Management Board

SECBE Chairman since January 2020; term ends January 2025. Until his recent retirement, Chris was Chief Executive of the CIOB. Chris graduated from Wolverhampton gaining valuable financial experience with Dunlop, Birmid Qualcast, Mitel, W Canning, Corgi Toys and GKN. 

He has 27 years of senior management experience in vocational education incl. 6 years as CEO of North & Mid Cheshire Training and Enterprise Council based in Warrington. His major achievements as CEO of CIOB include overhauling the organization to recreate financial robustness, modernized working practices and governance arrangements, and introducing the Chartered Construction Manager designation for members. 

The CIOB developed Trustmark with DTI and other sector trade bodies  in 2005, Chris joined the All Parliamentary Group for Built Environment Commission on the new homes ombudsman and led sector work to highlight then tackle Modern Slavery in the construction industry. He was as made an OBE in 2017 for services to the construction industry and government.

Malcolm is Chairman and Managing Director at Baxall Construction with over 40 years construction experience.

As a well-known and respected name across the industry, Malcolm was a key figure with the National Federation of Builders (NFB) with whom he has progressed from local membership to National Chairman. His active involvement has included representation at National and European Government levels and ongoing support for SMEs and localism. Malcolm joined the Board of SECBE from 2018-2021 and was instrumental in proposing and supporting the IFLP.

At operational level, Malcolm promotes exceptional standards, a customer-focused culture and collaborative team approach to each and every project, leading by example and encouraging the same. Malcolm’s commitment to industry best practice, determination and championing change is particularly evident in his proactive leadership of a number of initiatives, including modern methods of construction, sustainable carbon reduction, safety best practice and staff development.

Helen is the Chief Solutions Officer, responsible for Process Improvement, Technology, Procurement, Infrastructure & PMO. Previously, she was the Procurement Director at Heathrow Airport, where she was responsible for the strategic sourcing and execution of all third party spend. During the COVID pandemic, her previous role, which looked after c£1bn of operational and capital spend, focussed on new procurement strategies across their supplier base to save money in the short term whilst maintaining long term value and relationships and ensuring Heathrow’s longer-term ambitions around Sustainability, Diversity, Innovation and Technology are not compromised.

Helen has been with Heathrow for 12 years and prior to her role in Procurement, she has spent her career in construction. Joining Heathrow in 2009 as a Senior Project Manager, Helen has grown through the organisation first becoming a Programme Director, then the Programme Management Office Director to finally leading the entire Capital Portfolio as the Development Director. These roles along with her last two roles in Expansion and Procurement has enabled Helen to develop a client perspective on all elements of the construction lifecycle from developing the business case, design, investment, delivery, logistics, project controls, procurement, supplier relationship management, operational readiness and handover.

Matt is Head of Consulting Lendlease UK and a Chartered Engineer with Engineers Australia. Matt recently graduated with an Executive MBA from Henley Business School.

His principal areas of interest include sustainable energy, corporate strategy, leadership, people development and international business. Professionally he has experience in leading complex development programmes for multiple blue chip clients across sectors including energy transformation (EVC, Hydrogen and Solar), industrial, commercial and downstream oil & gas.

Through working with these clients, Matt has become experienced in leading large culturally diverse multi-functional international teams (both internal and external) of people in various stages of career development and will help SECBE drive positive changes in the industry.

Sarah’s experience and expertise lies in delivering support services that make a direct impact on the wellbeing of communities and she has acquired a wealth of knowledge in a variety of public and charity sector roles. She joined the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity five years ago as a Wellbeing Manager and was responsible for transforming the face of the charity’s front facing services and increasing the number of pathways to support.  

Having grown through the organisation, she is now Chief Operating Officer, and takes strategic lead on all the charity’s operations, ensuring that the construction community can access a wide variety of proactive and reactive support services and resources.

Sarah’s passion for supporting people, both within the charity and externally has directly resulted in the delivery of services that changes people’s lives. Her motivation to make a real difference will be welcomed on the SECBE board in helping us achieve “excellence in construction.”  

Simon is Joint Managing Director and a senior Shareholder at Darke & Taylor Ltd, a multi-award winning SME company that specialises in MEP Services and aims to excel in the design, installation and maintenance of the building services systems that connect to create fit-for-purpose building environments. Simon is also director of BESAS, the umbrella body of Built Environment Shared Apprenticeship Schemes.

Simon is passionate about the SME sector and the vital role the many specialist companies play in the successful delivery of construction projects and building maintenance. He is a strong advocate of apprenticeships and served as the Chair of the Thames Valley Region of the South East Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN). He currently sits on the committee of Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards, an annual event that Simon hosts.

Simon will support SECBE by providing a view of the industry from the perspective of the smaller, specialist companies. Simon believes his experience in working in the construction supply chain as a specialist sub-contractor with a strong commitment to apprenticeships and long-term career development, will add a strong perspective to the Board.

Karine has worked in the logistics industry for over 20 years supporting clients from different sectors to deliver their products and materials to the right place at the right time. She is passionate about good logistics and considers herself a logistics geek!

Having worked in different operations and sectors, Karine believes there is a genuine opportunity to better use logistics to improve the performance of our construction builds.

Karine would like to use her understanding of logistics and SECBE board position to drive positive change in the construction sector by inspiring industry leaders to think differently about some of their core operational functions. Karine is delighted to share a wealth of ‘good logistics’ stories, technologies and innovations from other industries that could be transferable to construction projects and support with logistics colleagues, friends, and industry contacts as appropriate to drive collaboration and sharing of best practice.

With 16 years of experience as a lawyer in the construction industry, including 8 years at leading engineering consultancy Hoare Lea LLP, Hamish brings extensive expertise in health and safety, quality management, insurance, risk management and legal affairs. At Hoare Lea, he strives to drive improvement through innovation and has led the development of an AI contract review platform. 

He is passionate about sensible procurement, contract management, and industry improvement, and has been involved with the Get It Right Initiative (GIRI) since 2017. Outside work, Hamish is active in coaching youth football. Delighted to join SECBE's board, he aims to drive positive industry change.

Currently the Head of Technical at Knauf UK & I, Jimmy brings a wealth of experience from his eight years at the company, where he has held multiple roles, including National Specification Director. He oversees technical service, on-site support, training, and R&D, navigating the industry's evolving technical and legislative landscape. 

Jimmy's background includes a degree in Psychology from Loughborough University and participation in the IFLP program. He is passionate about improving industry standards through collaboration and knowledge sharing. On the SECBE board, he aims to enhance competence and legislative understanding, contributing to a more efficient and attractive construction sector.

Maria, a senior people and organizational development specialist, brings over 20 years of experience across various sectors, including professional services and utilities. She has led large-scale change projects and held key roles, such as heading the People Development function at Slater & Gordon Group, where she launched initiatives like The Coaching Academy and The Talent Academy. 

Maria has also worked with Abri Homes, the University of Surrey, and Portsmouth Water on organizational design and development. Passionate about addressing the skills shortage in the construction sector, she aims to enhance the industry's attractiveness and competitiveness. Maria looks forward to contributing to SECBE's mission of driving positive change in the built environment.

With a background in digital (BIM) and regulatory expertise, Jason brings over 15 years of experience in the Nuclear Industry and a deep understanding of sustainability and innovative technologies. Recognised for delivering complex, government-funded projects, he excels in leadership, communication, and management. 

Jason has a proven track record of promoting sustainability, particularly through new nuclear generation as a zero-carbon technology. His industry knowledge, demonstrated by two Royal Fellowships and significant influence through a widely followed podcast, positions him to bring valuable insights to the SECBE board. Jason sits on the membership committee to the board at the Royal Institute of British Architects and offers strong governance experience and a commitment to advancing the construction sector.

An expert in embodied carbon, Ceire leads the Sustainable Futures capability at Lendlease, driving efforts towards the company's 2040 Mission Zero target for absolute zero carbon emissions. She has successfully integrated sustainable practices into project design, delivery, and work winning, creating custom carbon reduction roadmaps that have helped win projects and deliver on ambitious targets. Ceire is also our winner of the 2024 G4C Future Leader in the Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards.

Ceire's proactive collaboration with experts ensures major project decisions consider carbon, cost, and other critical factors. She actively engages with the industry, contributing to the UKGBC guidance on embodied carbon and participating in forums like Concrete Zero. Her enthusiasm and technical expertise have positioned Lendlease as a leader in sustainable construction solutions.