New chief executive named at Clancy

Chris Acton will become chief executive of the Manchester-based engineering consultancy, taking over the role from Martyn Headley, who is retiring.

Acton will take on the chief executive title in April 2023. He has worked at Clancy for more than 20 years, helping lead its expansion into the Middle East in 2011. Acton returned to the firm’s Manchester office in 2016 and is a board director. He is currently charged with leading the civil, structural, and geo-environmental teams.

Headley has been with the company since 1991 and was made chief executive in 2019. He said the decision to retire was a hard one, but it was made easier by knowing his successor.

“My retirement will draw a close to my fantastic 32-years at Clancy, working with an extremely talented team and with a culture and ethos which is so important to us as a company,” Headley said.

“With Chris taking the reins as CEO, I have no doubt that we will see the next exciting chapter of Clancy unfold.”

Acton thanked Headley for his work in leading the company.

“Under Martyn’s lead the business has experienced significant transition with an emphasis on shaping the company for the future,” Acton said.

“The period has obviously offered unique challenges however, amongst many initiatives, Clancy has seen the acquisition of structural timber frame specialist DBM Consultants which expands our drive for sustainable engineering solutions enhancing our structural timber expertise radically,” he continued.

“During this pivotal 50th anniversary year we’ve also been hosting a whole variety of fundraising initiatives across the UK to celebrate this milestone. I’ll be continuing this vision and leadership whilst developing the role to suit the future plans of Clancy within our ever-evolving industry.”

Clancy has 10 offices throughout the country, including bases in Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, and London. Recent North West projects include Ralli Quays in Salford, Park Place in Manchester, and Parliament Square in Liverpool.