Neville takes the reins at Walker Sime

Jon Neville has replaced Duncan Firth as the Trafford-based construction consultancy’s managing director with immediate effect.

Neville has taken on the role after spending the previous 18 months as director of infrastructure at the firm.

He will replace outgoing managing director Firth, who is currently serving his notice. Firth was appointed managing director in 2019 four years after joining the firm from Deloitte.

Walker Sime hopes Neville’s appointment will continue to drive the company’s focus on sustainable growth, talent development, and the maintenance of the firm’s technical prowess.

Before joining Walker Sime in September 2023, Neville was director at Faithful+Gould, now AtkinsRéalis. He also brings three years of experience as director at Turner & Townsend.

Jon Neville said he was “extremely proud”, to be appointed and added: “From the moment I joined, I recognised this was a business built on strong values, a fantastic culture, and a deep commitment to its people.

“The company has an exceptional reputation for technical excellence, and my priority is to build on that success while ensuring we continue to grow in a way that stays true to our values.”

Neville said investing in people and nurturing talent would be a key part of his duties.

He continued: “This role is more than just a career move for me – it’s about leaving a legacy. I joined the industry because I wanted to make a difference, to be part of something that stands the test of time.”

At the beginning of the year, Walker Sime recruited Peter Jackson as UK director of project management, with Jackson also having joined from AtkinsRéalis.

Walker Sime is working on various projects in the North West, including ECF’s Stockport 8 and Bruntwood SciTech’s Greenheys.