CHRISTOPHER'S RESUME

I am an astute commercial and leadership professional with circa 30 years of experience working for tier 1 UK construction industry contracting organisations including Wates, ISG, Miller Construction (Galliford Try), Norwest Holst (Vinci) and Alfred McAlpine (Carillion). I trained as a site based Quantity Surveyor and elevated through the contractor commercial ranks leading me to having successfully performed senior roles for over 15 years at Regional Commercial Director and Commercial Director levels within major organisations. My experiences have developed me well where I have become highly skilled in strategic business leadership, business improvement / transformation, commercial management, project management, project intervention and dispute resolution. Consequently, I can offer clients a wide range of professional corporate and operational commercial services aligned to those outlined in our Services offering section whether individually with myself as consultant or together with the wider Vanguard team. 

I have developed an enviable track record of delivering at all levels from local level to corporate level whether under simple or the more complex stakeholder environments (Please refer to the 'Key Experiences' and 'Employment History' sections below for examples). My natural leadership slants towards problem solving whilst maintaining strategic business direction and customer focus. In my role as Commercial Director for group centre within a multi £billion pa revenue construction group, I gained rare exposure to many critical and strategic business matters throughout the UK, often requiring me to make things happen by providing hands-on strategic leadership, direction and support across various group entities and their projects. Consequently, I have an impressive track record of delivering efficient, robust and effective case management solutions across many issues including those in the most challenging construction industry scenarios.   My depth of knowledge, skills and experience in the main stream construction and residential arenas have furnished me well to support clients with a wide range of services.  

Corporate

• 15+ years leading construction and residential business P&Ls up to £325m pa revenue.
• Due diligence on a multi £100s million pa revenue troubled residential business and its projects before leading follow on organisational restructure and business turnaround programme. 
• Due diligence on numerous multi £million projects, bids and pipeline ahead of large acquisition from a renowned northern based construction group.
• Post acquisition leading a 12-month integration of acquired projects, WIH, multi 100s of people and their systems into business.
• Supporting leading global specialists to understand a multi £billion pa revenue group of companies organisational cost baseline and structural efficiencies. 
• Developing subsequent multi £million group wide cost saving / PBT conversion plan for approval by executives and shareholders.
• Then leading Transformation Management Office (TMO) on a group wide project for transformation  reporting into the CFO and providing regular board updates to executives and shareholders on projects progress against agreed route maps together with risks and opportunities.

Operational (Non-Contentious)

•  30 years overseeing the delivery of a wide range of construction and residential projects from £1m to £150m (and when necessary intervening).
• Wide portfolio of construction projects experience ranging from education with schools, colleges, universities and student accommodation projects through to football stadia and then major commercial offices (including high rise city centre), industrial and technology schemes - up to £150m+ in value
• Residential (incuding high rise), housing and care home experience whether through own development / investment led or joint venture  procurements routes or traditional contracting  
• Maximising cash flow recovery unlocking funds from aged debts, overdue retentions and final accounts worth key £millions.
• Leading strategic bid teams and securing essential £millions in WIH. Providing guidance particularly regarding management of risk, opportunity, and compliance with corporate governance.
• Fronting and closing priority “big deals” with contract values typically £100m+ and frameworks worth £350m+. 
• Training and development of staff and providing self-delivered programmes.

Operational  (Contentious)

• Case management, intervention and conclusion of many disputes worth substantial £millions relating to matters such as valuation, final accounts, change, delay and design. 
• Track record in achieving settlements by negotiation or where circumstances dictate by formal dispute resolution procedures

Vanguard Construction Consultants Ltd

• Consultant / Co-Founding Director 
• Dates: Sept 2020 - Present
• Locations: UK wide 

Wates Group

• Commercial Director (Group Centre)
• Dates: Sept 2017-May 2020
• Locations: UK wide 

• Commercial Director (Construction Midlands & North P&L)
• Dates: March 2013-Sept 2017
• Locations: Midlands, North West & Cumbria, Yorkshire & North East

ISG Construction Ltd

• Regional Commercial Director (Midlands P&L)
• Dates: Dec 2007-Feb 2013
• Location: Midlands

Morgan Ashurst Ltd (now Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure Ltd)

• Regional Commercial Manager (Midlands P&L)
• Dates: Jan 2007-Nov 2007
• Location: Midlands

Miller Construction UK Ltd (now part of Galliford Try plc)

• Managing Quantity Surveyor rising to Regional Surveyor
• Dates: Nov 2001-Dec 2006
• Location: Midlands

Norwest Holst Construction Ltd (now Vinci Construction UK Ltd)

• Project Quantity Surveyor rising to Senior Quantity Surveyor
• Dates: May 1996 -Oct 2001 
• Location: Midlands

Various (from Alfred McAlpine Construction Ltd & Linford Group)

• Trainee Quantity Surveyor rising to Contracts Surveyor
• Dates: 1992–1996
• Location: Midlands

Education

•  BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying – Award 2(1)
• MCIOB – Professional Member since 2001
• 18-month Henley Business School Management Programme – Wates leadership development programme