Ridge bolsters Manchester ranks with partner hires

Martin Bissell and Jon Moister have joined from Ramboll and Curtins respectively after a combined 46 years with their previous employers.

Multidisciplinary practice Ridge employs 130 staff within its Manchester office and has ambitions to grow its headcount to 200 over the coming years.

In 2025, Ridge increased the size of its Manchester team by 18% across its architecture, structural and civil engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, project and cost management, building surveying, and property consultancy divisions.

The appointments of Bissell and Moister form part of the firm’s growth strategy, according to Mark Dewhurst, managing partner at Ridge’s Manchester office.

“Martin and Jon bring exceptional expertise and leadership that will strengthen our senior team and accelerate Ridge’s growth—both across the North West and nationwide.

“Their proven ability to drive innovation and build high-performing teams positions Ridge to seize opportunities across the North as the region enters a dynamic period of investment, supported by the Mayor’s Good Growth Fund.”

Bissell will head up the firm’s MEP offering. He joins from Ramboll after 21 years with the firm, during which time he worked on more than 30 major education projects.

“With the perfect scale – not too big, and not too small – Ridge has the agility to take on a broad range of projects, from low carbon offices to residential towers and manufacturing facilities, Bissell said.

“This, together with its emphasis on people-driven growth, is what drew me to the company.

He added: “I’m excited by the opportunity to build upon the success of the growing Manchester MEP team, and maintain focus on what really matters: technically excellent solutions and strong relationships with our clients and partners.”

Moister will lead Ridge’s structural and civil engineering division in Manchester. He joins from Curtins after 25 years with the business. His previous projects include the North Manchester Hospital regeneration and Bruntwood SciTech’s Circle Square.

Moister said: “Ridge’s ambitious growth plans present an opportunity to drive real impact, and I’m pleased to be joining at such an exciting time in the company’s journey.

“My goal is to build on Ridge’s strong foundations, help it to expand its structural and civil engineering capabilities, and deliver projects that leave a lasting legacy for the future, across the North West and beyond.”

Dewhurst described the appointments as the start of an “exciting new chapter in Ridge’s journey to becoming the UK’s leading multidisciplinary built environment consultancy”.

“We’re delighted to have them on board,” he said.