Dan Labbad is to stamp his authority on Lend Lease’s UK business with a major management restructure

It is understood that Labbad, who in April was put in charge of all of Lend Lease’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has been carrying out a review of the top management of the businesses in the region. These include Bovis Lend Lease, the company’s UK construction business, and its PPP division, Catalyst.

The move comes amid mounting pressure on Bovis Lend Lease and its chief executive Nick Pollard, who took over from Murray Coleman in October 2008. The firm, which has traditionally won a lot of work from major private sector developers including Stanhope and Land Securities, has been hit hard by the recession.

Discussions with senior managers have taken place in recent weeks, and as Building went to press on Wednesday it was anticipated that the first changes could be finalised imminently. A similar process is being conducted across the Middle East and Africa businesses.

The news follows a global restructure by the Australian company in April, which involved the appointment of four regional chief executive officers worldwide. These included Labbad, who previously oversaw Lend Lease’s development business in Europe. As part of the move, Bovis Lend Lease and Catalyst were brought under his control, rather than reporting directly back to Australia.

At the time, global chief executive officer and managing director Steve McCann said the restructure would “enable a more focused and co-ordinated approach to growth strategy and the execution of major projects in each of our core regions”.

Topics