I'm excited to say that I've set up my own Project Management Consultancy.When an opportunity arose to manage Capital Projects at an independent school, I decided it was the time to set up Elms Projects - something I've always wanted to do!I am working with the school estate team to develop their capital plan for repair and maintenance projects over the next 3-5 years.As I type this, it's the school summer holidays, and we have a number of trades on site - carpenters (working on fire doors), decorators, electricians, window fitters, roofers and so on. The school estate is very varied, and there are many smaller projects to plan and deliver, as well as the potential for a larger redevelopment programme in future.This new role is alongside those I have with the Aldenham Estate and 800 Group, which, I'm happy to say, continue to provide challenges and opportunities.

800 group produce the highest standards of building and refurbishment work possible, mainly using their own in house tradesmen and design team. I have worked on a wide variety of quality projects in London, but am currently working in Edinburgh.Initially my role was to have an overview across all major projects, with two main work areas:1) reporting on programme & progress, identifying key issues for resolution, and monitoring quality, and 2) co-ordinating key suppliers and subcontractors - steel, glass, joinery, stone and marble, and other specialist items - with the requirements on site. Typically I would visit their production facilities, create and monitor an overall programme, and co-ordinate across the projects to ensure sufficient resources are in place.An opportunity arose for promotion to take on a contracts management role in 2016, being responsible for the delivery of a number of projects - liaising with the client, architects, designers and so on. The role includes monitoring of budgets & forecasting; procurement; managing on site labour requirements, the site manager and team; and internal and external reporting.As is typical in the construction industry, I always have several projects active, at different stages - planning / pre-construction, on site, and post completion. The location of projects I have completed include St John's Wood, Chelsea, Kensington, Holland Park, Notting Hill Gate, Marylebone, Fitzrovia, Belgravia and Frinton on Sea.

On Thursday evenings I work in the indoor freezer that is the Snow Centre, digging the snowpark and playing music. Whilst I'm there, I also like to go snowboarding at high speed!

In August 2020 I joined the Aldenham Estate, managing construction and maintenance projects. The Estate, in Hertfordshire, manages London Elstree Aerodrome and three farms. Activities across the estate include farming, commercial and residential development and lettings, Home Farm Glamping and At Home Farm Live. In December 2024 I left Aldenham, as they focus on other priorities. We're keeping in touch, and I look forward to seeing the Estate has in store for the future!

I spent 7 years working within the Client team on a variety of interesting projects for Ralph Trustees Limited.Beginning at The Grove and working at the Runnymede and Athenaeum hotels, my final project was Fitzroy Farm, a high quality private house, located in North London.The hotel based projects I completed include:- The Grove. Hertfordshire: extend stables kitchen (2007)- The Athenaeum, London W1: internal refurbishment of 109 rooms, and external construction of a living wall, restoration of the facade and new windows and penthouse balcony (2008)- The Runnymede, Surrey: extension and refurbishment of the hotel including two new restaurants & lounge, new conference facilites, external works including new swimming pool and extensive landscaping (2008-2010)

My first role at Mace was Contract Administrator for The Grove, from Jan 2002 to Sep 2003.I then worked for Hertfordshire County Council on educational and ground investigation and other public sector projects.I really enjoyed working at Mace and their flexible approach allowed me to pursue a project of my own, when I worked on the redevelopment of Cantelowes skatepark in Camden. Through my experience of local authority projects I was able to obtain key funding from Sport England, formed a design team with friends, and worked with the community and London Borough of Camden to build an excellent skatepark.

Project manager for a term commission with Defence Estates, I managed a variety of projects at US air bases Lakenheath and Mildenhall, from inception to completion. The processes were well established and I adapted the contracts to suit each project prior to appointing a contractor and managing them on site, then post completion and occupation, managing the defects period, final account and so on.The projects were interesting as they ranged from repairing roads to improving housing, building a new classroom wing to a school, and even refurbishing an operational missile facility and NATO intelligence buildings! Another interesting aspect was that, with these air bases fully occupied by the US military, it was like working in the USA (cars, people, pay in dollars etc). I was in an American school when the news of 9/11 broke, something I'll always remember.Whilst at WYG I also undertook numerous smaller projects including a technical review of Glaxo Smith Kline UK's project management processes and procedures.

My first "proper job" was at T Dunwoody & Partners. I started as a CAD technician and, within three months was being trained as an engineer and using my project management skills. Within six months I was running projects in France, Belgium and, er, Basingstoke.The projects I worked on were in the retail sector, namely Marks & Spencer's POS (point of sale) 2000 project, which was to replace the ageing IT with a new system, based on a new Cat 5 data network, in every M&S store. Once TDP discovered that I could speak French and had a degree in building management, they quickly trained me in electrical engineering, and I learnt how to create data networks and how to manage the difficulties installing them in an operational environment (including asbestos, night time working and so on). Each project was different and I worked with cable installation, electrical and building contractors, Fujitsu Siemens (ICL), and of course the stores themselves.Learning the ropes on UK stores in the South East of England, I was on the 06:40 flight to Paris before I knew it and managing the roll-out in France and Belgium. This meant that I needed to learn a whole new aspect to speaking French - managing retailers and electrical contractors was not the sort of thing I talked about on the chairlifts of the ski resorts around Grenoble!The projects were a great success and all completed in August 1999, prior to the dreaded 31/12/1999. I then joined Mace, as Dunwoody's did not have anything exciting on the horizon and, after seeing an advert for retail PM's in Building magazine and watching the TV programme on the London Eye, I was hungry for more challenges!