Chief Operating Officer | Built Environment Consultancy

The Client

Having embarked on an ambitious period of diversification and expansion, the CEO engaged us to secure a newly created Chief Operating Officer position.

Founded 30 years ago, the client is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary engineering and advisory consultancy, shaping the built environment. Operating from offices in Central London and Nottingham, the business employs around 150 people. They are a certified B Corp, blending technical engineering expertise with strategic consultancy, supporting clients across commercial, residential, public sector, cultural, healthcare, and complex specialist projects.

The leadership team is actively progressing a long-term growth plan (FY27–FY31) that includes broadening its technical offer into areas such as façades, fire and geotechnical engineering, integrating selectively acquired businesses, and expanding internationally, with ambitions for around 10% of future revenue to come from overseas markets.

The headline to this growth strategy being that the firm aim to more than double turnover inside five years.

The Role

This was a newly created role introduced to support the business through significant growth and diversification period. Working closely with the CEO and Board, the objective was to drive strategic growth, operational excellence, and cultural continuity.

Aside from the typical needs and skillset associated with an operational leader, key considerations included:

• This person would not have direct reports but would indirectly influence and develop the board group, wider management layer, and operational teams across multiple disciplines.
• High visibility was therefore required, meaning the role would be based on-site in London five days a week.
• The incoming COO would play a central role in integrating acquired businesses, particularly their leadership teams, ensuring cultural alignment and operational cohesion.
• With a focus on scaling the business, it was essential that this person could design and implement scalable business strategies, embed lean processes, and drive technology adoption.
• Added to this, the person needed to be a visible cultural ambassador, culturally aligned to the company’s collaborative, low-ego, and values-driven environment – enhancing the culture rather than imposing corporate behaviours.

The Business Challenge

Given the requirement for this person to be visible in London for five days a week, along with the need for a specific blend of operational excellence, strategic vision, a history of leading a growth agenda, and cultural alignment within a construction environment, it was evident that this would be an exhaustive, proactive headhunt from a finite talent pool.

The challenge was compounded by the need for an individual who could influence and uplift leadership capability of a longstanding directorship team. The candidate needed to support the firm’s transition from a traditional project-centric consultancy into a more strategic, regenerative, and forward-looking engineering partner – a nuanced brief that significantly narrowed the candidate market.

Furthermore, with growth shares forming a key part of the remuneration package, it was essential to identify individuals who were genuinely motivated by long-term value creation and aligned to the business’s five-year vision, rather than those seeking a straightforward salary uplift.

The Solution and Result

In summary, the following process took place:

80 potential candidates identified following initial research undertaken

68 candidates engaged with

15 CV’s received

6 candidates interviewed by Collingwood

4 candidates interviewed by the client

3 candidates taken through to final stage

The 80 identified all worked in similar roles – COO, CCO, CEO, or Managing Director positions, within construction services.

Upon speaking with them, over half were not suitable for the role. Mainly, this was due to them having roles in title but not in practice. Many were either too operationally led (not forward state thinking) or had not led sustained growth within their roles.

Collingwood identified six who, based on qualifying calls and CVs, fitted the brief.

Ultimately, this led us to recommended four for interview. The feedback was exceedingly positive from both the CEO (Founder) and NED, with them stating all were strong contenders.

Three were selected for final interview rounds and, again, the client highlighted that they could see all three in the role.

Advising the client on the pros and cons to each of the three, Collingwood then managed the negotiation of the chosen individual.

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