A former boss at listed consultancy Hyder is relocating to South Africa and setting up his own project management firm.

Denis Lillie, who left the multi-discplinary firm in September as UK sales and marketing director, is moving to Cape Town in December. He has set up a new firm, called the Denis Lillie Partnership and is already working on two mixed-use schemes in Dubai and Mumbai for a South African client as a development manager.

Lillie, whose 25-year UK career includes stints at EC Harris, White Young Green and contractor ISG InteriorExterior, said the move was partly due to opportunities in South Africa and partly down to disillusionment with the work in the UK. Lillie’s wife Veronica Buss is South African and has already accepted a job as senior designer and project manager for financial services firm Old Mutual.

Lillie said: “There is an opportunity over there. They are planning a lot of urban regeneration and you have the World Cup coming up in 2010. It’s going to be the Gateway for Africa.

“Part of the reason I was thinking about it was that it was getting quite aggressive over here. It’s been a little bit unpleasant in the British sector of late.”

Source

QS News