International property and construction consultancy Gleeds has appointed Dave Wakelin as its new director of sustainability. 

His recruitment serves to strengthen the sustainability team, boosting its capacity and extending its reach to accommodate increasing demand. 

A sustainability expert with more than 20 years’ experience, Wakelin joins Gleeds from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) where he was responsible for leading the department’s transition to net zero across its substantial estate. 

Prior to this, he had worked on high profile projects including Manchester City Council’s flagship Our Town Hall scheme and acted as sustainability lead for the MoJ’s £4bn zero carbon ready expansion programmes.  

In his new role at Gleeds, he will be instrumental in helping clients to navigate the complex field of sustainability, working to embed innovative sustainable practices at every stage of a project’s delivery. 

He will be responsible for supporting businesses as they seek to reduce their carbon emissions, increase their climate resilience, and deliver social value on a worldwide basis. 

Wakelin said: “I’m really pleased to be joining Gleeds to build on its work in this important area. 

“My role and the role of my team is to focus on helping our clients achieve their sustainable goals. In this time of depleting resources and enhanced awareness of the fragility of our environment, Gleeds plays a vital role in advising clients on net zero issues and future proofing projects. I can’t wait to get started.” 

Graham Harle, Gleeds’ CEO, added: “Gleeds is always striving to ensure that both the monetary and environmental costs of a scheme are fully understood by our clients, and to deliver innovative solutions which mean that it’s not a case of having to prioritise one over the other.  

“Dave has a demonstrable track record in this important field of endeavour, so I’m thrilled that he’s joining the team to help us grow this aspect of our offering.”