Mace to focus on construction and consultancy work after sale of facilities management business

Mace will focus on consultancy and construction work only after a major shake-up that has seen its facilities management business sold to its management. 

The firm’s Operate arm will become an independent company called Macro as part of the restructuring, which will reduce the firm’s four core functions to just two – with Mace Development already being wound down over the last couple of years.

Mace Consult’s chief executive Jason Millett has been promoted as part of the restructure, stepping into the new role of group deputy chief executive from January. 

Millett will retain oversight of Consult alongside that business’s chief operating officer Davendra Dabasia and will work with group chief executive Mark Reynolds on developing Mace’s business strategy for the seven years to 2030. 

Reynolds said: “With our new structure in place, we’ll now be looking beyond the next few years to a step change in our scale and capabilities by 2030.  

“Our ambition is to be the leading company of global programme and project delivery consultants and construction experts.” 

Mace’s target turnover of more than £3bn in 2026 remains unchanged along with its profit ambitions, the firm said. 

The MBO of Mace Operate has been led by Ross Abbate, that firm’s chief executive, alongside its financial director Chris Bampton and Mark Holmes, who recently decided to step down as the group’s deputy chairman to become chair of the newly independent company. 

Macro will employ more than 700 people with an annual turnover of £120m. It will be initially based for the next few months at Mace’s London office at 155 Moorgate as part of a transitional services agreement.

Mace’s development activities have been significantly reduced over the past two years and is now focused on the Stevenage town centre regeneration. Under the new structure, Mace will provide development management consultancy services through the Consult business. 

Last month, Building revealed Mace was rejigging its construction team by bringing its offices and major projects arms into one business called private sector. The change comes into effect at the beginning of next year.