Waterman

Waterman wins at the Tall Buildings Awards

kheard — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:33:02 +0000

We’re delighted to have won the MEP Engineering Excellence Award for our work on Edenica, 100 Fetter Lane, at the Tall Buildings Awards.

This prestigious accolade recognises excellence and innovation across the tall buildings sector, celebrating the architects, engineers, developers and manufacturers shaping our skylines.

Delivered in close collaboration with Fletcher Priest Architects, Mace, Third London Wall and Arcadis, our multidisciplinary team provided sustainability, building services, structural engineering and environmental consultancy services for the landmark scheme. Edenica also served as a pilot project for the first-ever standardised approach to Materials Passports, developed by Circuland and our sustainability team.

A fantastic achievement and testament to the expertise, collaboration and dedication of everyone involved.

Image – © Nicholas Worley

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Waterman strengthens UK Leadership Team to support next phase of growth

dbough — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Waterman strengthens UK Leadership Team to support next phase of growth

Waterman has announced the appointment of four senior business leaders to its UK Leadership Team, further strengthening the company’s strategic, operational and governance capability as it continues to expand and evolve its multidisciplinary consultancy offer.

Since Neil Humphrey was appointed Chief Executive in 2025, Waterman has continued to evolve its UK Consulting business, with a focus on accelerating growth, strengthening its operating structure and investing in the leadership capability needed to support its long-term ambitions.

As part of this agenda, Waterman recently announced the appointment of Jonathan Purcell as Managing Director of Strategy and Growth. The company is now further strengthening its UK Leadership Team with the appointment of James Bland, Director of HR; Stephanie George, Director of Legal; Rob Chandler, Director of Finance; and Susan Nilsson, Director of Communications. Each leader brings extensive experience within Waterman and a deep understanding of the business, its people and its long-term strategic priorities.

Waterman’s Chief Executive, Neil Humphrey, commented:

“As we continue to grow and develop our UK business, it is essential that our leadership reflects the breadth of expertise needed to support our people, our clients and our long-term ambitions. James, Stephanie, Rob and Susan, and each bring valuable insight, commercial understanding and strong leadership in their respective areas. Their appointment to the UK Leadership Team strengthens our ability to deliver on our strategy, support future expansion and continue building a connected, collaborative and high-performing business.”

About the newly appointed UK Leadership Team members

Together, the four appointees bring extensive expertise across people, legal, finance and communications, alongside a deep understanding of Waterman’s business, culture and strategic priorities.

James Bland,
Director of HR

James joined Waterman in 2018 as Group HR Director and is responsible for the company’s people strategy. With over 25 years’ experience, he has held senior leadership roles across the engineering, consulting, financial services and media sectors. James has extensive experience in organisational change, employee relations, talent management, reward, executive remuneration and leadership development. Throughout his career, he has lead HR teams and business transformation programmes across the UK, EMEA and APAC, supporting organisations through periods of growth, acquisition and change. James holds a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management and is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD).

Stephanie George,
Director of Legal

Stephanie joined Waterman in 2010 and serves as Director of Legal Services, leading the company’s legal function across its UK and international operations. A qualified solicitor with more than 30 years’ experience in the construction, infrastructure and utilities sectors, Stephanie has held senior legal positions with Vivendi group companies and Balfour Beatty Facilities Management. Her experience spans major PFI, energy, waste-to-energy, utilities and facilities management projects across the UK and internationally, including in Pakistan, India and Egypt. A strong advocate of proactive risk management, Stephanie works closely with project and business teams to minimise risk, avoid disputes and support the successful delivery of projects.

Rob Chandler,
Director of Finance

Rob has held the position of Group Finance Director since 2018, covering Waterman’s UK and international operations. Before joining Waterman, he held increasingly senior financial positions across FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 businesses, and his industry experience spans UK-, US-, and Japanese-listed company environments. He has significant experience across M&A, restructuring, financial reporting, operational finance, controls, treasury, systems, and FP&A. Rob holds a first-class degree and PhD in Physics from the University of Manchester and trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte.

Susan Nilsson,
Director of Communications

Susan leads Waterman’s Group Communications team overseeing the company’s brand and strategic communications. She brings 25 years’ experience leading high-performing communications, marketing and operational teams. Beginning her career as a civil engineer at WSP, Susan moved into increasingly strategic roles over the following decade. Prior to joining Waterman in 2014, she held international leadership roles at EF Education First, leading customer experience operations across Shanghai, Johannesburg and London. As Director of Communications, she managed relationships with leading media outlets, including CNN, the FT, CNBC, Bloomberg and BBC, and led global brand and communications programmes associated with multiple Olympic Games. Susan holds an MSc in Civil Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, and an MSc in Business from Stockholm School of Economics.

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Triple Award Success for Countess of Chester Women and Children’s Hospital

lrichards — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:58:02 +0000

Triple Award Success for Countess of Chester Women and Children’s Hospital

The Countess of Chester Hospital Women and Children’s Building has received three major industry accolades, further establishing the project as one of the UK’s leading healthcare developments.

The £110 million facility was named ‘Project of the Year’ at the 2026 Government Property Awards , ‘Most Sustainable Building Project’ at the Building Innovation Awards 2026 and has also been named the North West regional winner in the ‘Best Public or Community Building category’ at the LABC Building Excellence Awards, securing a place in the 2026 LABC Grand Finals.

This recognition reflects the collective efforts of Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England, IHP, Waterman, AHR, Alan Johnston Partnership, Ecospheric and the wider project team, who worked together to deliver an ambitious response to the hospital’s Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) challenge.

The three-storey building replaces a 1970s facility and brings maternity, neonatal, paediatric and gynaecology services together under one roof. The project forms part of the NHS’s national programme to remove Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) from healthcare buildings while creating modern environments that support patients, families and staff.

The project’s sustainability credentials have been a major contributor to its industry recognition. Working through the ProCure23 framework, our building services team delivered the mechanical and electrical design, helping to support the wider project team’s ambition to align with the Net Zero Carbon Building Standard (NZCBS).

In collaboration with the wider design team, we developed a low-carbon building services strategy that balances patient comfort, operational resilience and energy efficiency. The new facility incorporates high-efficiency heat pump technology, renewable energy generation through a 400 sq m photovoltaic array and an intelligent Building Management System that helps optimise building performance while reducing energy consumption.

Alongside its environmental credentials, the project has been recognised for delivering complex infrastructure at pace. Constructed on a live hospital campus, the development required close coordination between the Trust, NHS England, IHP, the design team and specialist supply chain partners to maintain healthcare services while delivering a modern replacement for a critical healthcare facility.

These three award wins are a testament to the expertise and collaborative spirit of everyone involved. Together, the project team has delivered a facility that improves outcomes for patients and families today while providing a resilient, future-focused asset for generations to come. As the project progresses to the 2026 LABC Grand Finals, with winners to be announced on 22 January 2027 at Grosvenor House Hotel, London, the Women and Children’s Building continues to set a benchmark for sustainable healthcare design and delivery.

Read more about the Countess of Chester Hospital and Waterman’s contribution to this award-winning healthcare development here.

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Draft London Plan 2026: What Developers Need to Know

tgoss — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:19:09 +0000

Draft London Plan 2026: What Developers Need to Know

Published in July 2026 and currently open for consultation, the Draft London Plan signals a significant shift in how sustainability performance will be assessed across new developments in London.

While the London Plan 2021 remains the adopted policy framework, developers bringing forward schemes today should understand the emerging requirements that are likely to shape future planning decisions.

The proposed policies move beyond a primary focus on regulated carbon emissions and offsetting, introducing more stringent requirements on:

- Operational energy performance
- Upfront embodied carbon
- Whole-life carbon assessment
- Heating system selection
- Circular economy principles and climate resilience

In this practical guide, Dr Ankit Singh, Waterman’s Director of Sustainability, unpacks the key policy changes and explores their potential impact on planning, project viability and development decisions, helping developers assess whether their schemes have a credible route to compliance before designs become fixed.

Explore the key changes in the Draft London Plan, before it’s anticipated appointment in 2028 and understand what they could mean for your next development here.

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