The UK Housebuilder 'From Good to Great' Series
By The Human Capital Group UK
We discuss the tactics, habits and routines of highly successful people from discipline leaders to CEOs, and SME to PLC owners.
If you lead or aspire to lead a team or business, our content and support will help you find new ways of thinking and operating, overcome your challenges and inspire you to reach your full potential.
The UK Housebuilder 'From Good to Great' SeriesJun 17, 2022
Building a Winning Housebuilding Team. Part 2: Creating and maintaining the right company structure.
In this episode they focus on company structure, finding the right balance and keeping on top of a healthy team dynamic.
Building a Winning Housebuilding Team. Part 1: Setting expectations and establishing foundations.
Both Andy and Darren have come through the ranks of the housebuilding industry themselves and fully understand the complexities of talent management. Both have previously been chairman of PLCs and privately-owned companies and are now both working as non-execs within SMEs.
In this episode, Andy Beasley (ex-regional chairman of Bellway PLC for 10 years) and Darren Jones (ex-regional chairman of Persimmon and exec-board member for 8 years at Miller Homes) give their insights into the critical actions for setting expectations and establishing a successful team.
Helen Moore, group director, Orbit Homes: Smashing the glass ceiling - Evolving and adapting within the multi-faceted UK housebuilding industry.
David Marquet, author and leadership keynote speaker: How intent-based leadership will empower your housebuilding workforce.
Gerard’s guest is best-selling author and key-note speaker, former US navy captain and submarine commander, David Marquet, whose autobiography, Turn the Ship Around highlights the power of giving rather than taking control within a team.
From his follow-up book Leadership is Language, Marquet shares with us key communication techniques for leaders to empower thinkers and decision makers within your business, to increase employee engagement, create resilient teams, improve succession planning and develop a mentally strong workforce.
Colin Cole, CEO, Lioncourt Homes: Reaping the benefits of a unique "mini-plc" concept.
The business is backed by up to 100 investors, who helped drive it through the crash of 'the noughties' to become one of the Sunday Times top 100 fastest growing businesses in the UK, for four consecutive years.
Previously, rising through the ranks at Westbury plc through the 80s and 90s to become executive director and divisional chairman, Colin was an integral part of a management buyout at the business as well as numerous acquisitions and ultimately helped facilitate the housebuilder’s £950 million sale to Persimmon in 2005.
In this podcast, he gives an insight into his extraordinary career and what’s driven his success. He highlights the qualities of strategic focus, work ethos and organisational culture that he believes are integral to his businesses strength and resilience.
Steve Errington, MD, Stonebridge Homes: Structure, culture and vision - A 10xer’s criteria for successful, accelerated growth in a privately owned housebuilder.
In this interview, Steve discusses many of the lessons he learned from heading a business through such explosive growth and how he is bringing them to Stonebridge, for which he has similar aspirations, with targets to expand it from a 150- to a 1000-unit business.
Discipline, communication and goal-clarity feature high on Steve’s list of musts, along with succession planning, staff development, getting the right person for the job and attracting new talent to the industry.
What is the Cost of a Bad Hire? Part 3. Analysing the roles of sales and finance directors.
In this third instalment of Human Capital Group’s three-part series of interviews two former regional chairs and leaders within the SME and Plc housebuilding market, Andy Beasley and Darren Humphries, continue to explore the potential implications of a bad hire on your business. This episode focuses on the roles of sales and finance directors.
Together with Human Capital Group MD Gerard Ball the pair analyse the critical aspects of interviewing and appointing the right candidates for leadership positions, the strategic and financial value that each role brings to a business and just what impact the wrong hire can bring about.
All podcasts and webinars are available to view on www.hc-group.co.uk.
What is the cost of a bad hire? Part 2. Analysing the roles of commercial and technical directors.
This is the second instalment in a three-part series of interviews in which two former regional chairs and leaders within the SME and Plc housebuilding market, Andy Beasley and Darren Humphries, explore the true cost of a bad hire. This episode focuses on the roles of commercial and technical director.
Together with Human Capital Group managing director Gerard Ball, the pair analyse the critical aspects of interviewing and appointing the right candidates for leadership positions, the strategic and financial value that each role brings to a business and just what impact the wrong hire can bring about.
All podcasts and webinars are available to view on www.hc-group.co.uk.
What is the Cost of a Bad Hire? Part 1. Analysing the roles of Managing Director, Land and Construction Director.
The first in a three-part series of interviews exploring the cost of a bad hire, this episode focuses on the roles of managing director, land and construction directors.
Former Bellway regional chairman, Andy Beasley and ex-Rectory Homes CEO and divisional MD at McCarthy & Stone Darren Humphries, join Human Capital Group MD Gerard Ball for this mini-series, in which they unpick the critical aspects of interviewing and appointing the right candidates for leadership positions, the strategic and financial value that each role brings to a business and just what impact the wrong hire can bring about.
Throughout these three interviews, which were recorded as a webinar series, the panel covers the full range of directorial roles.
Episode two covers commercial and technical director, while episode three looks at the roles of sales and finance directors.
All podcasts and webinars are available to view on www.hc-group.co.uk.
Rachael Ainscough, group MD, Ainscough Strategic Land: Inside the workings of a land promoter and how it relates to housebuilders.
Rachael gives a valuable insight into the complex nature of what a land promoter does, the evolving shape of the land promotions market, how they work with landowners to help secure planning and how that all relates to house builders in the UK today.
Gerry O'Brion: Using differentiation and influence to stand out from the housebuilding crowd.
Andy Beasley and John Anderson: How an MD should manage in a crisis - the regional chairman perspective.
With their cumulative years of experience they provide critical insight on how it is possible to thrive in a crisis.
Anderson and Beasley provide a Regional Chairman’s perspective of Managing Directors, Divisional Directors, their teams and productivity.
They discuss expectations of those roles in this new Covid-19 era, doing things differently, how to adjust teams and work together for maximum efficiency, and critical advice to help stay on track.
Paul Kinkaid, founder, Selfless leadership: Adopting a commando mindset to overcome a crisis.
Paul has industry-specific knowledge of training within housebuilding and construction companies and through his training consultancy Selfless leadership, he specialises in developing training programs for crisis response.
In this fascinating interview he lifts the veil on some of the key techniques for identifying emerging problems, finding long-term solutions and mobilising a valued, energised and high-performing workforce.
Jason Forrest, founder, Forrest Performance Group: Selling new-build homes during and post Covid-19.
In this cashflow and mindset-focussed episode, he discusses strategies for selling new-build houses during and post Covid-19 lockdown. Jason has over 19 years of experience in sales and housebuilding and shares with us his four keys to success.
These include adopting the right leadership and team mindset, and what that looks like; identifying the right skillsets in your new build sales team that will drive you through the pandemic.
How to successfully sell your houses online and how to dominate the competition and finally the new KPIs you should be focussed on during this and other crises.
Paul Kinkaid, owner, Selfless Leadership: Military lessons for unfurloughing a housebuilder workforce.
In his second interview with Human Capital Group, Paul Kinkaid, former Head of Training and Development for the British Army and founder of training consultancy Selfless Leadership, looks at the process of unfurloughing in the housebuilding and construction industry.
As an organisation, the military has abundant experience at effectively bringing troops out of hibernation and training them back up ready for action as efficiently and as safely as possible.
Paul, who is the owner of training consultancy, Selfless Leadership, answers questions about the physical and mental aspect of reintegrating staff who have been absent for a long time, how leaders should address employee concerns, helping them adapt quickly and easily to a new normal and identifying those who will need extra support and how to offer it.
Andy Beasley, former regional chairman, Bellway plc: Cashflow and cost control post Covid-19 lockdown
Karen Eyre-White, productivity coach and founder, Go Do: Achieving optimum productivity from remote working
In this podcast, Karen Eyre-White, productivity coach and founder of coaching consultancy Go Do, speaks to Human Capital Group’s managing director Gerard Ball about how to maximise productivity from remote working.
She details the best ways to get set up for productive remote working, gives guidance on skilfully and considerately managing a remote team and outlines what HR and leadership need to consider to create the right culture for productive remote working.
Geoff McDonald, mental health campaigner and founder, Minds @ Work: 'Protecting and prioritising the mental health of yourself and your workforce through the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.'
In this episode Human Capital Group’s managing director Gerard Ball speaks to mental health campaigner and business transformation consultant, Geoff McDonald.
Geoff left his role as Unilever’s global VP of HR over a decade ago to begin a very personally-fuelled journey to end the stigma of depression and anxiety in the workplace.
Here he offers advice on creating cultural change that normalises mental health and mental ill health, and how businesses must make them a strategic priority.
He talks about the need to open up the conversation around anxiety and depression, particularly in male-dominated industries such as construction and housebuilding.
And crucially, he gives real practical advice and techniques to both leaders and employees in the industry on how to maintain good emotional health and importantly how to support each other.
Tariq Usmani, co-founder and CEO, Henley Homes Group: Building quality and reliability from the ground up.
As CEO of Henley Homes, Tariq has grown the business from a SME to a private PLC, incorporating a construction arm with an in-house architectural practice, and other vertical businesses including a growing and award-winning portfolio of city-centre hotels.
In this podcast, Tariq tells Human Capital Group MD Gerard Ball about how he found his way into the residential property market, his role as a mentor for former offenders and why for him, efficiency is key to leading a successful team and consistently delivering great detail and design.
John Anderson, former regional chair Berkeley Group: Creating partnerships that deliver long-term, successful regeneration schemes for thriving, integrated communities.
Here he discusses with Human Capital Group MD Gerard Ball what it takes to bring major long-term developments such as Royal Arsenal and Kidbrooke, to fruition, how regeneration schemes have evolved over the decades and how nurturing partnerships and prioritising community needs are the key to their success.
Ian Pritchett, director, Ssassy Property: Delivering the UK's first zero-carbon development and working at the forefront of sustainable housebuilding.
In 2017, alongside a small team of co-directors, Ian Pritchett launched Oxfordshire-based Ssassy Property, a pioneering firm that has already delivered the UK’s most sustainable, zero-carbon and zero-net energy houses, smashing government carbon targets 30 years ahead of time.
In this episode, Pritchett discusses his journey in housebuilding, including 20-years in historic building restoration, how it led to working at the forefront of sustainability in the industry, the challenges faced by small developers and the urgency for the UK to step up to the environmental mark.
Joseph Rajah, founder and CEO, Joseph Homes: Making a Live Well ethos the heart of a London residential developer
As an entrepreneur Joseph has carved a niche in the London property scene and through his company is passionate about his mission to improve the well-being of his team, his customers, neighbourhoods and the planet.
Here, Joseph explains his move into residential property, navigating economic and political interventions; why he focused on his ‘Live Well, Work Well’ vision and the art of moving from founder to CEO in his fast-growing diverse business, now creating a £1bn pipeline of healthier residential-led, mixed-use schemes.
Karl Hick, founder and owner, Larkfleet Homes: Building stable and credible leadership through the peaks and troughs of the UK housebuilding market.
From acquiring Allison Homes and selling to Kier almost a decade later to growing Larkfleet Homes to a 400 unit operation over 20 years.
He also shares his passion for sustainable, affordable and energy-efficient housing, and how sleep and fitness are key to successful leadership.
Bob Crompton, founder and ex-CEO, The Student Housing Company, Knightsbridge Student Housing and Threesixty Developments: Leveraging venture capital to build and sell a £1.5bn student accommodation portfolio from scratch.
In this podcast, Bob gives a personal account of how a young Bolton man from a mining family moved into the residential sector, cutting his teeth under Berkeley Group’s Tony Pidgeley, and recognised early on a golden opportunity in the student housing boom. He describes the journey of building a successful and dynamic team and culture, navigating the political and financial landscape of the build to rent market and what opportunities for the future lie within it.
Steve Midgley, founder and MD, Fairgrove Homes: Driving a small business through economic crisis to success
Geraldine Howley OBE, group CEO, inCommunities: Getting it right as a housing association for UK communities and working smart with developers.
A key influential figure across the housing sector both in her local patch of Bradford and West Yorkshire and nationally, Geraldine gives us an insight into the complexity of setting up a housing association from scratch, moving to a 30-year strategic plan, getting the right balance of housing stock, both old and new, for any given area and crucially how a housing association can work in partnership with housing developers to form a complementary, rather than competitive, relationship.
Richard Werth, CEO, Troy Homes: Launching and Growing a successful housebuilder in today's market.
SME housebuilder Troy Homes was launched in 2015 by former Banner Homes FD and CEO Richard Werth. Here Richard gives Gerard a very personal and detailed insight into the building blocks of his 30-year career in the industry that have allowed him to start Troy Homes from scratch and nurture what he calls a team business. He explains the intricacies of building the right team for future growth, how to cope with the frustrations of the planning system, navigating the financial assault course of setting up and running an SME house builder in today’s market and shares his hopes for the future of the business and the industry.
Richard Conroy, CEO, Conroy Brook: Managing leadership succession within a family-run housebuilder
In addition Richard discusses the acquisition of Yorkshire firm, Ben Bailey Homes, and what direction this is set to take the business in.
Andrew Weaver, CEO, Strata Homes: Engaging with a new generation of customer
Tom Bloxham MBE, owner and co-founder, Urban Splash: 25 Years of designing and building inspiring spaces
Here, Tom talks about his early days getting the business off the ground, how he capitalised on the unique opportunities that surround him, such as the Manchester Music scene, and his passion for designing and building inspiring spaces for people to live and work.
Andrew Rinaldi MD Antler Homes: How to build a reputation and fund a SME
Henry Smith, founder of Aitch Group: What makes and drives a successful entrepreneur
Aitch Group was founded in 1998 and develops commercial and residential properties across London. The company prides itself on high quality and design led schemes.
Henry discusses the qualities it takes to be a successful business owner within the UK development market. He talks about where his passion, drive and hunger comes from and how he successfully navigated Aitch Group through the recession following the 2008 crash.