Currie & Brown loses its Middle East regional boss

The head of Currie & Brown’s Middle Eastern operation has left the firm after a meeting with bosses earlier this month. The latest departure from C&B came as the prospect of a takeover of the company lessened.

Middle Eastern regional director George Grant, who had been at the firm for three years, went two weeks ago. Mark Taylor has been brought in to replace Grant and also to run the Central Asia business. Taylor is rejoining C&B after a stint with EC Harris in Dubai. He previously led C&B’s office in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, for seven years.

Grant joined C&B after the firm bought local company BBL in 2003. He established a significant presence in the region for C&B with over 100 staff and a projected £7m turnover for this year. It is believed he will stay in the Middle East.

The news follows a move by C&B bosses to lessen the possibility of a takeover. The firm is buying back shares from ex-employees so as to maintain its independence. A source close to the firm who had wanted exploratory talks with suitors such as Sinclair Knight Merz and McBains Cooper said there had not been sufficient support from shareholders for more detailed discussions. “I think the battle is lost,” he said.

Speaking to QS News, chief executive Euan McEwan insisted the firm was not for sale. He said: “I was brought in over a year ago not to sell on the company but to build it up. We are going through a period of change. Selling the firm is not on our agenda at the moment.”

McEwan did confirm that he met with both McBains and SKM. Both presented “indicative proposals”. He added that he looked at both, in line with his duty to shareholders, but “threw out both pretty quickly”.

The source close to C&B claimed the dispute between the firm and ex-chairman Angus McLean was unlikely to end up at an employment tribunal. McLean lodged a claim for unfair dismissal against his former employers over the summer.

A C&B spokesperson added that the firm had made a number of appointments “to support the company’s growth”. These include the promotion of Dean Sheehy to director in Birmingham, the promotion of Brian Edwards to project and cost management divisional director and director of Newcastle, the promotion of Jon Ross to director, Bristol, and the appointment of John Rayson as director of the Manchester office.