RULA DEVELOPMENTS - Key Persons


Anthony Clitheroe

Job Titles:
  • Development Director
Anthony has over 14 years post-qualification experience in development, consultancy and agency, latterly as a Director at HBD. He has a specialism in industrial and logistics build to suit and forward funding transactions, particularly as part of public-private sector partnerships involving complex development sites and multiple stakeholders. He has amassed extensive experience of leading on the simultaneous delivery of multiple projects including site assembly and acquisition; the preparation and implementation of planning and delivery strategies; negotiating terms with end occupiers; marketing; development management, procurement, planning, financial appraisals and funding. Anthony is responsible for the delivery of Winsford Gateway, a 30 acre industrial and logistics led scheme incorporating a forward funding opportunity of 227,000 sq ft and has previously worked on large scale developments.

Ben Ward - Managing Director

Job Titles:
  • Managing Director
  • Founder and Managing Director of Rula Developments Oversees All Aspects of Rula Developments
Ben, Founder and Managing Director of Rula Developments oversees all aspects of Rula Developments from conception to completion. He is responsible for sourcing and structuring new acquisitions and joint ventures, while also leading the day-to-day management of the business. Ben started his career over 20 years ago and latterly worked at Henry Boot Developments Ltd as a main Board Director based in Sheffield. His expertise spans the whole investment and development process, from funding, purchase and sale, through to design, planning, financial appraisal and leasing. Ben has significant experience in assembling and successfully delivering investment and development projects in multiple sectors including industrial and office, through to large-scale mixed use and residential.

Mark Hawthorne

Job Titles:
  • Development Director
Mark is the Development Director at Rula Developments joining the company in October 2017. A qualified chartered surveyor with over 25 years of experience having spent the last 18 years working in Commercial Development and previously working as a Commercial Agent in Nottingham for 7 years with various well-known firms. Mark has a wide variety of experience in the delivery of multiple Industrial Warehouse units, offices as well as roadside and retail schemes. Mark has experience working across the UK but has gained most of his experience in the greater Midlands and South Yorkshire areas. Mark has been involved with and overseen all aspects of the development process, including site assembly, acquisition, planning, letting, and funding. He has been directly involved with a variety of commercial development projects, extending to over 2 million square feet which includes the delivery of over 1.5m sq. ft. of industrial development as well as several retail schemes, to include the delivery of a 115,000 sq ft Out of town retail scheme in North Lincolnshire, as well as a variety of small office developments.

Richard Burns

Job Titles:
  • Project Director
Richard is Project Management Director and has been with Rula since inception. He focusses on procurement but supports the development team across Rula's portfolio of work from initial enquiry to project completion. Richard has over 35 years experience of project managing over £1b of construction value projects across a range of sectors. He spent 10 years in government procurement with Barnsley Council, regenerating coalfield sites to bring forward industrial employment land. He has spent 20 years with Scarborough Group delivering mixed use, commercial, retail and leisure, city centre residential as well as major infrastructure projects across the UK. Whilst with Scarborough Group Richard has been part of the teams that have delivered the current phase of Thorpe Park Leeds delivering over £130M of project work including The Springs, a £45M Retail and Leisure destination, a £28M commercial office scheme and £50M of development platform ground remediation and infrastructure project delivery. The Frenchgate Shopping Centre in Doncaster was a £100M new extension and refurbishment of the existing trading shopping centre and Richard has delivered many other commercial projects around the UK. Major infrastructure projects also make up Richard's experience working on sites trackside with Network Rail on three major developments sites in the north of England including the delivery of a £12M major dual carriageway road over a £6M rail bridge at the Thorpe Park Leeds development site. Major mains service diversions also saw a £4.5M medium pressure gas main diverted off the site to enable development and underneath the live trans Pennine rail line, all delivered by Teams managed by Richard. Focussing now on Rulas expansive industrial development portfolio Richard has already seen to completion a number of key projects on strategic sites for the Group as we assemble land opportunities and bring forward investment to see the current development portfolio delivered for our Clients.

Richard Morgan Jones - CFO

Job Titles:
  • Finance Director
Richard is a Chartered Accountant who qualified with Touche Ross, now part of Deloitte, more years ago than he can remember. His industry career has been mainly in the logistics sector, formerly with Transport Development Group plc, and latterly as Financial Controller and Company Secretary of Great Bear Distribution Limited. Richard represents Coda Investments, a family office based in the North West of England, who support several growing businesses and, as such, is responsible for the accounting function and financial compliance of a range of businesses in a variety of business sectors.