The first full working week of 2025 has seen a flurry of job changes across the construction industry.
Eva Soto Pérez
Infrastructure specialist Costain announced the appointment of Eva Soto Pérez as its new engineering services general manager.
Pérez moves from Morgan Sindall, where she was engineering director from June 2022. Her CV also includes stints as regional director at Aecom (2019-22) and principal at Laing O’Rourke’s engineering excellence group (2017-19).
In a statement, CN100 firm Costain said the appointment was made “in response to continued growth”. It highlighted a contract win last month to deliver tunnel and lineside mechanical and electrical (M&E) systems for the HS2 high-speed rail project.
Meanwhile, M&E specialist Briggs & Forrester Engineering Services has promoted Will Newman to managing director.
He takes over from from Ian Lawrence, who remains as a board director.
Newman has been the regional director covering the South East since January 2023, having rejoined the firm the previous year after a stint as project manager from 2002 to 2013.
Newman also worked for SES Engineering Services as operations manager from 2013 to 2017.
Family affairs
Family-owned construction and development firm Wates has brought in two new specialists to strengthen its property services arm.
Paul Maghie has joined as business growth director from United Living Property Services where he was director of business growth. And Mark Wiles has joined its facilities team as business development and work-winning director. He was previously the key account director at ISS.
The firm said the changes would strengthen its heating, compliance and renewables expertise.
Another family-run business, regional contractor Speller Metcalfe, has completed its boardroom changes.
Adrian Speller has become joint managing director alongside brother James. He was previously the firm’s technical director. The change follows the retirement of joint founder Andy Metcalfe in October 2024.
James described the promotion as “a formality only”.
Ross McAdam
Embrace Steel Group has a new chief financial officer as part of a bid to hit a £100m revenue target.
Ross McAdam will be based in Glasgow and was formerly director at business advisory firm Craig Corporate.
According to Embrace, he will help the firm achieve its revenue goal through “operational improvement and M&A activity”. Embrace is a startup that had a busy 2024 that included buying steelwork specialist Shufflebottom.
McAdam said: “Embrace has proven its commitment to driving growth by identifying and acquiring UK-based steel and construction businesses where it can unlock significant value.”
Dan Manley has been promoted to commercial director at Clegg Construction.
He was previously manager of the commercial department. He will now formally take on board-level commercial and risk management duties.
Manley joined the firm in 2021. He takes over from Simon Blackburn, who announced his retirement last year.
Another promotion has seen Paul Devlin step up from chief operating officer at Causeway Technologies to replace Phil Brown as chief executive of Causeway Technologies.
Brown has moved to a new role as executive chairman, to support the rollout of the firm’s CausewayOne cloud platform.
Helen Waddell
Construction law firm Osborne Clarke has strengthened its disputes team with the appointment of Helen Waddell as a partner.
Waddell, who starts on 23 January, will focus on infrastructure and energy projects. She joins from law firm Pinsent Masons, where she was also a partner.
Stepping up at Mott MacDonald is Richard Risdon, who has been promoted to executive board director.
Risdon has been managing director of the UK and Europe region since 2022 and is continuing in that role. The water specialist previously helped form Mott MacDonald Bentley Contracting after a takeover in 2014 and served as the company’s head of operations.
