Property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy Perfect Circle has announced that director and sector specialist Richard Whitehead will return to the role of chair.

Picking up the baton from fellow Perfect Circle senior management board representative, Duncan Green, Whitehead will be taking on the role throughout 2022, which marks the business’ sixth year and will see it grow to reach delivery of over £600m of public sector spend.

Set up in 2016 by Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM, the consultancy delivers a broad range of consultancy services available to the public sector via SCAPE Consultancy, a single source direct award framework that drives collaboration, efficiency, time, and cost savings.

Whitehead said: “Duncan has done an excellent job over the past year, ensuring that Perfect Circle retained a sharp focus on strategy and performance, through what has clearly been a turbulent time. I look forward to taking the business forward by increasing the scale and scope of the services we provide across the public sector and ensuring that we continually deliver best value.”

Perfect Circle has been commissioned on more than 1,900 public sector projects during its term, with the business contributing significantly to the government’s levelling up agenda for the UK. In total, Perfect Circle has spent more than £120m through local supply chain on public sector projects, with many supporting the growth of communities at a regional level.

Managing director of Perfect Circle Victoria Brambini said: “We are delighted that Richard will be returning as chair – his expertise and past experience on the senior management board at Perfect Circle will help to maintain our position as market leaders, delivering efficient partnering, integrated support and outstanding service performance.”

Whitehead has extensive experience in the buildings and infrastructure professional services sector. He is managing director of AECOM’s Buildings + Places business in Europe, leading a team of over 2,500 people providing a diverse range of services for public and private sector clients in the UK and overseas. He is also a board member of the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and chair of Hertfordshire Enterprise Zone.

Brambini said: “We’re welcoming Richard into this role at a pivotal time, with consultancy in the construction sector facing a multitude of challenges – including a shortage of skilled staff, increased costs and supply chain issues. As a result, efforts should be made to maximise local spend through the procurement of opportunities for SMEs within their local community. 

“Richard will be a great addition to ensure long-term success and support the recent drive for levelling up in the UK. He joins at a time of great momentum on the new SCAPE Consultancy framework, with the inclusion of new preferred partners, such as Stantec, Jacobs and WT Partnership, signalling our strong intention to continue to better support the wide array of public sector projects across the UK. By doing so, we are setting the industry on the path to better and more consistent partnership, that achieves better outcomes for clients and the communities that our industry serves.”

Mark Robinson, SCAPE Group chief executive, said: “Delivering quality support and advice to our public sector colleagues has never been more important. Therefore, the expertise that is made available by Richard and the rest of the Perfect Circle team will be critical in helping our clients to unlock the true potential of their assets and infrastructure. With this appointment, I look forward to continuing our work together to deliver the very best outcomes for the public sector.”