Five professionals from the across the construction, concrete and industrial minerals sectors have taken up new roles at the Mineral Products Association (MPA).
Jon Flitney, Michael Conroy, Liam Forde, Steve Callow and Mike Haynes bring 100 years of industry experience between them into their new roles at the MPA. They are the MPA’s latest recruits following a series of appointments earlier in the year, including new MPA Chief Executive Jon Prichard.
Jon Flitney has joined MPA Cement as Energy and Climate Change Manager. Jon will work with the MPA Cement Climate Change and CO2 Reduction group to support sector decarbonisation and associated policies. Jon joins from the British Ceramic Confederation (BCC), where he has worked across energy, environment, climate change and decarbonisation policy areas for over six years. He also previously worked on air quality and environmental protection for Local Authorities and the Environment Agency covering a variety of manufacturing industries.
Michael Conroy joins as Manager - Environment, Safety & Regulatory Affairs for MPA Cement. He has over 20 years’ experience in the mineral products industry, and since 2016, this has been focussed on environmental management, compliance, permitting and regulation across various sectors within the industry. His first role in the industry was operating a long-reach excavator extracting sand and gravel and loading it onto a field conveyor system, so he has really come from the ground and worked his way up. He has a degree in environment and economics and is currently studying for a Master of Law (LLM) in environmental law and practice.
His role at MPA involves working closely with members in the cement sector and liaising with the environmental regulators and relevant government departments on behalf of the members to ensure the sector is recognised positively and beneficially. He is the secretariat for the Cement Regulatory Interface Group (RIG) which meets regularly to discuss environmental regulatory matters that affect and impact the UK cement sector.
Liam Forde has joined BRMCA/MPA Ready-mixed Concrete as Construction Manager. His main responsibilities will be working with members, The Concrete Centre, and UK Concrete to promote safety, best practices and ready-mixed concrete as the best solution for sustainable and resilient construction. Liam is a chartered civil engineer and joins from BAM Nuttall, having had a background in both design and site environments. His appointment will further strengthen the MPA Concrete team.
A scholar of Civil Engineering at the University of Nottingham, Liam mixed his studies with a part-time role at an Architectural Services company where he was producing planning applications and building regulation drawings for small-scale developments. After graduating, Liam worked as part of the structures team for BAM Nuttall on the CP5 Network Rail framework, delivering many projects, including the installation of Haywards Heath Station footbridge and the refurbishment of Mitre Bridge in London. As part of his development and progress towards chartership, Liam undertook a secondment to Peter Brett Associates (now part of Stantec) as a designer within the bridges team. There he gained experience in designing concrete highway structures, including a two-span integral bridge over a watercourse in North Whiteley. In the last few years, Liam has worked as a design manager, both at Dyer & Butler within the Aviation team and back at BAM Nuttall, working on the Network Rail CP6 Framework earthworks portfolio.
Steve Callow has joined as Manager, Masonry and Concrete Products. Steve joins from Marshalls, where he was Specification Manager. He also has sector experience gained from roles in FP McCann, CPM, Milbury Systems and Carillion. His first task is to get involved in the MPA Masonry and work with NHBC on the ‘Building for Tomorrow’ event series.
Steve has been involved in construction for the majority of his life. Working as a labourer or machine driver during his holidays while studying for a Mathematics Degree at the University of Wales, Cardiff. He helped complete several interesting schemes, notably the Rhoose Point Redevelopment and the A43 Silverstone Bypass. Since graduating, Steve returned to the Construction Industry in a more commercial role, working in procurement for some familiar names in Carillion, Mowlem & Morgan Sindall. In 2006 he moved over into sales, falling straight into precast and prestressed products with companies such as Milbury Systems, Eleco PLC, CPM Group, F P McCann and Marshalls PLC.
Steve has been a strong proponent of precast products throughout his time in sales.
Mike Haynes has joined the MPA as British Lime Association Director. He joins MPA after 18 years in the lime industry, working in the sales and customer services teams responsible for Construction and Civil Engineering markets and progressing to managing the customer services team. Before this, Mike worked as an engineer and project manager for contractors and consultants in those same markets, including time spent underground constructing tunnels and above ground constructing and repairing buildings and structures. The beginning of his working life was spent in the oil industry, working in the North Sea on semi-submersible exploration drilling rigs.
Jon Prichard, Chief Executive of the Mineral Products Association, said: “I am delighted to welcome this group of highly experienced professionals as they join our existing team of industry experts. Between them, Jon, Michael, Liam, Steve and Mike have a wealth of relevant experience that will strengthen and complement our ability to represent member interests and to promote the essential role that mineral products play in our everyday lives.”
