Which individuals are likely to have the biggest impact on the industry in the year ahead?
Sarah Jones
Sarah Jones, MP for Croydon West, was appointed construction minister following Labour’s general election win in July. She served as shadow housing minister between 2018 and 2020, and has been an outspoken advocate for building safety, using her first speech in Parliament to call for tower blocks to be fitted with sprinklers.
Urgent industry issues demand her attention. The Labour government has promised to tackle the issue of late payment for SMEs, for instance.
Jones’ brief also includes green skills, and she is exploring how immigration rules could
be reformed to address construction’s acute labour shortage.
Jones is the 10th minister responsible for construction since 2019 and the 25th since the turn of the century, reflecting the revolving door nature of the role. Time will tell if she bucks the trend.
Chatbots
At CN we know AI isn’t a real person, but the technology is increasingly fulfilling human roles in the construction sector.
So it’s no surprise that the Chartered Institute of Building’s AI playbook, released in June 2024, called for tools like ChatGPT to be “considered with the same level of trust as a brand-new colleague who has offered to complete some work on your behalf”.
Chatbot technology is not perfect. For now, the ‘human in the loop’ is essential to check its accuracy, and there are concerns that users may accidentally share proprietary data.
But tier ones like Balfour Beatty and Skanska UK already use chatbots to streamline operations and boost efficiency. With the technology rapidly developing, the coming year could see new use cases emerge, with adoption potentially spreading further down the supply chain.
Craig Tatton
Craig Tatton took over as chief executive of CN100 contractor Tilbury Douglas on 1 November. Under his predecessor Paul Gandy, the firm made the transition from a subsidiary of ailing contractor Interserve to become a standalone business in 2022.
The new structure saw a positive change in fortune, as Tilbury Douglas went from a £94m pre-tax loss to a £5.8m pre-tax profit in the 2023 calendar year. The firm began 2024 with more than £1bn in its order book.
Tatton, who was promoted from the chief operating officer role, has a tough act to follow in succeeding Gandy.
So how will he maintain Tilbury Douglas’ momentum? One clue is in the firm’s most recent accounts, where he said that the contractor will now focus on regulated industry frameworks. This builds on existing places on frameworks, for example with South West Water and Thames Water.
Mark Wild
Ex-Crossrail boss Mark Wild was named in May 2024 as the first permanent HS2 Ltd chief executive since Mark Thurston departed in September 2023. He officially took up his new position in December 2024.
Wild’s brief is to keep costs down and prevent delays on the high-speed rail project.
It’s a tall order. The opening date for the London-Birmingham line is now estimated to be three to seven years later than its original target of December 2026.
And in October 2024, the government announced an “urgent” independent review into HS2 amid concerns over its cost.
HS2 Ltd chair Sir Jon Thompson said last January that the true cost of phase one will be around £8bn to £10bn higher than the company’s official estimate of £49bn to £57bn.
Wild has a lot on his plate as he attempts to steer HS2 into calmer waters.
Angela Rayner
Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister and secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, has wielded considerable influence since Labour won the general election last July.
Rayner has already announced a revision of the National Planning Policy Framework. She also announced mandatory housing targets to deliver 370,000 new homes annually, with a focus on affordable housing and revitalising brownfield sites.
This might create opportunities for developers, particularly SMEs, to build affordable homes on previously unused land, including parts of the greenbelt – but it will be interesting to see if this creates tensions around environmental sustainability.
And with Rayner’s broad range of responsibilities – also including a seat on the National Security Council – will her housing brief receive sufficient attention in 2025?
Andre Redinger
Andre Redinger
His attempt to acquire ISG in a joint bid with business partner James Overton failed last September – but South African entrepreneur Andre Redinger may still be interested in getting involved with the UK construction sector.
So far, the only clues are a statement from Redinger and Overton’s company, Antipodean Holdings, saying that they are “committed to identifying” UK investment opportunities.
And in an interview with CN, Redinger indicated that he wasn’t ruling out future involvement in construction.
Redinger has no experience in the industry, but he was attracted by the prospect of acquiring the UK’s sixth-largest contractor.
If another opportunity arises, will it be second time lucky for Redinger – or a case of once bitten, twice shy?
Christy Hayes
Modular construction has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, given TopHat’s withdrawal from the sector and the collapse of other contractors in the past two years.
But contractor Tide Construction, led by chief executive Christy Hayes, seems to have found a formula for success.
The firm employs just 40 staff but generated revenue of £197.2m in its most recent accounts, due partly to its vertical integration with the offsite factory operated by sister company Vision Modular Systems.
Hayes told CN last January that the time, labour and cost efficiencies inherent in Tide’s methods also bring environmental benefits, with lower overall emissions and minimal noise disruption for nearby residents and businesses.
The economic viability of modular homebuilding is still being debated, but Hayes will continue to argue his case in 2025.
Jason Millett
Jason Millett has big shoes to fill. In January 2025, he will succeed Mark Reynolds as chief executive of £2.36bn-turnover contractor Mace.
Reynolds – who spent 12 years at the helm – and Millett will work together for a six-month transition period.
The new chief executive will lead an evolving business. Over the past two years, the firm has withdrawn from direct property development and sold off its Mace Operate business.
The aim was to simplify operations so that the construction and consultancy divisions could work more closely together. For now, Mace Construct accounts for three-quarters of group turnover but the Consult business has a secure order book that is three times larger than Construct’s. Will the new chief executive – a former head of Mace Consult – maintain this trajectory?
Sir Michael Lyons
Sir Michael Lyons brings decades of leadership experience – including a spell as chair of the BBC Trust – to his role as chair of the New Towns Commission.
Known for his strategic insights on housing and local government, Lyons led a review of housing for the Labour Party in 2013/14. He is a vocal advocate for sustainable urban growth and infrastructure development.
In 2025, Lyons will focus on addressing the housing crisis by promoting the development of well-planned, sustainable communities through the New Towns initiative.
By driving policy and ensuring streamlined planning processes, he aims to catalyse significant growth in residential construction, reshaping the landscape of UK housing and boosting sector-wide innovation.
Former ISG employees
After tier one contractor ISG filed for administration in September with the loss of 2,200 jobs, many of those ex-employees are now seeking new jobs in a competitive market.
With ISG’s wide range of operations, from commercial and retail to data centres and fit-outs, its former workforce possesses diverse skills and experience.
Some employees are therefore well-positioned to transition into roles within other leading construction firms or adjacent industries like property development and infrastructure.
Other contractors have reached out to help ISG’s former staff find new opportunities, but challenges remain. Networking, upskilling, and tapping into industry contacts will be essential for many former ISG employees as they look to secure stable employment in the months ahead.
