Former Mace bosses set up own construction firm

Former senior Mace director Ian Eggers and company founder Bob White have joined forces to set up their own project and construction management firm.

Eggers and White, who is a previous chief executive and chairman of Mace, have also joined with a third industry figure, architect Gareth Stapleton, to form the new venture. The company, called Rise, is described by its founders as a “management company working exclusively in the built environment.”

The move echoes the formation of Mace, which itself was founded by a group of former directors of contractor Bovis - including White - in 1990.

The launch of Rise comes after Eggers left Mace in July after 18 years at the firm. Most recently Mace’s director of construction management services and a member of its strategic board for construction, Eggers led the firm’s early work on the Shard at London Bridge.

White, who was Mace chief executive until the end of 2004 and then continued as chairman, left the firm in 2008. He has also held a range of senior positions in the industry, including as chief executive of Constructing Excellence.

Rise’s other director, Stapleton, was formerly the managing director of project management firm PDCM, a business he left in August. Before that, he worked at project manager ESPM and at architect Hawkins Brown.

Rise has opened an office in Chancery Lane, London. Eggers said that the company’s business style would “reflect those of the principle players who have shared projects and experiences over many years in the industry”.  He added: “We are in discussion with a variety of clients about some exciting projects in a number of sectors”.

He added: “Our mission is to bring some new and strategic services to our clients, the objective of which is to enable project delivery in a less management intensive, but more predictable manner.”