Judges

David is a senior associate within the commercial and legal team.

Chair of the Higher Education sector - National Responsible Procurement Group

For over two decades Dr Nick Bell has worked with architects, engineers and construction clients (such as Universities, a FTSE 100 developer, global energy companies and real estate services firms), helping them to design, manage and deliver healthy and safe construction projects. His articles on topics such as CDM, wellbeing and leadership have been widely published and he has spoken at numerous conferences and events on these subjects. He is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society and a Chartered Fellow with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

Mary has worked in social housing and government for over 30 years and specialises in property and procurement and for the past 20 years has held senior management positions, formulating and delivering strategic plans for long term success, developing governance programmes and running a regional business unit on behalf of LHC – the South West Procurement Alliance. She is now taking a break from full time employment and is delivering her own personal project to refurbish a Grade 2 listed 18th Century barn in the middle of Devon. She has her own consultancy business specialising in asset management and procurement for the housing sector. She is a chartered building surveyor (MRICS) and has Level 4 CIPS membership. She set up a charity in 2017 called Enhancing the Capacity of Persons with Disability that provides training and support for young people with disability in Northern Uganda and is the charity’s treasurer.

Mary was Chair if the CESW Smart Construction Theme Group from 2019 to June 2023 and has been a CESW awards panel judge in previous years.

Matt is a Chartered Surveyor and has been with Ward Williams for over 13 years, bringing a wealth of experience in the retail, leisure, and more recently the legal and contract advisory sectors. His extensive knowledge and expertise have been instrumental in delivering high-quality results across various projects and initiatives.

Following on from a successful period delivering high street food and national supermarket developments, Matt then developed a bespoke project and cost management service for the pre-development phase of hotel and food and beverage leisure facilities that has been adopted by National providers.

Emma is a Quantity Surveyor and has been at Ward Williams since 2022, being employed full time whilst undertaking her BSc Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management degree at the University of West of England. During her time in the industry, Emma has consulted on a range of projects across various sectors including, commercial, residential, education, and sport & leisure. Emma is also the Deputy Chair for G4C South West, and Co-Chair for G4C Gloucestershire.

Megan is a Project Development Manager at Magna Housing. She recently completed a MSc in Construction Project Management at University West of England on a part time basis while working full time. Within her time in the construction industry, Megan has secured new opportunities and delivered much needed affordable housing within Somerset and Dorset – including utilising MMC systems. Megan is passionate to promote the construction industry to young people as a fulfilling and exciting career.

Kingsley heads the SCF team in the South west region is the Chair of CESW, a regional representative of the National Association of Construction Frameworks and a Director of the JCT Board (representing the Local Government Association). In his role with SCF He’s accountable for generating and overseeing the successful delivery of the South West pipeline of work helping clients to deliver projects ranging from £1m to £256million. Having supported over £2billion of construction procurement Kingsley has industry leading experience delivering capital construction and maintenance projects for the public sector including central Government, local authorities and higher education institutions.

Claire is Civil Engineering Director for MJ Church. With over 30 years of industry experience, she joined MJ Church 8 years ago having previously worked with Vinci, Balfour Beatty and Skanska, delivering major projects across rail, water, marine and highways.

In recent years, Claire has specialised in National Highways frameworks, including the SDF, gaining a deep understanding of the frameworks’ inner workings, and delivering projects across England’s strategic road network. She is committed to delivering value, streamlining operations, and maximising efficiency.

Claire recently took on the role of Chair for the CESW Civils & Infrastructure group and is very much looking forward to driving the group forward. She brings direct experience from having chaired the South West National Highways community, where she united 27 contractors to build collaboration, provide support, and enhance communication and feedback to the national community to drive continuous improvement.

Leading MJ Church’s Contracting division, Claire ensures her team consistently delivers high-quality, sustainable civil engineering solutions. She is passionate about driving innovation and improving industry practices to build a more resilient and forward-thinking sector.

As Chair of the CESW Civils & Infrastructure group, Claire is focused on bringing people together to share their experiences and tackle challenges together. She believes in open conversations, practical solutions, and collaboration that leads to positive change - ensuring everyone has a voice in shaping the future of the industry.

Elizabeth (known as Lizzy) is an Senior Associate Solicitor in the construction and engineering team at RWK Goodman LLP. Lizzy advises clients across the entire supply chain to deliver construction and engineering projects, such as employers/developers, funders, contractors/consultants and specialist sub-contractors/consultants. Lizzy is always enthusiastic to hear about upcoming projects, innovative practices and the inspiring individuals who make up the industry.

Since 2003 Jonathan has worked in energy and decarbonisation, developing innovative commercial and technical start up businesses and decarb projects. He draws on over 35 years’ experience of energy systems to conceive and innovate. As one of the very first PV installers in the UK Jonathan was at the vanguard of the deployment of tech such as solar, heat pumps, biomass, battery and EV technologies.

Convinced of the inherent role of education in any project, Jonathan was engaged in the creation of the MCS scheme and wrote several units for NVQ training. He even visited parliament and helped MP's understand the need for a more inclusive approach to grid connections. As the director of his own award winning consultancy he pioneered access for all to the early iterations of what became FiT & RHI.

An advocate of developing the right asset in the right place at the right scale Jonathan has always sought to create a positive legacy whilst understanding the commercial imperative of any development.

As the Head of Midas Energy, part of the Midas Construction Group, He implemented new approaches into traditional construction, delivering commercial advantage, improved system performance and substantial carbon reductions.

Now in East Devon Jonathan is taking on some of the biggest challenges in floating off shore wind supply chain, hydrogen production and delivering the large scale BESS projects essential to the health and function of UK commerce.

I work in public sector procurement, mainly on capital and maintenance projects. I am Deputy Lead for the Association of Project Management Contracts and Procurement Interest Network.

Matthew joined the SCF team in September 2020. Previously he worked in senior FM roles within both the private and public sectors, with a bias for managing capital projects and significant revenue budgets.

Matthew’s most recent role in the education sector, saw him deliver a large number of capital improvements on the campus he managed. Matthew champions getting the best possible outcomes and delivering value for money within projects.

Richard is a seasoned property and investment professional with over 25 years' experience in the built environment, both in the UK and International spanning advisory, development, and delivery. As Director of Property & Investment at Arcadis, he leads strategic growth across the South and Southwest, working with both public and private sector clients to unlock value, drive regeneration, and create places where people and communities thrive. Richard rejoined Arcadis after time at other leading global consultancies, where he advised major developers, institutions, and local authorities on large-scale investment and regeneration projects. He brings particular expertise in commercial, housing, mixed-use development, education, and enabling complex schemes through innovative funding, public-private partnerships, and master planning.

As Chair of Dorset Constructing Excellence, Richard is passionate about driving collaboration across the construction and property sectors with communities. He is committed to promoting innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth—ensuring that Dorset and the wider Southwest are well-positioned to deliver high-quality, future-ready places, and improve quality of life.

Neil has over 15 years of experience working within the Social Housing sector leading energy efficiency, technology, and innovation in the built environment sector.

As the Senior Technical Manager at LiveWest Neil is responsible for developing their approach to achieve Net Zero Carbon performance standards, identifying new and emerging technologies, and integrating MMC construction systems into the organisation.

Neil is the chair of Constructing Excellence South West Smart Construction Group, a Director and Board member for Building Better, and the chair of Advantage South West’s Design and Innovation Group. Neil holds a MSC in Environmental Assessment and Management.

Kevin is CEO of Constructing Excellence South West, and brings over 40 years of operational board experience. With a strong track record in achieving business success, he is a highly respected leader in the industry.

Kevin’s previous roles as Chairman of CE Gloucestershire Club and Chair of CESW Leadership Council highlight his commitment to Constructing Excellence.

He is also an Experienced Business Mentor and Board Advisor, supporting businesses to drive operational excellence, challenge perceptions, and empower their executives. With expertise in people development, business change, and simplifying challenges, Kevin is helping to shape a brighter future for Constructing Excellence South West.

Martin Harvey is a senior commercial manager at McLaughlin & Harvey with over 17 years of experience in the construction industry.

Martin leads the team in the Bristol office and oversees several projects across various sectors. He joined McLaughlin & Harvey in 2015 as a quantity surveyor and has worked his way up within the commercial team, working on projects including Etex, IKEA Exeter, and Ashton Gate Stadium—despite being a Bristol Rovers fan!

Martin and other members of the Bristol office are currently training for the 24hr Three Peaks challenge in May, raising money and awareness for four fantastic charities.

Jamie oversees our Swindon office and leads overall company safety strategy. He has an open & honest approach with a focus on delivering high quality outcomes for our customers and engaging meaningfully in the communities where we work and live. He places emphasis on developing the wider team & future talent, recognising that it's as important for our business as it is for the industry.

Jamie started his career in 1997 with a small groundworks company before moving into a Graduate Trainee position at Cowlin Construction. Working his way through the ranks, delivering large, complex, multi-million-pound schemes over 16 years, Jamie spent a further five years as Operations Director at Midas before joining Beard.

Jamie is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building and an active member of the Constructing Excellence South West Bath committee, which he currently chairs.

A family man outside of work, Jamie enjoys keeping fit, holidays & DIY (actual building at home is a welcome release from the day job). He's also an avid football supporter.

Paloma is a multi-disciplinary Chartered Project Manager with over 20 years of experience working for various industries including Highways, Higher Education, Pharmaceutical, Public Sector and Telecoms. Since completing her degree in Business Psychology with first class honours, Master Degree in Communication and Stakeholder Engagement and Advanced Professional Diploma in Social Corporate Responsibility, Paloma has worked as a project manager delivering high profile projects for various blue-chip companies around the world.

Passionate about triple bottom line, circular economy, sustainability and digital transformation, Paloma’s unique skillset is a direct result of the variety of projects and countries she has worked on. Paloma easily adapts to the unique challenges of each project, putting clients first and continually challenging the status quo, striving to develop innovative solutions that create opportunities.

Mark is an Associate Director of Nevada Construction Ltd based in Cornwall. Born and bred in Cornwall, he has 30 years’ experience in the construction industry, starting out with a masonry apprenticeship and progressing to senior management level on high budget building projects. In his position at Nevada Construction, he is involved with developing Nevada’s position in Cornwall along with overseeing their projects.

He has a wealth of knowledge across all sectors, but specialises in commercial construction from re-fits through to complete new builds and everything inbetween. Throughout his career he has built strong working relationships with a multitude of clients and developers, as well as local supply chain members.

With strong technical and commercial knowledge, he is passionate about innovation, best practice, and is driven to achieve the highest standards on site in quality and health and safety, delivering within budget and programme.

With extensive experience in senior construction roles at leading companies such as BAM and Galliford Try, Tom is now the Managing Director and Co-Owner of Oakland Construction, based in Bristol.

Tom is dedicated to fostering talent within the construction industry, leading Oakland Construction with a core set of values that create a purposeful work environment for his team.

Under Tom’s leadership, Oakland Construction has successfully completed numerous key new-build and refurbishment projects across the Southwest, particularly in the education sector.

The company proudly partners with prestigious clients, including The University of Bristol, Bristol Zoo Project, and various schools, nurseries and commercial organisations throughout the region.

Outside of his professional commitments, Tom enjoys family life with his wife and their four daughters. He also has a passion for rugby, travel— both for work and leisure — and cherishes family moments spent in Bergerac, France.

Having worked within Construction Recruitment for over 20 years, I can honestly say, I still thoroughly enjoy it!

As Managing Director for RGB Recruitment Ltd, I am committed to continue to build on our strong reputation for delivering quality and I'm proud to be part of it's success and continual growth as the recruiter of choice for the Construction Industry.

I'm committed to making a positive impact on the industry I work in and supply to. I'm REC qualified and pleased to be the Chair for Constructing Excellence Devon Club alongside supporting a range of initiatives including Building Greater Exeter and Empowering Girls.

Dan has been involved in the construction industry since a school leaver at the age of 16 giving him a wealth of experience and knowledge in both new build and refurbishment sectors. After gaining substantial industry awareness, Dan set up Holistic Housing Solutions Ltd to specialise in modern, innovative technologies and offsite ingenuities 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.

Familiarity and fear of change in getting new technologies recognised, Dan advanced this through the creation of Holistic Development Solutions as a delivery mechanism for affordable-by-design homes that incorporate the ingenuities explored within HHS. Holistic Retrofit Solutions has also established bringing niche concepts for application to the existing building stock both residential and commercial that offer high-performance energy-saving solutions with rapid ROI. Dan is passionate about collaborative working which will be a driving force behind the growth of Holistic Housing, Development and Retrofit Solutions.

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 and energy saving as a priority. His goal having recognised that the industry has pioneered and innovated itself to an unhealthy future is to create a “Future Valued Living” Ecosystem as a new compass for “New Choice,” with originality from both inside and outside our sector that embraces new language and ethics, creating a future era of businesses where homes, communities, and those living within return to being the top priority.

Sam began his career as a Geo-Environmental Engineer, specialising in land remediation and contamination. He moved into project management within land remediation, initially focusing on spill response before transitioning to commercial remediation. He later became an Environmental Specialist for an oil and gas company, which provided exposure to international, construction-focused projects.

During this time, Sam expanded his expertise by acquiring health and safety qualifications, working as part of a multidisciplinary team.

In 2017, Sam joined Speller Metcalfe as an Environmental Manager. Over time, he supported health and safety initiatives and the pre-construction teams, and later took on a senior leadership role within manufacturing. However, recognising his alignment with Speller Metcalfe's values and goals, Sam returned to the company in 2021.

Currently, Sam serves as a leader within the combined SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality) Team. As the Head of Environment and Social Value, and a Safety Manager, he is increasingly focused on pre-construction activities and company management.

Livvy is a Chartered Assoicate Director at Coreus Group, based in the Exeter office. Her project experience spans across various different sectors, including public estates, commercial, and education. Livvy is proud to be the Chair of the Generation 4 Change South West committee and is motivated to drive positive change in the industry through attracting young people to work in construction. As part of her role, she has produced and hosted podcasts, organised networking events and leadership dinners, and presented at various schools and colleges. ‘As someone who did not take a conventional route into project management, or construction, I am keen to encourage others to consider a career in construction and show young people that it is an exciting and rewarding industry to be part of.’

Cheryl has been involved in the construction industry, working with clients on their insurance and risk management needs for several years. Over the last three years Cheryl has supported the sector through her involvement with Constructing Excellence SW, notably through the leadership dinners at the Devon and Cornwall clubs seeking to foster collaboration and positive change for the industry. The series has been sponsored by Gallagher since it’s inception in 2021 with colleagues from Bristol, Gloucester, Swindon, Exeter and Poole supporting the whole CESW region.

Cheryl is Regional Managing Director of Gallagher South West, working with her colleagues and fellow managing directors across the branches in the South West to lead teams of insurance and claims professionals, providing tailored insurance and risk management solutions to many CESW members and the wider local economy.

I am an Associate in Michelmores’ Construction and Engineering team. I have a mixed caseload of both contentious and non-contentious work, dealing with development projects and dispute resolution.

I am experienced in the negotiation and drafting of building contracts, consultant appointments, collateral warranties, deeds of novation and various other important project documents.

As well as the transactional experience mentioned above, I am experienced in providing advice to clients in respect of dispute resolution and litigation.

I am Club Secretary for the Constructing Excellence Gloucestershire Club and a Committee Member of the Generation for Change.

Paul has worked in the ‘supply link’ of the construction industry chain since 1986, having worked for the UK’s largest brick and timber distributor for over 20 years.

Starting by counting bricks and timber for stock-checking, he climbed the promotional ladder with no professional qualifications and eventually became a director based at head office. This proved to provide an invaluable education, helping him understand how to respond to people at every professional level.

Good communication and people skills are the foundation of Aquarian Cladding Systems, which he founded in 2007. Ensuring he has a solid understanding of the company’s role in the marketplace, he is absolutely committed to ensuring he and his team provide excellent technical, commercial and logistical advice to their clients throughout the supply chain.

Paul served as Chair of School Governors for 5 years and as a Board member of Clevedon Chamber of Commerce for 8 years. He is also an active Board member of Constructing Excellence South West and is an advocate of modern methods of construction, with a burning desire to change the adversarial culture of the UK Construction Industry through collaborative working.

As the Stride Treglown Director for the Commercial team in Bristol, Robert and his team are responsible for mixed use buildings and masterplans. Robert delivers projects that encompass sustainability, partnering and value, through imaginative design and delivery. His wide experience includes education, health, commercial, leisure, retail and residential. He has a key role establishing and improving long term working relationships with many key clients.

Robert has won RIBA regional awards and has been published within the architectural press. He is central to our innovation strategy, mentoring emerging talent in our Post Occupancy Evaluation, Sustainability, Digital, Placemaking and Manufactured Design specialist groups. Robert is a regular guest speaker; BIM Show Live, Constructing Excellence and RIBA. He is an active member of the Constructing Excellence South West leadership council helping spread knowledge and experience across all parts of the industry.

Robert is passionate that architecture can contribute to reversing the damage we have inflicted on our planet. He has led several exemplar stores for Sainsbury’s; Low carbon store at Dartmouth and a triple zero store (water, carbon & waste) at Weymouth. He worked with our Education team to deliver an offsite pathfinder Primary school at St. Austell for the DfE with a 10 point sustainability plan. This included reduced Embodied Carbon, Net Zero Regulated and Unregulated Operational Carbon, reduced Water consumption and improved Bio-Diversity.

I am a Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer and Managing Partner of CampbellReith's Bristol office with extensive experience of managing teams of all engineering disciplines to provide a coordinated response to a design brief.

I have excellent communication skills, which enable and maintain reliable relationships with Clients and team members leading to value gained throughout the design and construction process.

My experience covers every stage of development including site searches, due diligence, vision and strategy forming, feasibility studies, and pre-planning through to post-occupation works. This experience covers projects ranging from £1,000's to over £1bn in value, including site infrastructure and masterplanning, new build, refurbishment and re-purposing across many sectors including residential, mixed-use, commercial, retail, education, health, sports and leisure, stadia and tall buildings.

I have a particular interest in Sustainability and act as Partner responsible for CampbellReith's sustainability strategy and implementation of various initiatives. My own experience includes sustainable drainage, embodied carbon analysis and footprinting, nutrient neutrality and biodiversity impacts.

My initial structural engineering training included significant experience in timber engineering, heritage building conservation and sustainable building design, which I have applied to my total eco-refurbishment of our Victorian townhouse to modern energy and water saving standards.

I worked for over 35 years in major contracting before setting up my own consultancy practice in 2023. After starting my career as a Quantity Surveyor, this changed direction significantly following the release of the 2 game changing publications in the 1990’s by Egan & Latham. This led to contractors becoming more than builders and having to adapt to take on the lead design role with direct responsibility for the full design of buildings. Coupled with changes in procurement practices and the rise of frameworks, I was at the forefront of this huge change of working practices in the industry.

Experience includes leading frameworks and delivering projects in the Health, Education, University, Custodial, Local Authorities & Defence sectors. In addition to this, I have worked in the Commercial sector directly at Temple Quay, Bristol for nearly 30 years. I am an Associate Lecturer at UWE and the current Chair of the Forum for the Built Environment (FBE) Great Western Branch.

Adrian Speller is the second-generation Managing Director of Speller Metcalfe, a family owned regional contractor with a £160m per annum turnover. Having started his career in construction at a frankly illegal age during school summer holidays, he has held experience as a tea-maker, site labourer, site manager, environmental manager & Technical Director. With an involvement in delivering projects through the whole construction process, his commitment to innovation has been instrumental in positioning the company as a leader in low-carbon and sustainable construction, with several UK firsts in BIM, Passivhaus and BREEAM.

Adrian is passionate about driving industry improvement through collaboration and knowledge sharing. He actively supports Constructing Excellence at regional and sub-regional levels, with Speller Metcalfe earning multiple CE accolades over the years, in particular for Integration and Collaborative working. This reflects a constant commitment to ‘best for project’ decisions.

Gabby was appointed in June 2023 to the role of Assistant Framework Manager in the Exeter Office, where her role is to help ensure successful project outcomes. She has worked with SCF since 2016 previously in the role of an apprentice and Framework Co-ordinator. Prior to this, Gabby attended Exeter College where she studied for a Business Diploma. Her journey has been fuelled by a passion for the industry and delivering high-quality projects that benefit communities.

Based in the Exeter office, Eleanor has supported the operation of SCF for over ten years. Along with scheduling much of the office activity, she is involved with a number of framework initiatives and has a particular interest in the SCF Health & Safety Forum. Eleanor is the first point of contact for enquiries relating to the South West Lot of SCF and will ensure that your queries are dealt with quickly and effectively.

Gemma has been working for Willmott Dixon for 17 years, of which the last 6yrs as Procurement Director, overseeing all tenders and bid work for our Bristol, and Exeter and Cardiff offices. Managing a team of circa 45. 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 Project Surveyor; working her way up to Commercial Manager and then moving across into Preconstruction, “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.”

I began my career in 1980 training as a professional Quantity Surveyor with Gleeds before moving into Business Development and Marketing; I have been involved in a wide variety of projects across all sectors, working for a number of leading construction companies at a senior level including Ballast Nedam, ISG Pearce, Britannia and Kier. As a qualified building professional (MCIOB), I bring a wealth of practical experience to the role and bridge the credibility gap that often appears between business development and operational functions. Providing critical business development support across all disciplines within the organisation, I am responsible for managing our key clients and undertaking regular performance reviews to ensure that we understand exactly how our client’s business operates and where we can add value.

Anna is a Partner and Head of Michelmores’ Construction and Engineering team. She works with developers, contractors and consultants to help deliver exciting and often complex new projects. Anna also specialises in dispute resolution, advising clients on the legal and commercial strengths and weaknesses of their position so that they are best placed to achieve the outcome that is right for them.

Anna's clients and their projects are based all over England and Wales, but she has a strong connection with Gloucestershire and the South West. She has worked with many of her clients and referrers for nearly 15 years but still enjoys forging new relationships with both private individuals and representatives of organisations of all sizes.

Anna joined Michelmores in January 2022 having spent over a decade developing her practice at a Gloucestershire-based firm. She is a recommended lawyer for Construction in the South West by the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.

Anna is a Director of CESW as well as the Company Secretary, having joined the Board in 2021.