. He lives in Devon with his family and enjoys cycling, recently leading a team to raise over £60,000 for Prostate Cancer on a sponsored bike ride to Amsterdam.

AJ will be speaking about the challenge of decarbonising existing stock to meet the commitments set out in the Clean Growth Strategy and Climate Change Act and what is involved with delivering the commitment.

Robin joined the Taylor Lewis team from Trowers & Hamlins solicitors where he worked as a Lawyer for 8 years advising Registered Providers, private individuals and companies on all aspects of residential and commercial development and construction projects as well as property and land acquisitions and disposals. Robin’s legal background and detailed knowledge of all types of Building Contracts, Development Agreements and Statutory Agreements provides for an enhanced level of support for all Taylor Lewis clients. Robin has a vast experience of working with Registered Providers and his transferable skills from his legal background allow him to maintain these relationships and ensure that Taylor Lewis delivers an exceptional service.

Andrew is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager with over 25 years experience. Andrew has been responsible for the development of Airports for the last 18 years, prior to this Andrew managed projects in the telecoms, commercial, development and public utilities sectors.

Andrew is the Infrastructure Director at Bristol Airport where he is responsible for the strategic planning, delivery, efficiency and maintenance of all aspects of the Bristol Airport Estate. This key piece of infrastructure in the South West has grown incrementally over the last 10 years to become the 8th Largest Airport in the UK and is continuing to grow towards 10 million passengers per annum.

Andrew has also designed and implemented a construction framework for the development of Bristol Airport for the future to ensure continuity of approach, enhanced safety, continuous learning / development and long-term construction cost management.

Jamie is a chartered civil and structural engineer with 20 years’ experience in the construction industry.

Jamie has a unique mix of skills, with experience in every stage and method of procurement. He has expertise in all sectors, on both new-build and refurbishment projects of £1000 to £125 million in value.

Jamie has a keen interest in heritage conservation, he has been involved in a number of challenging projects and recently completed a week-long “Repair of Old Buildings” course at the Society for the Protection of Ancient Building.

He applied his new skills for the renovation of his own mid-19th century, four-storey, mid-terrace Victorian townhouse in Cliftonwood, Bristol.

Jamie is the Chair of the Great Western Branch of the Forum for the Built Environment (for the 2019-2020 period) and he is also Chair of the Constructing Excellence Bristol Club.

After a disastrous few years attempting to play golf, Jamie now keeps his leisure pursuits to the water, chiefly sailing and surfing, when he is not exploring the delights of Cornwall and Suffolk with his wife and daughter.

Founding Director of Thorpe engineering Consultant Ltd

Chartered Civil Engineer
ICE Health and Safety Registered
Chair of Constructing Excellence Hampshire
Board Member of Constructing Excellence in London and the South East Steering Group
Robin is passionate about collaboration and innovation and this is reflected in his position with the Constructing Excellence movement. Robin has developed expertise in the efficient use of timber, steel and concrete for building structures. Robin has experience in major residential and commercial buildings and now specialises in the structural transformation of existing buildings.

To me engineering is all about problem solving; it is fundamentally a creative discipline and often the best solutions come from working as part of a team. There is always more than one solution to a problem and the right solution is the one that adds most value to the project.

Engineering is the application of maths and science to shape the built environment. Too often engineers focus on the maths and overlook the context within which the structural elements are being deployed. The maths is generally the easy part; it is in the application that engineers can use creative solutions to add value.

Mary is the Director of the South West Procurement Alliance based in Exeter, the regional arm of LHC a national construction procurement organisation. SWPA is a not for profit organisation offering frameworks, Dynamic Purchasing Systems and procurement services to the public sector. In her current role she promotes the development of new homes using offsite/ Modern Methods of Construction and ‘zero carbon homes ‘

Mary worked on the client side in social housing at a senior level for over 25 years specialising in property, regeneration and procurement. As a director of property in a number of organisations, she had overall responsibility delivering large scale planned maintenance and improvement programmes and for ensuring compliance with statutory requirements for buildings and homes.

She sits on the board of a South West Housing association and is a trustee/founder of a charity that supports sustainable livelihoods for persons with disability in Northern Uganda (Enhancing the Capacity of Persons with Disability).

Rob is passionate about our transformation as we move forward in a rapidly changing world, encouraging us to take a more digitised approach to work.
Since becoming marketing director in 2017, Rob has brought a fresh take to our image, a strategy that reflects the principles of our founding fathers, Ray Stride and Gerry Treglown. Keen to embrace the brave new world, he works to find a balance between real people and a thirst for design with the use of smart processes and the latest systems.

Rob, where does your interest in technology stem from?
After many beers at university, I discovered my interest in tech, and wrote a very serious dissertation based in 25 years’ time, proposing the digital world would take over our lives until one day society kicked back and architecture would save the day.

What are the key challenges that affect your industry, or are likely to in the next five years?
Keeping up with change. With the advancement of technology, robotics and smart materials, we are at the beginning of an industry wide shift in how we design and deliver buildings. I am determined to keep Stride Treglown agile, relevant and at the fore front of this change.

I am particularly excited about offsite processes and techniques. Not only will this lead to higher quality buildings, but to a more inclusive and diverse industry.

Apart from digital innovation, are there any other big trends in your industry?
I strongly believe that buildings become architecture only when people use them, and there is currently a focus on how people are engaging with places.

How we ask for client and user feedback is changing. We are researching how social media can unearth how people are using our buildings. I’m interested in how our Inhabitant series can channel user feedback into improving our design.

With the rise of technology, is the role of the architect changing?
Yes, but we are still the master glue of the whole design process. As we move forward with technology, our role is about bringing the team together and continuing to communicate the importance of good design.

Do you have a favourite book?
Shackleton’s Boat Journey by Frank Worsley. It’s a book that explores Shackleton’s ill-fated expedition to the Antarctica, and his leadership in the face of diversity. I’ve learnt a lot from his approach.

Clarity of roles is really important in any team, but so is contribution from everyone – that’s something I apply to my role as leader. It also taught me that by always looking forward, and never back, you can achieve your dreams. Anything is possible.

Chair of Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium ( SUPC ) Council of Members

Winners of the Times Higher Leadership & Management ( THELMA) award - Outstanding Purchasing Team 2011

Anna is a solicitor specialising in construction law. She is a Partner, and Head of Construction and Engineering at BPE Solicitors. Having lived in Cheltenham for over 30 years and specialised in construction law for over a decade, Anna knows the local market extremely well.

Anna works on both contentious and non-contentious matters, acting for employers, main contractors, specialist sub-contractors, professionals and funders, giving her a wide knowledge of the different interests of the sectors’ stakeholders.

Anna is passionate about reducing the time spent in the pre-construction phase by encouraging reasonable and pragmatic contract drafting and negotiating. She is known for helping clients manage risk in projects, particularly in the education, leisure and health are sectors. Her clients and project sites are spread across the whole of England.

Anna first became involved in Constructing Excellence when she joined the Gloucestershire Club in 2016 and was immediately elected to the role of Club Secretary. After 5 years’ working with the local club, Anna joined the Board of CESW in 2021 as Company Secretary.

details coming soon...

Gemma has been working for Willmott Dixon for 10 years and was recently promoted to pre-construction manager, overseeing all tender and bid work for our Wales and the West office. Managing a team of 15, Gemma thrives on the diversity and variety in her role but didn’t always plan on a career in construction.

Gemma says:

“At school I was actually really interested in art and English, but I was lucky to be made aware of the opportunities within the construction industry as my Dad was a lecturer in Construction in the built Environment.”

She continues “Through that course I got a real taste of all the possible roles in the construction industry, from bricklaying to management and surveying we got to experience the lot, which is where a lot of people miss out I think, as they are just not aware of the diversity of roles available to them”.

Although originally intending on a degree with Loughborough University, Gemma was given the opportunity to become a management trainee in quantity surveying for a construction firm, “that was something I would never have predicted, when quantity surveying was suggested my response was – ‘but I am no good at maths!’ it’s these preconceptions that we need to break down as I have honestly never looked back.”

Gemma then worked on several high profile projects before joining Willmott Dixon as commercial manager; “I really enjoyed working for here from the start, my roles have been interesting and challenging and what I really love is that every day is different. One of the most satisfying parts of working in construction is the team work aspect, everyone pulls together to build something amazing. I often drive past buildings and say ‘I built that!’ to my kids, not that I laid a brick of it, but that’s the point – there is so much more to creating a building than just laying the bricks.”

s so much more to creating a building than just laying the bricks.”

James Beckly is a highly experienced and innovative construction professional with over 20 years’ property development and industry experience. He has worked for developers, consultants, and construction managers across a broad range of market sectors and geographical locations in the UK and overseas.

James leads the WWA Project Management Team and since becoming Managing Partner of Ward Williams Associates in 2020 his primary focus has been on the operational delivery of the business. This is in addition to supporting the continued growth of the business’ national presence.

Award winning low carbon heat & power project design and development consultant.

Early stage project specialist adept at project design and development including commercial and technical feasibility and modelling.

Diverse portfolio of clean growth projects at all scales in UK & abroad from both contractor and client roles.

Lizzy is a solicitor at Royds Withy King, based in Bath. Lizzy specialises in non-contentious construction and engineering matters, and advises a range of clients across the entire supply chain (from procurement and risk management through to delivery and life use of a development).

As a long-time supporter of Constructing Excellence, Lizzy joined the committee of the Generation 4 Change South West in 2019 because she was keen to help encourage the younger generation understand the vast range of opportunities available in the industry.

“I am thrilled to take over role of Chair of the Generation 4 Change South West. I look forward to continuing in Lisa Denby’s footsteps to represent and promote the breadth of passion in the industry across this region. Watch this space for more events and opportunities!”

Lizzy is also active in the local Bath community. She is a committee member for the CESW Bath Club (the local group for the Construction Excellence South West) and the Bath Young Professionals (a networking group who connects junior professionals across various industries and professions in Bath)

Giles is the current Chair of the Hub, an experienced Architect with a wide range of key skills and knowledge across a broad spectrum of sectors from healthcare, research facilities, housing, education – schools to higher education, extending to city centre regeneration and has worked on schemes with values ranging from £1 million to £45 million.

Giles qualified in London and worked for BDP for over a decade before relocating to the Southwest in 2011. He was elevated to Partner of Bailey Partnership in 2017. Giles has led on the Cornwall Council Basic Need Programmes since 2015, delivering over 3,500 pupil places, as well as the Property Programme Projects such as the successful Aerohub Enterprise Zone, Plot 2, pilot scheme and housing schemes at Mitchell, Penventon and St Buryan.

Giles’ experience and excellent communication skills enables him to engage well with clients and stakeholders to develop briefs, identify design solutions and to convey and present them in a succinct manner assisted by his growing local team.

Liz is passionate about empowering others by simplifying the complex and signposting to answers that will help practical delivery of effective health and safety.

In her professional career Liz is most proud of the following:

Being the first Group Safety Manager for Atkins through rapid expansion and flotation where she developed safety management systems and training across the businesses and supported acquisition due diligence and project delivery across the Group;
Leading on the establishment, with AA, RAC, the Police and the then Highways Agency, of www.survivegroup.co.uk which achieved a change in public behaviour on the fast road network within three years of initiation, making these roads safer and helping to reduce congestion; · Establishing with senior colleagues from industry www.safetyindesign.org.uk and taking responsibility for maintenance of the free Design Guides, produced by industry leaders from an HSE led initiative to help small design practices;
Being Interim Head of Health and safety for LOCOG, London 2012 organising committee to facilitate building the necessary capability across the Games and Paralympic Games and devising means of training a highly diverse community of staff and volunteers from nations across the globe. Working with Regulators and delivery teams to enable and empower a successful series of high-profile events and associated transport solutions across the country;
Leading the Design for Health Task Group. A current pan industry group working on effective interventions by clients and designers to improve health outcomes for all affected by construction work for the lifetime of any asset;
Development and delivery of a range of training courses in the UK and overseas on CDM 2015 for IStructE, ICE, APS, Synergie Training and for Safety in Design;
Conducting or supporting various pieces of research for HSE, EPSRC, B&CE Trust