In recent years, Bouygues Bâtiment International has undertaken a series of acquisitions. This began in 2007 with the acquisition of Warings, followed in early 2011 with the purchase of a 51 per cent shareholding in the Leadbitter group which incorporates Denne. In 2012, Bouygues Bâtiment International acquired Thomas Vale as well as the remaining 49 percent of the Leadbitter Group.
Over recent months, Bouygues UK has been developing a market facing structure, to enhance the integration of skills and expertise across those businesses it has acquired with those of its existing UK operations. This has now been defined into a clear structure for the company, focussing on its core activities. The structure has also been developed to recognise that Bouygues UK is now the Parent Company of these UK entities – the combined activities of which total £750 million in turnover, the operation of around 130 sites and the employment of approximately 1700 people.
Under the leadership of Madani Sow, Executive Chairman, Bouygues UK will operate under four Management Units; these being Bouygues Development, Construction, Housing and Thomas Vale.
Both the Construction and Housing Management Units have been structured to incorporate the activities of Warings, Leadbitter and Denne with those that already existed in Bouygues UK. These businesses will continue to trade as their legal registered entities. However, organising the relevant market skills and expertise within these companies under the disciplines of Construction and Housing will enhance the service that the business provides to its customers and the communities in which it operates.
Bouygues Development – Bouygues Development is headed up by Nicolas Guérin as Managing Director, a role he will continue to undertake in the new structure. Nicolas has been with the group since 1993 and has a proven track record of successfully developing major urban regeneration schemes. Bouygues Development’s activities are across the private and public sector with a focus on mixed-use developments, urban regeneration schemes, residential and student accommodation.
Construction – The Construction Management Unit is led by Lionel Christolomme as Managing Director. Lionel has been with the group since 1991 and has been a Bouygues UK executive board member since 2007. Operating across four UK regions, London & South East, Western, Central South and Central North, the Construction Management Unit’s focus is on delivering schemes across the private sector – commercial, leisure and luxury residential and in the public sector (including PPPs), predominantly in healthcare and education, working with a variety of investors, developers and end-user clients.
Housing – The Housing Management Unit is led by Paul Abson as Managing Director. Paul joined Bouygues UK in 2012, following the acquisition of the Leadbitter Group where he was previously Deputy CEO. Paul has extensive knowledge of this sector. Operating across three UK regions, Central, London, and the South East, the Housing Management Unit’s market focus is residential and mixed tenure developments, care and extra care facilities and student accommodation, ranging from large and complex mixed-use city centre developments to small rural housing schemes.
Thomas Vale – Headed up by Tony Hyde, Managing Director, Thomas Vale operates in a clearly defined area of the country. Under the new structure, Thomas Vale will operate as a specific Management Unit within Bouygues UK.
Commenting, Madani Sow, Chairman of Bouygues UK said: “Following the completion of the acquisitions and particularly those that were undertaken in 2012, we have spent the last 12 months integrating our businesses. This integration is going well and I now feel the time is right to announce a new structure.
“When defining our structure and recognising that the businesses need to continue to trade under their legal entities, I wanted to ensure that we provided clarity to the market. We have done this by integrating the skills and expertise of the businesses we have across the UK. Equally important is that we raise the profile of Bouygues UK across the country and over the coming months you will see we are doing this by creating stronger visual links to the Bouygues UK brand and name throughout our business.
“In addition, as a national business, I wanted to have a clearly defined regional network of operations to fully understand the local areas in which we operate, delivering the needs of our customers in a responsible way and to enhance the quality of the built environment for the communities in which we work.”
