Kier is to split its London and southern England operations into separate businesses just two years after the regional units were merged into one.
The company has appointed David Rowsell as managing director of Kier Construction London and Cheryl Parsons as regional director of Kier Construction Southern.
The move is a major departure from its structural review in 2021, when Kier said a consolidation of its regional businesses would put it in the “strongest position to deliver sustainable growth over the next five years”.
At that time, Kier created five consolidated business units: for London, Southern and Strategic Projects projects; Midlands and the East; West and Wales; North and Scotland; and Kier Places, a home maintenance and facilities management arm.
It also launched two separate functions, one for customers and markets and the other for operations.
Announcing the latest modification this week, Kier said the new structure was an “exciting phase of ongoing growth and evolution” for its construction division.
Last month, David McKenzie, former managing director of the London, South and Strategic Projects unit, left the company to join NEOM in Saudi Arabia as the executive director of the Trojan Project.
Rowsell, formerly Morgan Sindall’s Northern Counties Area Director, has been recruited to expand Kier Construction London’s private sector offering to complement its public sector base.
He said: “I am excited to be joining Kier at this key time, with the opportunity to lead the London region into its next phase of growth, while further developing the region in the Thames Valley area .
“I’m looking forward to visiting our projects and offices, meeting our teams, partners and clients, and understanding how I can use my experience to help support the continued growth and success of the London business.”
Parsons, who joined Kier eight years ago, working with regions to grow Kier Construction’s healthcare sector, said his focus would be on the quality of project execution.
“I am looking forward to working with our outstanding teams in the South, unlocking the great opportunities that exist in our priority sectors and focusing on exceptional project execution and client satisfaction,” he said.
Kier Construction group managing director Stuart Togwell said the appointments showed the company attracted talent and invested in its own people.
“This is an exciting phase of ongoing growth and evolution for our construction division,” he said. “We are delighted to have David join our business and proud to be able to promote Cheryl internally.
“With their extensive experience and impressive track record in the public and private sectors, both David and Cheryl are well placed to enable these regions the opportunity to thrive.”
