Southall, Purves, and Turner take on shares at AEW
With director Colin Savage moving towards retirement, the Manchester-based architecture firm has made directors Alex Southall, Danielle Purves, and Mark Turner shareholders.
The three directors join managing director Andy Rainford and fellow directors Phil Hepworth and Alan Lamb as shareholders in AEW Architects, which reported a turnover of more than £9.3m last year.
Savage will be staying on as a consultant within the company until he officially retires.
The shareholder switch-up follows news of Peter Bartley’s promotion to board director. Bartley, who is the head of sustainability, oversaw the firm’s B Corp accreditation and recent recertification.
Bartley’s appointment puts the number of board members at the firm to eight, with director Eamon O’Hara also having a seat at the table.
In addition to Bartley, other recent promotions include Jonathan Sheridan and Meg Wood being made associate directors. Both sit within the firm’s retail team.
“This has been a phenomenal year, but we’re not sitting on our laurels,” said Rainford.
“As a people-focused business employing 105 people, our success is the result of a huge collective team effort.
“The MBO and these promotions reflect our commitment to investing in our people, creating opportunities for progression and ensuring the next generation of leaders is well positioned to take the business forward,” he continued.
“They also reinforce our belief that AEW’s long-term success depends on developing talent from within and building strong foundations for future growth.”
Rainford, who took on the leadership of AEW in 2020 with Savage, reflected on how the company has grown since then.
“We have invested in new premises, enhanced our technology infrastructure, grown our team by almost 70%, expanded into sustainability services and achieved outstanding client feedback results,” he said.
He added later: “The result is a robust, future-focused organisation that I am immensely proud to have helped shape and one that our new shareholder team is committed to growing, strengthening, and leading into its next chapter with confidence.”
Recent projects from AEW include Encirc’s 272,500 sq ft warehouse in Cheshire, Bankfoot APAM’s £37m Warrington Works, and the £25m Cheadle Eco Park. More than a shed specialist, the company offers design services for strategic regeneration, residential, offices, retail and leisure projects.
