At B&CE, our people are our strength. With a board comprising of independent members, construction employers and employees' representatives and our experienced senior management team, B&CE is perfectly placed to consider and meet the needs of everyone in the industry. From satisfying the demands of today's sector, to strengthening our offering for the future, each individual member has the expertise and insight required to provide the exceptional products the construction industry deserves.
Independent Members
The Right Honourable Sir John Chilcot GCB
Independent Chairman
B&CE Benefit Schemes Group
Sir John Chilcot became Chairman of the Group in 1999, after a full career in the Home Office, in the Civil Service Department and the Cabinet Office, finishing with eight years as Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office.
On retirement at the end of 1997, he was appointed by the Prime Minister as Staff Counsellor to the Security and Intelligence Services, acting as their ethics adviser and internal ombudsman, and also led or took part in a number of Government inquiries.
Other activities have included membership of the National Archives Council and the Advisory Council of the Institute of Historical Research, chairing a number of bodies including the Police Foundation and the Centre for Contemporary British History at London University.
Ken Green
Independent Non-Executive Director
Ken joined the Board of B & C E Insurance Limited in 1999, to provide an external view of the insurance market. He has 40 plus years experience in the Financial Services Industry, mostly at Senior Management/Board level.
He built and established Midland Bank Insurance Services (now HSBC) as a major player in the insurance market and he was also a Director of other Midland subsidiaries. Following on, he was appointed as General Manager Financial Services for Clydesdale Bank, responsible for six operating sectors and a member of the executive committee of the Bank. Most recently, he held a senior executive post for a major mutual insurer.
He has a BA (Hons) in Financial Services and is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute and a member of the Worshipful Company of Insurers.
Malcolm Small
Independent Non-Executive Director
With a background in Law, Heavy Engineering, and Public Administration, Malcolm has specialised in all aspects of management in Financial Services at a senior level for the last 15 years. Classically trained in marketing at Marketing Centre Europe in Brussels, he has also operated as a Marketing Director in I.T. preparing software applications for market and following through to product delivery. He spent 14 years with Norwich Union, latterly at operating Board level in Life and Pensions, and 5 years at Merchant Investors, a specialist high net worth investment and pension provider in Bristol.
More recently, as Managing Director of Lyncombe Consultancy, he has specialised in the regulatory, technical and operational aspects of pensions, and a wide range of other retail financial services. With a particular interest in, and experience of, distribution in the UK, he has been involved in a number of initiatives building new businesses in this field. A recent past Chair of the Investment and Life Assurance Group, a practitioner trade body, he also has a strong presence in public affairs and public policy work. He is a frequent speaker, and author, on industry topics, chairing a wide range of industry meetings and conferences.
Malcolm has undertaken research in pensions through The Pensions Report and is Chairman of The-Pensions-Net-Work, a membership based standing conference in the Net Work series.
He has recently been appointed Director of Portfolio and Retirement Planning at the Tax Incentivised Savings Association, leading the work of the Association in Pensions, Distribution and Platforms. He is also a Non-Executive Director of a leading pension provider and is retained as an adviser on pensions policy by an employer body.
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Employer Representatives
Gerry Lean
Director of Industrial Relations
Construction Confederation
Gerry Lean joined the Construction Confederation in 1997 and was promoted to the position of Director of Industrial Relations in 2000. Gerry’s role with the Construction Confederation involves providing members with up to date advice on employment legislation, industrial relations matters as well as direct involvement in trade union negotiations at a national level including acting as employer’s secretary to the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC).
Prior to this Gerry gained 25 years experience of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management within a variety of organisations, holding the appointment of Director of Personnel with a major house builder and Group Personnel Director with a major contractor.
Gerry is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
John Southworth
Director of Finance
Construction Confederation
John Southworth joined the Construction Confederation in 1992 as Secretary and Director of Finance. John’s responsibilities within the Construction Confederation have been diverse encompassing finance, IT, human resources, membership services, property management, and dealing with a wide variety of legal and constitutional matters.
John is a Trustee of the Confederation’s pension scheme, a Director of Construction Industry Publications Limited and provides consultancy services to the Faculty of Building.
He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
James O'Callaghan
Director J Murphy & Sons Limited
James O'Callaghan graduated with an honours degree in civil engineering from University College, Cork in 1973 and joined J Murphy and Sons in London. James has over 30 years experience in the construction industry and was appointed to the Murphy Board in 1988, taking responsibility for all major civil engineering work throughout Great Britain and Ireland. His role on the Board also includes responsibility for Health & Safety and Quality & Environmental Systems.
James has been involved in industry representation for many years and is currently Chairman of the Construction Confederation Employment Affairs Committee and has been a negotiator on the Construction Industry Joint Council since 1995. He is a past Chairman of both the Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (London & South East) and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (Southern). He is also a Trustee of University College Cork (UK) Educational Foundation.
Sharon Copland-Jones
HR Director
Shepherd Construction Ltd
Joining Shepherd eleven years ago, Sharon was initially responsible for career development company-wide before she became Regional HR Manager for the Southern Division. Following promotion in May 2000, Sharon was appointed Head of HR. In January 2001, she was appointed HR Director, and joined the Board of Shepherd Construction. Prior to joining Shepherd, she spent 5 years with British Rail and 5 years in retail with Body Shop, both in an HR Management capacity.
She is a member of the CBI, the Education & Training Affairs Committee, the Construction Confederation and the Employment Affairs Advisory Group. Additionally, she is an Investor in People Recognition Panel Member for Yorkshire & Humberside and chairs the Yorkshire & Humberside Area Construction Skills Observatory.
Sharon is a Member of both the Charter Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) and the Institute of Directors (MIoD).
Scott Brown
Managing Director
I&H Brown Ltd
Scott Brown has worked for I&H Brown Ltd since 1983 and is currently managing director, responsible for the day-to-day running of the business. Scott began his career as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young and has been vice-chairman at Coalpro, the confederation of UK coal produucers, and chairman of CECA (Scotland).
David Smith
David has spent his working life in construction, commencing as an apprentice in the craft of Carpentry and Joinery. Since then, his career has included the following:
- Managing a Craft Training Centre for a major contractor for 25 years.
- Training Manager for a national contractor for 15 years.
- Chairman, Scottish Building Apprentice & Training Council.
- Past President, Scottish Building.
- Chartered Member, Institute of Personnel Development.
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Industry Employee Representatives
George Wilmshurst
George worked for a number of years both in the private and public sectors of the construction industry, before being appointed as District Officer servicing the construction industry in 1975. In 1982 he was appointed the Regional Office Transport & General Workers Union, overseeing construction work throughout Scotland. He is now retired.
He is currently a member of the Scottish Advisory Board of the CITB, which oversees training throughout Scotland. He is Vice Chairman of the Scottish Building Apprentice Training Council, which registers most apprentices in Scotland, regulating their wages and conditions as well as conciliating any disputes between the Apprentice and his/her employer.
He is a member of the Scottish Construction Operative Scheme, which is the Scottish equivalent of CSCS and is also a member of the Scottish Construction Group which promotes the Scottish Construction Industry and represents all sections of the industry and liaises with the Scottish Parliament in all matters relating to the industry.
Bob Blackman
National Secretary for Construction
Unite -T&G Section
Bob Blackman has worked in the construction industry throughout his working life. A bricklayer by trade, he was appointed as the T&G national secretary for the construction industry in 1998. He is responsible for the T&G’s building materials portfolio. Prior to this Bob held the position of regional construction trade group secretary in the south-east.
Bob is a corporate member of the IOSH (Institute of Occupational Safety and Health), a director of Constructing Better Health, Ntional Operatives Side Secretary for the Building & Allied Trades Joint Industrial Council (BATJIC), the chair of the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) Operative Side, a member of the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC), board member of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Construction-Skills Council and board member of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS).
Alan Ritchie
General Secretary
UCATT
Alan Ritchie served his time as a joiner and joined UCATT at 18 years of age. Alan was elected as Scottish Regional Secretary in 1991, a position he held until he was elected as UCATT’s General Secretary in October 2004. As the General Secretary of UCATT he takes up the role as Operatives Secretary for the CIJC Working Rule Agreement covering hundreds of thousands of workers in the private sector of the Construction Industry.
He is the Operative Secretary for the JNC Local Authority Craft agreement, a board member of CITB-Construction Skills and a CSCS Management Board Member. He is also a member of the TUC General Council, CONIAC and the Labour Party.
Stephen Murphy
Midlands Regional Secretary
UCATT
Stephen Murphy is a City and Guilds Time Served Bricklayer who joined UCATT in 1984. Stephen has worked in the Private and Public Sector. Whilst in the Public Sector, Stephen became a Shop Steward, then a Senior Steward. In 1998 Stephen was appointed as a Development Officer for UCATT. In 2002, he was promoted to Midlands Regional Organiser and in 2005 he was appointed as Midlands Regional Secretary. Stephen represents some 18,000 members.
Stephen is also an Executive Council Member of the Midlands T.U.C., a member of the Midlands C.I.T.B advisory Committee, and a member of the Labour Party.
Phil Davies
National Secretary
GMB
Phil served an apprenticeship as a wood machinist and worked in the joinery, furniture, caravan, boat building, shop fitting and building industries. He served as Shop Steward and Senior Convenor in all these industries and was Group Convenor at Schreiber Furniture for 6 years. In 1976 he was elected to the General Executive Council of the Furniture, Timber and Allied Trade Union (FTAT), becoming President of the Union in 1982 and elected as National Secretary in 1989. After the merger of FTAT in January 1994 Phil became National Secretary of the CFTA Section and since 1994 has been involved in representing disabled members throughout the GMB.
He is currently responsible for pay and conditions negotiations within the following industries: Remploy, furniture, funeral, sawmilling, glass, organ building, floor laying, brush, artificial limbs, construction and Terminal 5. Phil currently holds seats on FFINTO, FTBA, Ethical Threads, CSCS and the Furniture Forum.
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Senior Management Team
Brian Griffiths
Chief Executive Officer
Brian assumed his role as Chief Executive Officer in April 2001. He joined B&CE in 1990 as Financial Controller. Brian qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1975 and worked in the accountancy profession at manager level on Audit and Corporate Recovery assignments until 1981. He then joined Commercial Credit, an American commercial finance Company, in a European Operational Audit role. In 1984 he joined the TSB Group to help establish the credit card division, remaining there in various senior financial roles until 1990.
Brian is married to Jackie and has two children and one grandchild.
John Jory
Deputy Chief Executive/Head of Operations
John is the Deputy Chief Executive/Head of Operations and is also the company’s spokesperson on pensions. He campaigns vigorously on behalf of B&CE for the government to remove the unnecessary barriers that act as disincentives for lower to moderate earners to save for retirement.
John has worked in the financial services industry over 30 years and has held a number of senior positions in the UK and overseas. He has been married to Jacqui for over 30 years and they have 3 daughters and 2 grandsons and he enjoys travelling, football, rugby and spending time with his family.
Eugene McCormack
Head of Sales & Marketing
Eugene joined B&CE in August 2007 as B&CE’S first Head of Sales and Marketing, He brings with him a wealth of experience in senior management, board level and advisory roles focusing on marketing, product development and distribution within the financial services industry. Previous senior positions include Marketing Director of UnumProvident the global disability insurer, Head of Product Development of Barclays Life and Marketing Director of Lincoln National. He has also provided marketing advice and led product development initiatives with particular emphasis on individual health and well-being for Liverpool Victoria and Prudential.
Eugene is married to Pauline and has three children, Ben, Giles and Laura.
Patrick Heath-Lay
Head of Finance
Patrick is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and as B&CE’s Head of Finance; he is responsible for managing the Group’s finance, accounting and taxation functions as well as shaping and driving financial strategy.
He has brought a wealth of experience to a range of financial roles within B&CE such as audit, financial accounting, financial strategy and risk management. Patrick is married to Faye and has a young son called Charlie.
Jamie Fiveash
Head of Risk & Change Management
Having worked within Barclays Bank Plc for 4 years prior to joining B&CE in 1994, Jamie has gained nearly 17 years of financial services experience across a broad spectrum of roles, this has enabled him to hold various senior positions within B&CE on his way to becoming Head of Risk and Change Management.
He is currently responsible for Internal Audit, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management and facilitating the change and project management process. He is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Outside of work, Jamie enjoys travelling, football and golf.
David McManus
Group Company Secretary
David has been Group Company Secretary since April 2006 having held the position of Assistant Group Secretary for the previous six years. Working in the aviation industry with British Airways before joining B&CE in 1981, David has a broad spectrum of management disciplines which have included customer services, marketing and project management.
A Member of the Business Continuity Institute, David holds Diplomas in Business Administration and Direct Marketing and is an Associate of the Institute of Business Administration. David is married to Judith and has two children, Philip & Natalie.
Christine Webb
Head of HR and Business Services
Christine joined B&CE in June 2007 to manage some specific HR related projects. In January 2008 Christine was appointed as Head of HR and Business Services.
Christine has 20 years experience of working in 'blue chip' organisations within HR and Operations environment. Her areas of expertise include new business start up, resource management and line management of critical business support functions.
Prior to joining B&CE Christine successfully managed her own consultancy business for six years, and prior to this employed by Securior Cash Services Ltd.
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