The jobs merry-go-round is in full spin. Headhunters are circling. Long-standing incumbents are standing down. From town halls to City Hall and Whitehall, agency offices to developer HQs, change is afoot.
In the private sector, talk of consolidation continues to whirl. Swedish firm EQT is closing in on a deal to buy GVA Bilfinger’s £1bn building and facilities division. The Bilfinger board is expected to ratify the deal on Monday, though it could yet be scuppered by the powerful works council. Should it fail to progress there will be many more inbound calls from recruiters, and even more activity on LinkedIn. There will be similar bustle at other advisers also seen to be in play – you can draw up your own list of businesses here, but if you are not looking right now, you are probably being looked at.
Meanwhile, the fallout from this month’s local elections is driving change elsewhere. There are new mayors in Salford, Bristol and London. And new teams are being assembled.
In London, Sadiq Khan is hoping to avoid the mistakes made by his predecessor Boris Johnson and get his top team right first time. James Murray arrives from Islington Council to oversee housing. Already many developers fear him for criticisms he has made in the past over the provision of affordable housing. However, those who know him best say that, like Khan, he is a pragmatist who knows he has to work in partnership with the private sector.
Unfortunately, Murray will not be joined by Neale Coleman. The only political survivor of Ken Livingstone’s tenure as London mayor to stay on and work for Johnson will not, as expected, take on the planning brief for Khan. That will be London’s loss in the short-term at least: it won’t be easy to find another left-leaning candidate with experience of the public sector, expertise in planning and the ability to deal with political slings and arrows.
Meanwhile, former members of Johnson’s top team are getting down to work in new offices, or readying themselves for the next challenge. The former deputy mayor for housing, Richard Blakeway, is ensconced in Downing Street as housing adviser. And Sir Edward Lister, Johnson’s chief of staff, is much in demand. The power behind the blonde one’s throne is being courted by the private and public sectors alike. He has long been linked to a role at UKTI – where he already advises the Regeneration Investment Organisation – and this week was tipped as a strong candidate for the vacant post of chair of the Homes and Communities Agency. He would be well equipped to do both – with perhaps a private sector gig bolted on too.
Among developers, at Helical Bar Mike Slade delivered his last prelims this week after nearly 32 years with the company. The market cap on his arrival was circa £800,000; today it is more than £460m, with £276m distributed to shareholders over the period. Not a bad return. He may not be handing the reins to an inexperienced team – the average executive tenure at Helical is 19 years, after all – but, as in so many places right now, new brooms are sweeping in.
Congratulations to the 69 businesses shortlisted in this year’s Estates Gazette Awards. I’m sure you’ll agree, they promise to be better and bolder than ever. Thanks to the 64 judges for their hard work and especially to those who agreed to be photographed and videoed, letting their personalities shine through. The two days of judging – across eight separate sessions – ensure rigour in the process and I am confident we selected the right finalists in each of the categories: each had a strong story and told it well. We have three more categories to announce shortlists for: the Collaboration, Next Big Thing and Rising Stars finalists will be revealed in the next few weeks. This year’s bash is back at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London W1, on 20 September. Don’t miss it.
• To send feedback, email damian.wild@estatesgazette.com or tweet @DamianWild or @estatesgazette
