RLB shakes up team to run 'like a partnership'

Rider Levett Bucknall UK has shaken up its senior management team and shared out executive responsibility among its six board directors to promote a more “collegiate” management approach.

RLB’s 400-strong UK division has decided not to fill the vacant chief executive role at the company, after Lance Taylor exited the role in September to become South-east development director for housebuilder Persimmon.

Instead the firm has decided to share executive responsibility among its remaining six UK board directors - chairman Ann Bentley (pictured), finance director Stuart Stables, Midlands and North boss Dean Sheehy, London and South boss Tony Catchpole, major projects lead Mark Weaver and key accounts and frameworks lead Andrew Reynolds.

RLB UK has also promoted two staff - Andrew Reynolds and London partner Russell Lloyd - to represent the firm on RLB’s global board, alongside existing member and UK chairman Ann Bentley.

Andrew Reynolds and Russell Lloyd fill the two global board positions vacated by Lance Taylor and Mark Williamson - Williamson having transferred to the Caribbean to set up an RLB office in St Lucia.

Bentley told Building the management shake-up was part of a push to run the division “much more like a partnership”.

She said: “Sharing responsibility and decision making across the board reflects the fact that we’re an owner-managed business.

“As our competitors march towards becoming bigger and bigger corporate entities, we’re playing to our strengths of being owner-managed and independent.”

As part of the drive Bentley said the firm will encourage more staff to “buy in” to the business through a share ownership scheme.

Bentley said the UK division is “on track” to hit its five-year target of almost doubling revenue and staff to become a circa £70m-turnover, 600-strong business.