Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based CEO’ operating in the Construction space. If you think a CEO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
John Finney
Founder and CEO of Isotropic Systems
John Finney is a satellite and telecoms industry veteran with over $2 billion in new revenue creation directly attributed to his leadership, he pioneered significant success for start-ups Huawei (founded Huawei in Europe) and O3b (founding employee and Chief Commercial Officer) along with other major leadership roles such as global business unit leader for Alcatel-Lucent. John has been identified as a Top 40 Executive by Global Telecoms Business three years in succession.
Follow John Finney:
About Isotropic Systems: Isotropic Systems, the leading multi-link satellite ground terminal provider, have created the world’s only antenna able to simultaneously connect with satellites in all orbits after demonstrating its multi-link terminal can connect to satellites in LEO, MEO and GEO orbits, simultaneously.
_______
Martin Meech
CEO, Properties of Travis Perkins
Martin was appointed Group Property Director and CEO of Travis Perkins (Properties) Ltd in 2005. Martin oversees the Group freehold portfolio with a market value in excess of £500m and is also responsible for Group Environment. Before joining Travis Perkins plc, Martin also worked at DSG, Isosceles, Gateway and Halfords. Martin is currently Chairman of the BRC Property Advisory Group and a member of the Bank of England Property Forum. Martin is also a Chartered Surveyor and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
Follow Martin Meech:
About Travis Perkins, Travis Perkins: Travis Perkins plc, a FTSE 100 company, is one of the UK’s leading companies in the builders’ merchanting and home improvement market.
Keith Chanter
Chief Executive Officer of Emcor Group
Keith believes that relationship building, be it employees, customers, or supply partners, is the key to securing long-term business success. This, coupled with a constant focus on delivering high quality, cost effective, and sustainable solutions, are his main drivers for EMCOR UK. Of course, safety is one of EMCOR’s core values and is Keith’s first priority as CEO. EMCOR’s ZERO Accident Programme (ZAP) instills employees with the conviction that every accident is preventable. This is supported by a clear leadership style that accepts no compromise in safeguarding employees and the welfare of those who come into contact with EMCOR UK’s services day to day. Keith graduated in Industrial Economics at Nottingham University in 1979 and went on to qualify as a Chartered Accountant in the London office of Deloitte Haskins & Sells (now PWC) in 1982. In 1986, Keith joined BOC PLC, the global industrial gases company, where he spent 11 years holding a number of senior- and board-level positions for several of the operating companies and business divisions. In 1997, he moved to Bristow Helicopters Group as Group Finance Director, and, in 1999, was promoted to CEO to lead a business turnaround. After a few years in consultancy, Keith joined EMCOR, in July 2007, as Group Finance Director, and, in November 2008, he became Chief Executive Officer. In his spare time, Keith can often be seen enjoying motorsport as a club racer or “pushing the pedals” on his mountain bike.
Follow Keith Chanter:
About Emcor Group: EMCOR Group is a Fortune 500 company and global leader in mechanical and electrical construction, energy infrastructure.
Andy Hill
Founder & CEO of Hill Group UK
Hill’s founder and chief executive, Andy is a Chartered Builder by profession with more than 40 years’ experience in the construction and house building sector. He is well respected throughout London and the south east for the collaborative and partnership culture he has encouraged in the company since it was established 16 years ago. Andy has also served as a board member of three other companies – a director at 28, managing director at 30 and a main board director by the age of 33. Andy was responsible for running a £120m housing division of a £250m group and is currently part of the Cambridge Ahead team that focuses on addressing the shortage of supply of housing in the Cambridge region in the short and medium term. Andy has a lifelong love of sport and Hill now proudly sponsors Histon Football Club, Cambridge Rugby Club and many youth teams across the region
Follow Andy Hill:
About Hill Group UK: One of the leading developers in London and the south east of England delivering both private sale and affordable homes.
Geoff Jackson
CEO of Equitix
Follow Geoff Jackson:
About Equitix: Equitix is a company established to deliver and manage infrastructure projects from bidding and closing through to construction.
Zara Riahi
CEO & Founder of Contilio
CEO and Founder of Contilio, a cutting-edge deeptech startup that uses 3D vision, deep learning and BIM to turn construction site data into real-time, intelligent insights on project progress, performance KPIs and risks. 12 yrs global management, commercial, entrepreneurial and engineering experience driving growth and productivity for multi-nationals and startups in North America, Europe and Australia. Prior to Contilio, executed infrastructure (PE) and tech investments (VC/M&A deals) at UBS, London and Westpac, Australia and was lead engineer and project manager for billion dollar construction projects in North America. I sit on the board of an early-stage VC, have advised many CEOs and boards on growth, digital transformation and operations initiatives and was head of business development for a round-A Silicon Valley startup. MBA from London Business School, MASc in Earthquake Engineering (minored in advanced computational methods) from the University of British Columbia, Founder of LBS Construction & Infrastructure Club.
Follow Zara Riahi:
About Contilio: 3D AI construction analytics platform that provides actionable intelligence in real-time, unlocking $Bn savings & automated payments.
Alex Siljanovski
Founder & CEO of BaseStone
Alex is a Chartered engineer with extensive civil industry experience. Specialising in rail, transportation, water, ports, mechanical & electrical systems, energy and building services sectors – all enhanced by multidisciplinary project management experience.
Follow Alex Siljanovski:
About BaseStone: BaseStone is a mobile and web application built for construction teams to access, capture and communicate information.
David Mitchell
Founder & CEO of XYZ Reality
Follow David Mitchell:
About XYZ Reality: XYZ Reality is disrupting the Construction Industry with a unique Augmented Reality solution able to reduce project costs by up to 20%
Nathan Doughty
CEO of Asite
Nathan joined Asite as CTO in 2002 and led the initial development of the Asite platform before taking the Group COO role in 2006, and the Group CEO role in 2020. Prior to Asite, Nathan was Product Development Director at Bidcom and CTO for Spill Industries. Nathan’s early career included time with KPMG Consulting and software start-ups in Boston and New York City. He has over 25 years of experience in IT services with extensive knowledge of software as a service platforms and the global AEC space. Nathan is a father of two and a life-long sailor.
Follow Nathan Doughty:
About Asite: Asite’s vision is to connect people and help the world build better.
John Murphy
President & CEO – Europe, Middle East, India & Africa of WSP Global
John Murphy is President and CEO of WSP for Europe (including the UK), the Middle East, India, and Africa (EMEIA). John had joined Parsons Brinckerhoff in 2010 as Chief Financial Officer. John has more than 25 years of financial and senior management experience, including 14 years working with major engineering contractors and their domestic and international operations. Positions in this sector included serving as Executive Vice President and Finance Director for the Engineering & Consultancy Division of Kvaerner ASA in London, UK, and various roles in the US and Canada. John was CEO of Irving Transportation Services, with overall responsibility for the integrated transportation businesses of the Irving Group, one of the largest privately held conglomerates in Canada. John also served as the head of Irving Group’s Marine and Industrial Division. John received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mount Allison University in Canada and is a Canadian Chartered Accountant.
Follow John Murphy:
About WSP Global: WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services firm.
Felix Neufeld
Co-Founder and CEO of Disperse.io
Felix Neufeld is a co-founder and CEO at Disperse.
Follow Felix Neufeld:
About Disperse.io: Disperse.io is a VC-backed artificial intelligence construction startup focused on improving on-site productivity.
Darren Lester
Founder & CEO of SpecifiedBy
Founder at SpecifiedBy
Follow Darren Lester:
About SpecifiedBy: SpecifiedBy helps architects, designers and specifiers to make informed decisions about building products
Brittany Harris
CEO & Co-Founder of Qualis Flow
Follow Brittany Harris:
About EcoSwell, Institution of Civil Engineers, Qualis Flow, Royal Academy of Engineering: Qflow is a cloud-based tool that automates the capture, digitisation and analysis live construction data.
Dev Amratia
Co-Founder and CEO of nPlan
CEO of nPlan. Worked as head of Emerging Sectors @UK Government. Project Manager on several megaprojects @Shell. Antarctic Explorer. Aerospace Engineer
Follow Dev Amratia:
About nPlan: Artificial Intelligence to provide schedule certainty for projects, by highlighting risk and suggesting optimal execution paths.
Maya Pindeus
Co-Founder, CEO of Humanising Autonomy
Follow Maya Pindeus:
About Humanising Autonomy: Humanising Autonomy is building the global standard for human machine interactions.
Darren Nelson
Chief Executive Officer & Founder of Carnell Support Services
Darren founded Carnell in 1992. The business was at first involved in the installation of high voltage electricity cables, diversifying into the provision of communication services for the Highways sector. Darren has led the business’ development through innovation and customer focused service. With his entrepreneurial spirit, and willingness to invest in technology he has developed a range of specialist products and services, which include the patented STONEmaster and STABLEdrain processes. The business’ commitment to Health and Safety excellence is driven by Darren’s hands on approach and passionate commitment to continuous improvement and innovation. Darren continues to be the driving force behind the Carnell brand.
Follow Darren Nelson:
About Carnell Support Services: Carnell provide maintenance and support services that help ensure safety and efficiency for the UK’s highway infrastructure.
William Burton Blair Ainslie
Chief Executive Officer of Seajacks
Blair holds a BSc in Physical Geography from the University of London and has significant experience of the offshore industry. Workfox UK employed him from 1999 to 2006 as Business Manager, responsible for marketing, contracts and commercial and general management of the Seafox fleet. He has also been a Contracts Manager at Kvaerner Oil and Gas from 1995 to 1999 and Senior Quantity Surveyor at Babtie Group from 1986 to 1995.
Follow William Burton Blair Ainslie:
About Seajacks: Seajacks owns and operates self-propelled jack-up vessels that safely and efficiently install and maintain offshore wind farms worldwide.
Josh Graham
CEO of EHAB
Follow Josh Graham:
About EHAB: Our weather intelligence platform helps construction companies identify, avoid, mitgate and transfer weather risk.
Joseph Daniels
CEO and Founder of Project Etopia
Follow Joseph Daniels:
About Project Etopia: Project Etopia is a creating more economical and environmental developments through technological advancements.
Marc Vlessing
Co-Founder & CEO of Pocket
Marc has a background in City corporate finance, company management and venture capital. Marc brings management, marketing and strategic direction to Pocket. Marc is also chairman of ProVen Growth & Income VCT Plc.
Follow Marc Vlessing:
About Pocket: Pocket is a pioneering private property developer delivering affordable homes in London.
Jeremy Fry
Interim CEO of Ainscough Crane Hire
Jeremy Fry is the Interim CEO at Ainscough Crane Hire.
Follow Jeremy Fry:
About Ainscough Crane Hire: Ainscough Crane Hire is a lifting services company that operates from 32 strategic locations.
Daniel Azougy
CEO & Founder of Tropic By the Sea
Daniel Azougy has the experience and strategies to turn businesses around, even those that have underperformed or are insolvent. He has developed his approach to giving companies a second chance through a proven three-part strategy. First, Azougy helps clients cut their budgets and drive down expenses that can eat up the company’s resources. Second, he urges a restructuring of the workforce and suggests ways to improve efficiency. Third, Azougy works together with clients to find ways to improves services and products and to drive demand. Daniel Azougy’s Tropic by the Sea business development consulting service was created through Daniel Azougy’s experience as a civil litigation attorney. Through his work in law, he was able to see how and why businesses end up in difficulty and to find solutions to mend the situation. Before attending law school at Tel Aviv University, he served in the Golani Brigade in the Israel Defense forces. His family emigrated from Morocco to Israel when he was seven years old and settled in Ashdod. Daniel Azougy travels often from Israel to the United Kingdom to meet with managers and to create solutions to improve business strategies. He is well-versed in issues faced by companies and clients in the U.K and in Israel. He was instrumental in overseeing the purchase of nursing homes in the U.K, and has worked on behalf of clients who want to see financial improvement for themselves and their firms. With his many years of experience, his solid grasp of intricacies of the global economy and success in turning around businesses, Daniel Azougy is able to give advice that can transform a company. Individuals and businesses can face financial headwinds at any time, but often the solution is not difficult to implement if one has the expertise to turn a company around. Daniel Azougy has that expertise.
Follow Daniel Azougy:
About Tropic By the Sea: Business man, Daniel Azougy’s leading construction project on Ashdud, Israel coastline.
David Fletcher
Group Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of GEV Global
David Fletcher is the Chief Executive Officer & Group Managing Director at GEV Wind Powe
Follow David Fletcher:
About GEV Global, GEV Wind Power: GEV GROUP is one of the UKs leading specialist engineering and access companies
Richard Calvy
CEO of Teletower
Follow Richard Calvy:
About Teletower: Teletower provides alternative to fixed scaffolding, podiums, and other mobile access towers.
Graham Henderson
Founder & CEO of Snagr
Follow Graham Henderson:
About Snagr: Snagr is designed to monitor the progress of complex projects.
David Ritchie
CEO of CMS Window Systems
David Ritchie is the CEO of CMS Window Systems.
Follow David Ritchie:
About CMS Window Systems: CMS Window Systems is the provider of 360-degree building envelope solutions to the commercial construction and social housing sectors.
David Lawrence
CEO of Builderstorm
Follow David Lawrence:
About Builderstorm: Builderstorm is a Online Construction Software
Daniel Emmerson
Co-Founder & Joint CEO of OpenAsset
Co-Founder of meterfy and OpenAsset.
Follow Daniel Emmerson:
About Meterfy, OpenAsset: OpenAsset is the only DAM solution built around projects, properties, and people.
Helene Steiner
Chief Executive Officer of OpenCell
Follow Helene Steiner:
About OpenCell: OpenCell builds biotech labs in shipping containers with the aim of making biotechnology accessible and affordable.
David Stapleton
Chief Executive Officer of Copronet
The Co-founder of Copronet (formerly TenderSpace), David’s extensive experience in successful commercial property ventures truly cemented his view that the industry needed a unifying common denominator. He saw a way to simplify, and at the same time strengthen, the ties that bind us all towards the same productive, profitable goals. Copronet is the result of this vision, and it’s a result that David is really excited to have helped realise.
Follow David Stapleton:
About Copronet: Corponet is the network & toolbox that’s just for construction and property.
William Makant
Co-Founder and CEO of Plumis
Follow William Makant:
About Plumis: Intelligence in the fabric of every building
Laurent Favre
CEO of AlternativeSoft
Follow Laurent Favre:
About AlternativeSoft: AlternativeSoft is an award winning leading provider in Asset Selection, Portfolio Construction and Fund Reporting software.
Jon Di-Stefano
Chief Executive Officer of Telford Homes
Jon Di-Stefano is the chief executive officer at Telford Homes.
Follow Jon Di-Stefano:
About Telford Homes: Telford Homes is a residential property developer in East London noted for regeneration projects within public sector partnerships.
Samuel Hunt
Co-Founder / CEO of Materials Market
Samuel Hunt Co-Founder / CEO at Materials Market.
Follow Samuel Hunt:
About Materials Market: Materials Market is an online platform that connects customers and suppliers of building materials in a competitive marketplace.
Jamie Carruthers
CEO of Hands HQ
Follow Jamie Carruthers:
About Hands HQ: Risk assessments and method statements made easy
Deepa Bhate
President & CEO of Building & Earth Sciences
Follow Deepa Bhate:
About Building & Earth Sciences: Building & Earth Sciences is a Birmingham engineering firm.
David Greenberg
CEO & Founder of Eave
Follow David Greenberg:
About Eave: Eave (formerly EarTex) is a startup developing the next generation of hearing protection and communication technology.
Jacqui McLaughlin
CEO of Reactec
Follow Jacqui McLaughlin:
About Reactec: Reactec is the market leader in monitoring and management support solutions for hand and arm vibration syndrome
Fr Ro
Founder & CEO of Promeasure
Inventor, Founder and CEO of Promeasure.
Follow Fr Ro:
About MisterChef: Technological innovation for the construction industry
Neeral Shah
Founder and CEO of YardLink
Neeral Shah is the Founder and CEO at YardLink.
Follow Neeral Shah:
About YardLink: YardLink is a B2B procurement platform for the construction industry
Ashley Muldoon
CEO Europe, Canada and Middle East of Multiplex
Follow Ashley Muldoon:
About Multiplex: Multiplex has been delivering landmark property and infrastructure assets for more than 50 years.
Ashley Muldoon
CEO Europe, Canada and Middle East of Multiplex
Follow Ashley Muldoon:
About Multiplex: Multiplex has been delivering landmark property and infrastructure assets for more than 50 years.
Gary Chandler
CEO of Area (Construction and Engineering)
Gary is CEO of Area and the wider Fourfront Group. His wealth of knowledge and passion for delivering excellence has driven the business to develop the market-leading position it holds today. Supporting the Group’s vision to be the leading, globally connected, workplace creator, he now works with an Executive Leadership Team to further drive and develop Area’s success. When not working, Gary stays active by participating in triathlons and playing golf. He is also a supporter of Shooting Star Chase, Fourfront Group’s chosen charity.
Follow Gary Chandler:
About Area (Construction and Engineering): Area (Construction and Engineering) provides office design, refurbishment & workplace design fit-out services.
Garry Mautner
CEO & Founder of Spannr
Follow Garry Mautner:
About Spannr: Spannr is a B2B professional network for trades to connect to help share work, tools & advice and recruit & train their workforce.
Michael Byrne
Chief Executive Officer of Byrne Group
Follow Michael Byrne:
About Byrne Group: Byrne Group is a construction service company.
Michael Byrne
Chief Executive Officer of Byrne Group
Follow Michael Byrne:
About Byrne Group: Byrne Group is a construction service company.
