Boss of Gleeds’ London cost management goes under cull which saw 40 jobs cut last year

Gleeds has confirmed that the head of its London cost management arm has left the business after more than 25 years at the firm.

Colin Field formally went at the end of last month and was part of the shake-up late last year which saw two executive directors also go under a rejig that saw 40 roles cut.

Field joined the business in 1996 and became a senior director five years ago, heading up the firm’s London cost management business.

Gleeds said Field has been replaced by two equity partners, Paul Sweeney and Robin Brodie-Cooper.

Field was part of a cull which saw the firm restructure last November that also claimed the roles of Douglas McCormick, who joined the consultant at the start of 2020 as the executive chair of its UK business, and Steve Mason who arrived two years ago to lead the firm’s operations in London.

McCormick was previously in charge of listed consultant WYG, later bought by US firm Tetra Tech, and before that Sweett, also listed, that was bought by Currie & Brown for £29m in 2016.

Mason was one of the founders of Mace’s cost consulting business and joined Gleeds February 2022, after spending 24 years at his previous employer.

New chief operating officer Salar Farzad, who arrived at the firm last spring having previously been CFO at listed employment agency Gattaca, decided management at the 3,000-strong business was too top heavy.

The COO role held by Farzad is a new one and he will also double up as the firm’s CFO, having held the interim post since he joined in March.

Gleeds, which later this year is due to move into new offices in London’s West End having spent more than a decade at its current premises at New Cavendish Street, is expecting group turnover this year to be £267m, a rise of 15%, with UK revenue up from £130m to £145m. Chief executive Graham Harle has previously said he expects the US market to be its second biggest after the UK by 2026.