Forrest announces chief executive

Mark Nicholson, formerly managing director of building covering Scotland, the North, Midlands and South West at Carillion, is to take charge at the Bolton contractor.

The previous chief executive, Lee McCarren, departed in March as part of a major restructuring as the company reported £26m of “accounting errors” in previous years’ filed accounts.

Forrest has refinanced and won a number of contracts over the summer.

Nicholson had been in post at Carillion, which itself has had a rocky 2017, for 10 years, working on such projects as the Greater Manchester Police headquarters, One St Peter’s Square and First Street in Manchester, along with the new main stand at Liverpool FC’s Anfield.

Prior to that he held regional managing director roles for Bovis Lend Lease and Jarvis Construction. He is a qualified chartered surveyor.

Bob Holt, chairman at Forrest, said: “Mark is a leading name with a distinguished reputation within the industry. His leadership ability, combined with his focus on client service, will drive the next chapter at Forrest. This is a truly exciting time for the business and we welcome him on board.”

Nicholson added: “My new appointment at Forrest is a fantastic opportunity. Forrest has a major order book in construction, an established brand in refurbishment and an exciting energy service offering, a combination which offers a really exciting future for the company.”