One thing we do know is how to build a team…
Jon Simpkin
It’s more about loving what you’re doing than pursuing massive growth targets, for me—ironically that brings us more repeat business than anything.
I tend to save my drive for delivering ambitious projects. I get involved early on, often working as an extension to the client, bridging the gap between development management and project management. I think that ability to cross over from one discipline to another helps keep projects aligned to the core objectives.
I’m 100% focused on delivery and that influences every step, from creating clear project briefs, setting out a route map that everyone can be confident in and leading the project through the inevitable challenges along the way.
The approach works and we’ve a great reputation for unsticking difficult projects, for galvanising the team and achieving outcomes for clients. You can’t really ask for more from a role.
My recent projects include: £300m+ Lewisham Gateway Phases 1& 2, £300m Blackwall Yard, Tottenham Hale
Mark Newton
Telephone Number: 01332 229 284
Mobile Number: 07957 138201
Email Address: [email protected]
I think I must know every high street in the land after my time spent managing property portfolios for retailers like Next, Virgin and Arcadia. I’m a Chartered Surveyor but my experience in retail gave me a taste for development and regeneration
When you look around the country you can quickly see that there’s so much opportunity to make improvements to the built environment. If only the regulatory and planning approvals were less complex it might be quicker… but I think that reveals the real skill in development management: you have to be able to accommodate detours however good your roadmap for the scheme may be.
The degree of complexity in regulations and in planning now rival the challenges in land assembly, remediation, funding agreements and even securing tenants. I’m not sure that any aspect of development requires any less resilience or tenacity than another but that is the operating landscape we’re in today, and those are certainly qualities that we champion at TPS.
My recent projects include: £10M Lowestoft Gateway and £16m conversion of two office buildings in Enfield to create 67 apartments.
David White
Mobile Number: 07545 893 305
Email Address: [email protected]
I started as an Engineer but I found I was more interested in people than in structures, and in why more than how.
Curiosity is what drives me, I think, in interrogating the brief and in a desire to understand everyone’s outlook on a project. It’s a fundamental part of how we work and is very different to corporate companies. Instead of straight-line processes with little or no flexibility, we approach projects with a greater willingness to listen.
As a business we are also more agile by being independent. It makes us a good match for clients who want to do things differently. It’s a very fluid environment at the moment and there’s scope for alternative approaches to everything, from planning and design, procurement and construction. It’s wide open and there’s advantage to be gained by thinking unconventionally.
My recent projects include the £85m North Wharf Gardens Hotel and School, £10m Dundonald Church and Residential Development and the £10m Lowestoft Gateway Retail Park.
Martin Ashley
Mobile Number: 07887 754714
Email Address: [email protected]
To do your best, you have to get the best out of others—the relationships are the most important element in any project. More than the design or the concept or the plan, it’s how you work together to deliver the project that I believe is critical.
Underlying what we do there has to be resilience and creativity in the thought process. In any development we get a lot of problems to solve, whether through changes to the plan or the brief, that demand an ability to negotiate and identify compromises that will keep the project moving. All the while we have in mind the client’s objective and sometimes we have to piece things together to keep moving in what often turns out not to be a straight line.
I like the dynamism of how we work; we have to be flexible and light on our feet. We find ourselves drawn deep into our clients’ business, helping them find the best way to achieve their objectives. That gives us a big opportunity in every project to influence the result.
My recent projects include: £XXM A PROJECT
Katrina Briggs
Mobile Number: 07775 863103
Email Address: [email protected]
I am a qualified engineer, which is unusual for a project manager in property development. But we’re not exactly your everyday firm, as you’ve probably gathered.
I began my career as a Mechanical Engineer at ARUP, soon fronting teams for large scale development projects. Added to my education in engineering it added design management experience, which I progressed further at Buro Happold on Education and Infrastructure projects and then into project management at Buro Four on mixed-use developments, providing me with a wealth of experience and knowledge which inform my present projects.
The technical skills are an important foundation for the role; they give you a clearer understanding of the challenges that different parties in the project team face. But when it comes right down to it, project management is about people, about their individual leanings—it requires a facility for appreciating different motivations and being able to orientate everyone around the client’s objectives.
I much prefer to be a team player myself, we’re not a very hierarchical organisation and we see projects in a similar way. I’m just as happy to provide input to the project as to take care of its smooth running. As an engineer with a design background I’m better able to understand the impact of changes, and equally to be able to listen to the project team’s needs and help present those to the client.
My current projects include: £200m Lewisham Gateway Phase 2 mixed-use development, £50m Westgate, Dartford mixed use development and £1.5m 3 Henrietta Street, London Grade II Listed refurbishment project.
Kevin McBean
Mobile Number: 07968 547276
Email Address: [email protected]
It’s about thinking outside of the box and the experience I’ve gained from the trade and professional side of the construction industry has enabled me to identify the challenges which project stakeholders and teams commonly face. I’ve learned an ability to apply foresight, it goes without saying that “prevention is better than cure.”
I enjoy working within an empowered team who pride themselves on an ability to navigate through the bureaucracy and processes which can become a constraint to the delivery of projects. I’m lucky enough to have managed projects within a diverse range of sectors, infrastructure, regeneration, industrial, retail, as an consultant and also as a client within corporate organisational structure applying flexibility to identify and adapt to each individual situation.
I’ve discovered how communication is the key to motivating team members and colleagues in a project. That’s true across the project, whether you’re chairing project progress meetings, managing the design team or leading on risk and value management. Creating environments that take the time to establish the “real reasons” why things have become stuck is key to the success of a project.
Alex Kowalewski
I was not destined to be the technical kind of engineer as I was always more interested in working with people than in slaving away at calculations in isolation.
I discovered early on that project management calls for a blend of skills and approaches that more closely matches my profile. The processes are logic based and you can apply a spreadsheet and improve their efficiency, but dealing with the people is more of an art form. For an ideal outcome, a diligent approach to the project technically must be matched by a caring attitude to everyone involved—remembering that they are invested at least as much as you.
TPS is very much built on the strength of its people. It’s a small company, but as individuals we’re working on big projects because of our ability to support each other to deliver. In the corporate world you’d think the support was there but it’s often not because process and a tendency to move people about don’t allow for it. By contrast, we have a genuinely caring culture and clients see the benefit of that in the additional commitment to them and to the project.
Bethan Simpkin
Telephone Number: 07425 315 046
Email Address: [email protected]
I’m a firm believer in the impact of learning in work, and during my traineeship here have been combining academic study with work on some pretty impressive projects. So far, I’ve completed an HND in Construction and the Built Environment and I’m now studying Construction Management BA (HONS). And as an assistant to senior project managers I’m able to put into context the formal learning.
There’s simply no substitute for live project experience, especially if you want to progress quickly in your career. In the last three years, I’ve been able to immerse myself in projects from £1.5M refurbs to £200M mixed use schemes, and to see them at different stages of development. That experience puts concepts into practice in the real world of negotiating with people as well as steering projects through a careful process toward a positive outcome for all. I could have spent more time hanging around the students’ union bar I suppose, but which would you choose?
Jon Gibson
Mobile Number: 07887 504739
Email Address: [email protected]
My fascination with the built environment began early, driven by an interest in how developments are realised and the teams that bring them to life. This passion led me to pursue a degree in Planning and a Master’s in Real Estate, providing a strong foundation for my career in development.
With over six years of experience, I’ve worked on a diverse range of projects. I started my career with a retirement living developer in the UK before spending two years in Sydney, Australia, working on high-rise, mixed-use apartment schemes. These experiences have given me a deep understanding of the complexities of different development types and the challenges they present.
Now back in the UK, I’m thrilled to be part of the TPS team. We excel at tackling complex and constrained sites, focusing on delivering maximum value for our clients. One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is collaborating with consultants who are experts in their fields. I thrive on fostering strong relationships, bringing together diverse perspectives, and creating an environment where people can do their best work.
I believe my experience and ability to connect with others help to unlock the full potential of each project. Whether it’s navigating challenges or uncovering creative solutions, I’m passionate about extracting value and delivering results that make a tangible impact.
Lorretta Leach
Mobile Number: 07771 970 448
Email Address: [email protected]
With over three and a half years’ experience within the accounting & finance sector, Lorretta is a soon to be AAT qualified accountant. Having previously worked as a management accountant in a practice specialising in monthly management accounts production for a range of businesses across the UK. Her clients ranged from small businesses to large companies with turnovers of over £2 million. She has also previously worked internationally within Europe.
Our Team Delivers
