Property people: Vigo Group, Women in Property, Britcon

Transformational property developer Vigo Group has named Tariq Shah OBE as its new chief executive.

Tariq takes over the role from his father, Nadeem Shah, who recently celebrated 50 years at the helm. Nadeem will become chair of the thriving third-generation Doncaster-based family business.

Nadeem said: “Tariq and I have worked closely together for more than two decades, and I’m proud of the impact he has had on the business and the wider community. I’m confident that the company is in safe hands, and with his energy, experience and methodical approach, Tariq will lead the business to further success.

“We are a family business started by my father in 1966, developed by my wife Maureen and I, and I’m pleased that my children now play key roles. As we move into the next stage for the business, we have a lot to achieve, and I look forward to supporting Tariq and the team to deliver our shared vision in my new role as Chair.”

Starting with the business before university, Tariq has been part of Vigo Group for more than 20 years and has experience across all areas of the organisation, from construction to acquisitions and strategy.

He said: “My vision for the company is consistency, growth, and transformation. It will see us doing more of the regeneration work that we do so well, bringing new life to previously used sites as well as growing, developing, and changing the places we work in, with a real focus on building great, sustainable communities. We are seeing a significant shift in the way, and the places, people live and spend time, making this work increasingly important.

“Taking the reins from my dad is a privilege and as I look back at the impact our family business has had over the last 57 years, it offers me the chance to reflect on what I will deem success at the end of my own career.”

Vigo Group has invested in under-used and neglected brownfield sites for more than five decades. This saw the group’s commercial property business flourish, as they brought the sites back to life with community-focused planning and development.

==

Women in Property (WiP), the influencing and networking organisation for the property and construction industry, has appointed Jennifer Winyard, Senior Strategic Land and Planning Manager from Barratt Homes Yorkshire West, as its next National Chair, and April Marsden, Associate Director at Bowman Riley Architects as Regional Chair of the Yorkshire & North East Branch.

April Marsden and Jennifer Winyard

Both property professionals will take up their roles for one year from 1 March.

Women in Property uses its platform to influence Government, including the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women in Work. It also works to encourage girls and young women to consider a career in property and construction through school outreach projects, its mentoring programme and the National Student Awards.

In tandem with the work that Women in Property is doing to plug the skills gap in the construction sector, Barratt is taking a lead amongst housebuilders to overcome the shortage in skills in the sector – driven by an ageing workforce and Brexit – by launching an outreach initiative to 1 million young people over the next two years.

Winyard, a dual qualified town planner and planning and development surveyor, said: “Encouraging girls to consider a career in property and construction has been a major focus for me, throughout my professional life. My lived experience of this industry highlights the fantastic scope it offers across all sectors. There is still more to do to encourage more people, particularly girls and young women, to make it their future too. I want to help change mindsets and unlock the potential they offer.”

Marsden, said: “Supporting diversity and inclusion within the industry has been a key driver for me. Having struggled at times with imposter syndrome and trying personal challenges, I find it fantastic to see the improvements that organisations have made over the last 20 years. However, there’s still room for improvement, especially in continuing to reach out to bring in more diverse talent, and the real benefit that diversity brings not just to businesses, but also the industry as a whole.”

==

Scunthorpe-based civil engineering firm Britcon has hired Tilbury Douglas national business development director Don Stewart to lead the next phase of their growth plans.

Don Stewart

Stewart has joined the Britcon board as strategic director after a decade at Tilbury Douglas. The newly created role will support sustainable growth across all their business streams and regional operations.

He brings over 30 years of construction experience including senior roles at Morgan Sindall, ISG and Tilbury Douglas, where his responsibilities have included leading collaborative frameworks, work winning and business development activities.

Stewart said: “Britcon has a unique civils, build and steel offer, and a resilient public-private sector client base. Their successful journey over the past two years has been incredible and they consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences. Their agile approach and financial strength are highly relevant to current market requirements and provide a significant opportunity for growth and development.”

Nick Shepherd, Britcon managing director said: “Don is a key appointment for us, he brings enthusiasm, expertise and a successful track-record in collaborative working, business improvement, framework, and client development. I am excited to welcome Don into the Britcon family, his strategic approach will complement our ambitious team and help us further strengthen our business.”