ONE GROUP - Key Persons
I started my career as Marine Engineer apprentice in the Glasgow shipyards. My father owned a transport company and asked if I would I come in and help, I said yes to 3 months max, however, I never left this industry of freight and that was over 30 years ago! I joined Anchor Freight 12 years ago and I became the Managing Director 8 years ago. The freight industry can be challenging to say the least - luckily I enjoy problem-solving.
I am a local lad and I have lived in Ipswich all my life despite my wife trying to get me to move to the country on several occasions. My career in the construction industry spans over 40 years and I have held senior positions for the past 25. I have always had a passion for delivering a quality product. I joined SEH French Building right in the middle of the pandemic in June 2020. We later rebranded the company to Sandlings Properties. Being part of such an established and well-respected group is a massive privilege and I have met some really great people in the group.
I joined Jackson in 2001 as a Project Manager, working on a £5m project to build a distribution centre at Junction 25 of the M25 for Sainsbury's. I've held various roles in the business since then, and was promoted to Managing Director in 2019.
I was born and have lived all my life in Ipswich to the best parents anyone could ever have. With their encouragement and support I joined SEH Ipswich on the 23 rd June 1983 and have now served a sentence of some 40 years. I have been very blessed having a career where I have enjoyed coming to work every day and have worked with both incredible clients and colleagues on some amazing projects.
I was born in Billericay, Essex but moved with my family to Suffolk in my early teens. I started working for SEH Ipswich straight from school in 1982. Whilst working, the company also sent me to college on day release and two evenings to study. After 6 years I left to work for a national civil engineering contractor working on several major civils projects. It was during this period that I gained my professional qualification.
I started working for Emmitt Plant in 1995, initially as a Workshop Supervisor, then Manager, and in 2009 was fortunate enough to be offered a directorship. I became Managing Director in 2013 and have a great team of people to work with. Many have been here as long as I have, which says a lot about the company.
I've been married to June for 30 years and our two children, Aaron and Sophie have moved into their own houses with their partners. I can't believe how peaceful life is now! I spend my spare time tinkering in the garage on my motorcycles and cars and probably drinking too much red wine.
I joined Emmitt in 2007 as a Hire Manager and was eventually placed in Corby, Northants in 2008. Here, I oversaw the building and development of the yard for a number of years. An opportunity arose within the company for me to manage a depot closer to home at Wattisfield on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. From there I was made up to Area Manager, where I found myself visiting old & new customers alike. Alongside site visits, I was drawn into quite a bit of debt collecting at the time…which was fun! My final move came in 2014, when I became Director.
I married Mrs F in 2013 and we're proud parents to our daughter, Hattie. In between brownies, swimming lessons, horse riding and a spot of gardening, I do enjoy a well-earned beer or two with family & friends and I am the proud landlord of my very own pub, or shall I say garden shed!
On leaving school in 1976, during a recession and a very hot summer, I started work with a house builder as a trainee setting out engineer and, two jobs later, joined SEH Ipswich, staying initially for 5 years before going off to seek my fortune. Some years later I joined SEH Asphalt as a Supervisor. This was in the summer of 2000 and I am now a Director and in my 23rd year with the business.
Born in Stowmarket, I joined SEH Ipswich back in 1982 as an assistant surveyor to support the team working on the contract at RAF Wattisham. Once this contract had finished, I moved into the main office at Nedging Tye, where I was handed more responsibility in running contracts within the office team before being made Commercial Director in January 2000.
My career in the construction industry began in the late 1970's and since then I have worked on a wide array of projects throughout East Anglia, comprising of many different types of construction. Over the years I have had the privilege of learning from, and working with, some great colleagues. I joined SEH French in 2012, becoming Director in 2014, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure working alongside Simon and our dedicated team.
I joined Jackson as a Managing QS in 2006 have progressed through the ranks to my current position. I'm a member of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES)
I returned to SEHBAC in 2013 as Head of Window & Doors Operations after a 12-year holiday at a national company. I was asked to take on the role of overall Operations Director after a year and when John retired, I moved into my current role of Managing Director in 2020.
I started my career back in 1997 with Jackson and obtained a great foundation over numerous sectors of the civil engineering industry. From this, I was able to transfer my skills across to SEH Ipswich in 2006. Much of my life has become groundworks orientated ever since! I have been lucky enough to forge a career that offers daily challenges with equal levels of job satisfaction whilst working with a great team.
I came to the UK from Sydney in 1997, after marrying Pippa, who promised me that the sun always shined in Suffolk. I was very fortunate to join Jackson Civil Engineering and eventually also SEH Group when the two Groups combined. I have subsequently been blessed with working with a fabulous bunch of people as together we have grown and improved the Group.
We have two terrific children, Chloe and Will, who are grown up now and making their own way in life. As an Aussie, I am hardwired to love active sports and spend a similar amount of energy building various projects to keep the engineer in me satisfied. I certainly can't scratch that itch at work as apparently I'm ‘not a very good engineer' as my colleagues politely put it.
I joined Jackson as a Site QS in 1997. I progressed through various roles and was promoted to Contracts Director in 2019.
I started life in the industry in 1989 as a trainee Quantity Surveyor initially with SEH Ipswich, before moving to SEH French in 1992. After leaving to gain more experience with national contractors, I returned to SEH French in 2000, becoming Director in 2003. It's been fantastic to play a part in the company's growth and development over the past 20-odd years, during which we have been involved in some fantastic legacy projects around East Anglia.
I joined SEHBAC in July 2017 as Regional Sales Manager, and was then promoted to Sales & Marketing Director in October 2019. I have spent the past 37 years in the Home Improvement industry, where I've worked in various senior roles. I married Debbie in 1996, she clearly has the patience of a saint putting up with me for all these years! We have a son Oliver who is currently at university studying Mechanical Engineering, the final member of the family is Sadie our miniature Schnauzer.
Job Titles:
- Finance Director
- Group Finance Director
I joined Jackson as an Accounts Assistant, progressing to Management Accountant in 2001, Financial Controller in April 2005, and then took up the position as Finance Director from January 2010. I'm a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
I started ‘Couch to 5K' during Covid and got the running bug (to everyone's surprise). I fulfilled my ambition to run the London Marathon in April 2023, and am now looking for my next marathon challenge!