2025 Master Builder Awards

Alan McAulay

Director, Scottish Building Standards Hub

Alan McAulay is a Director of the Scottish Building Standards Hub (SBSH). The role of the SBSH is to support Local Authority verifiers and wider industry stakeholders to strengthen the building standards system in Scotland. Alan is a chartered building surveyor with 35 years’ experience within the building standards system in Scotland having previously worked for Glasgow City Council and South Lanarkshire Council. He has also participated on numerous Scottish Government working groups covering a range of topics. Alan is a former Chair and Technical Director of Local Authority Building Standards Scotland.

Aled Rees

Trustee, CIAT

With over 20 years of extensive experience in the construction industry as a Chartered Architectural Technologist, Aled Rees has successfully contributed to a wide array of sectors, including residential, commercial, social care, and infrastructure projects. This breadth of expertise has equipped him with a deep understanding of diverse project requirements and the ability to deliver innovative and practical solutions.

Aled is also a Fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), an honour that reflects his exceptional contributions to the profession. He has been actively involved with CIAT for nearly a decade, serving as a local Regional Chair and currently as a Councillor. This commitment underscores his passion for advancing architectural technology and fostering professional development within the industry.

Aled is honoured to have been invited to serve as a judge this year and looks forward to the privilege of reviewing the exceptional nominees put forward for consideration.

Astrid Arnold

Managing Director & Lead Carpenter, Touchwood

Astrid Arnold is a carpenter with 25 years of experience in the trade and runs TouchWood South West, a female-led carpentry and joinery company. As well as providing carpentry services, her company teaches carpentry and DIY courses for women, including working with schools and the community, supporting vulnerable women through teaching practical construction skills. 

Astrid was the first female tradesperson to win the Screwfix Top Tradesperson Award in 2023.

She is an advocate for addressing the gender imbalance in the industry and her vision is a world where it is the norm and not the exception for women to be working in construction. It is on Astrid's bucket list to set up a building college for women to work towards that vision.

Barry Neilson

Chief Executive, The Construction Industry Training Board Northern Ireland

Barry Neilson joined CITB NI in May 2010 and before that was the Skills Director - Scotland & Northern Ireland for Cogent, a Sector Skills Council.

Starting his career as an apprentice draughtsman, he progressed through ONC, HNC and BSc in civil engineering to become a Chartered Civil Engineer working within consultancy practices in Glasgow.  He went on to hold positions of Deputy Director for NHBC in Scotland and Director for the Chartered Institute of Building before moving outside the construction sector to work on skills development with Cogent SSC within the petrochemical, polymers and pharmaceutical industries.

He has progressed from technical to managerial roles within the construction industry, combining a desire to improve the performance of the industry with a focus on developing others.

Barry continues to work with Government, industry, and stakeholders within NI and beyond to promote the development of both individuals and companies.

Christine Thornley

Chair, RIBA

Christine is a Chartered Architect with her own practice Grove Studio Architecture based in Teesside. In her career she has worked and led commercial, domestic and infrastructure projects in the UK and abroad although her own practice now focuses on the domestic market.  

She is currently in her second term as Chair for the Royal Institute of British Architects - Teesside and is an active member of the RIBA NE regional council. As Chair she has championed better regional connections within the industry & education, providing support, information and events for members, students, other professionals and the public. Christine has a reputation for focussing on better communication within the industry and as a disabled architect has a personal interest in improved accessibility. 

David Smith

Director of Strategic Partnerships, South East Consortium

David Smith leads South East Consortium (SECs) partnership, marketing & training arms. SEC serves a network of over 100 Housing Associations connecting them with supply chain and delivery partners. David and his team drives forward a range of initiatives on influencing solutions for the sector’s future and shortening the skills gap. Before his time at SEC, David served just over 10 years in the construction sector in both SME and Tier 1 Contractors. He values innovation and progressive thinking and is proud to support the Master Builder Awards.

Fiona Hodgson

Chief Executive, Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF)

Fiona Hodgson is Chief Executive of the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF), bringing nearly 30 years of experience to the plumbing and heating profession. A Chartered Accountant, Fiona graduated with an accountancy degree from the University of Dundee and began her career with Deloitte in Edinburgh. She joined SNIPEF in 1995 and was appointed Chief Executive in 2016.

In her role, Fiona oversees public affairs, governance, apprentice training and advocacy, representing members’ interests with policymakers across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Westminster. She also leads SNIPEF’s 2023-2026 strategy, aimed at growing membership and enhancing the profile of the plumbing profession among the public, policymakers and media.

Fiona is a Director of WaterSafe, which champions safe plumbing standards, and BSE Skills, which develops qualifications and apprenticeships. She also serves as Deputy Chair of the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) and co-leads its Net Zero initiatives.

Harvey Fremlin

Managing Director, National Self Build & Renovation Centre

Harvey joined the National Self Build & Renovation Centre (NSBRC) in 2008 and has led a team of employee-owners, as managing director, since 2014. The NSBRC’s mission is to help people build better, sustainable homes and aside from being open six days a week, it offers a comprehensive calendar of Shows, Workshops, Courses and Clinics covering a huge range of homebuilding topics. The unique visitor centre has welcomed over a quarter of a million visitors since first opening its doors in 2007. The award-winning NSBRC celebrated a decade of employee-ownership in 2024 and Harvey champions placing employee ownership at the heart of business activities, and believes in empowering colleagues to cultivate an open, caring culture.

Joanne Ridout

Property Editor, WalesOnline

Some people say Joanne has a passion for homes but she says it’s more than that; it’s her life. While other children were nagging to go to the park, she was demanding to be taken to the newest show home. If people left their curtains open, Joanne was looking in, fascinated to see their choice of interior design. From renovating dated homes to professionally home staging for clients to advising on interior design to writing her blog, when her passion became her profession at WalesOnline she was completely overjoyed.

Every day she appreciates writing about property, renovations, interiors, historic buildings, planning, and property stories for WalesOnline and the Media Wales print titles and building a property and homes audience that she can share her passion with. Love of property is a worldwide family with no barriers to entry; she feels blessed to be a member of that family.

Kieran Findlay

Editor, Scottish Construction Now

Kieran Findlay has been the Editor of social housing publication Scottish Housing News for more than 13 years, providing a major daily resource for housing associations, local authorities and third-sector organisations.

He is also co-host of the Scottish Housing News Podcast, which offers further insight from senior professionals in the sector, and presented this live on stage at the TPAS Annual Conference. Kieran is also the Editor of Scottish Construction Now, delivering comprehensive coverage of Scotland’s building sector.

Having joined a local news agency after graduating from the University of Dundee, Kieran has reported on stories for local and national press on a freelance basis, helped deliver corporate communications for a large Scottish housing association and covered Scottish and UK elections.

Laurence Stone

Senior Customer Engagement Manager for the South West, CITB

Having worked for CITB for over 6 years Laurence Stone is committed to supporting the construction industry to develop a skilled, competent and inclusive workforce, now and in the future. He possess extensive knowledge of both the construction and education sectors and is experienced in implementing strategic plans to tackle the industry’s changing skills needs.

As the CITB Senior Customer Engagement Manager for the South West, Laurence is responsible for influencing and enabling effective national and regionally senior level relationships with key decision makers to ensure the industry has the skills it needs. He leads a regionally based team tasked with supporting employers with their skills and recruitment needs. Employers are at the heart of everything CITB do and the team is committed to supporting every construction company across the region and ensuring the voice of the South West Construction industry is heard.

Maria Coulter

Founder, Construction Coach

With a career spanning over 30 years in the industry as a Quantity Surveyor, Project Manager and Risk Manager, Maria’s interest in personal development led her to become a qualified Personal and Business Coach in 2012.

Maria is passionate about bringing positive, lasting change to the industry and launched Construction Coach in 2014 working with SME’s and micro-businesses to build stronger, more profitable and happier businesses. 

Maria’s ethos is all about the ‘Construction Revolution’ which is encouraging the industry to move away from the ‘race to the bottom’ on cost and the boom and bust culture that runs through it.  This is reflected in her Federation of Master Builders Coaching Programme which is now on it’s 3^rd cohort.

To influence change Maria has been a Non-Executive Director on the Construction Industry Council national board, former Chair of the CIC EDI Committee and current member of the Construction Leadership Council working groups, Skills for a Modernised Industry and Repair, Maintenance and Improvement.

Michael Huth

Net Zero Skills Hub Manager, Abingdon & Witney College

Michael Huth is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in construction, renewable energy, and sustainable building materials. Originally from Stuttgart, Germany, Michael moved to the UK over three decades ago and has since built a robust career focused on advancing sustainable practices within the construction industry. Since July 2023, Michael has been working as the Manager of the Net Zero Skills Hub at Abingdon & Witney College. In this role, he oversees the development and expansion of green skills training programs aimed at upskilling the workforce in renewable energy, sustainability and domestic retrofit.

Prior to his current position, Michael worked for Retrofit Works, a cooperative specializing in domestic retrofit. He was responsible for selecting and vetting contractors, ensuring they met the necessary standards for delivering high-quality retrofit projects. Michael also contributed to Cosy Homes Oxfordshire, where he played a key role in promoting energy efficiency and sustainable home retrofit within the local community. He worked closely with contractors on upskilling and adopting best practice.

At Natural Building Technologies, Michael was involved in technical sales of sustainable new-build and retrofit fabric systems. His main focus was on wood fibre insulation, a sustainable building material that helps lock up carbon, as well as low fired clay block systems. Their approach includes the use of natural, non-toxic, and breathable materials that improve air quality and moisture control.

Throughout his career, Michael has been passionate about education and training, delivering CPD's and workshops to architects and construction professionals. His commitment to sustainability and renewable energy continues to drive his efforts in creating a skilled and competent workforce ready to meet the challenges of achieving Net Zero Carbon goals by 2050

Nathan Oliver

Director, Ikonografik Design

Nathan Oliver is a Chartered Architectural Technologist, Chartered Environmentalist, and director of a small architectural practice called Ikonografik Design, based in Sheffield. With nearly 30 years’ experience, Nathan has worked at a number of large and small practices up and down the country, most notably Building Design Partnership / BDP, where he was one of the senior designers on the c£550m Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Nathan has also project managed complex projects of up to c£5m construction value. Other projects worked on range from other multi-million pound schemes to much smaller jobs. These include healthcare, education, domestic, funeral, medical research, leisure, retail, offices, industrial, agricultural, equestrian, student accommodation, churches and heritage properties.

Every now and then, Nathan also helps out at nationwide trade shows such as Build It Live, Grand Designs Live and the Ideal Home Show as one of the experts providing free architectural design advice to members of the public.

Nathan Wilkins

Customer Engagement Manager, CITB

Nathan Wilkins is a highly accomplished professional with extensive experience in construction skills development, strategic partnerships, and workforce growth. Currently a Customer Engagement Manager at CITB, Nathan works across the East Midlands and East of England, collaborating with industry leaders to tackle skills shortages and drive innovation in the construction sector.

With a background in project management, business leadership, and stakeholder engagement, Nathan has a proven track record of delivering impactful initiatives that create lasting value. As a passionate advocate for excellence, he is proud to serve as a judge for the Federation of Master Builders Awards 2025, celebrating the industry’s outstanding talent.

Nikki Davis

Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Leeds College of Building

Nikki Davis took up post as Principal and Chief Executive Officer at Leeds College of Building in August 2022 – the first female to be appointed to the role since the College was formed in 1960.

Her previous role was as Vice Principal Teaching, Learning and Quality at the College, which Nikki joined in 2019. Before that, Nikki worked at York College for four years as Vice Principal for Technical and Professional Education, leading on Apprenticeship delivery.

Nikki has worked in a variety of Further Education providers across West and North Yorkshire, with experience across a range of subject areas but a particular focus on vocational and technical provision.

Paul Young

Head of Operational Excellence, Equans

A Chartered Construction Manager, Paul Young has been in operational management roles with major UK contractors for over 38 years. He is a Fellow and Trustee of the CIOB, the respected professional body representing 50,000 members around the globe.

In his role as Head of Operational Excellence at Equans, Paul has been working with colleagues to ensure compliance with the Building Safety Act 2022 including help co-author a Building Safety Act Awareness course.

This, through working closely with CIOB Academy has now been taken by several thousand individuals and been incorporated into contractor, consultant and client internal training platforms. This was also the course the CIC provided in their report to Government on the industry’s action on ‘Building Safety’ training, and issued the day before the Grenfell Inquiry Report in September 2024. All with the aim to promote better learning, collaboration and to help improve the culture in the industry with respect to Building Safety.

Paul is a keen advocate of the digital transition help to improve construction quality outcomes, along with business improvement and productivity measures.

Peter Baum

Skills Partnership Manager, Saint Gobain

Peter Baum began his career in construction as a plasterer, where he developed a deep understanding of the trade and the industry. He later transitioned to the Skills Partnership team at British Gypsum, where he now focuses on supporting new entrants into the construction sector. Peter works closely with industry partners, training providers, and educational institutions to deliver tailored training programs, apprenticeships, and hands-on learning opportunities. His efforts aim to address skills gaps in the industry and ensure that the next generation of construction professionals is well-equipped to succeed in their careers.

Peter Keates

Executive Director , LABC

Peter Keates' career in Public Service Building Control started in 1986 as a Building Control Technician at Spelthorne Borough Council. Peter relocated to Bedfordshire in 1988 and held a number of roles at Mid Bedfordshire District Council including Building Control Surveyor, Senior Building Control Surveyor and Building Control Manager. Following the formation of Central Bedfordshire Council as a Unitary Authority in 2009 Peter’s held a number of senior roles as Head of Service and his services included Building Control, Development Management, Planning Enforcement, Minerals & Waste Planning, Flood Risk and Albion Archaeology. 

Peter is recognised as a commercially focussed individual who is an adaptable, pragmatic, collaborative leader with a passion for Public Service Building Control. His key strengths are his determination to succeed and his ability to support individuals to help them achieve to be the best they can be in a team environment. Aside from developing and managing a successful, award winning local authority building control team, Peter has led and supported change and improvements for a number of other local authority service areas. 

Since joining LABC at the start of February 2022 Peter has taken on responsibility for communication, engagement, member support and HR. He is collaborating with colleagues, stakeholders and LABC members to support public service building control with the challenges they face now and in the future. Peter is a Director of the LABC Board.

Philippa Lurcock

Architectural Designer, Eaves Home

Philippa Lurcock, an architectural designer specialising in extending and remodelling family homes, enhancing space and functionality in a way that honours the original design intention of each building with meticulous attention to detail. Her passions include pantries, wet verges and perfectly matched bricks.

The daughter of an architectural draftsman/chartered surveyor, Philippa’s formative years were spent pouring over her dad’s blueprints and drafting her own - usually Adam style mansions - and trespassing on new build estates at the weekends where she would be shown round carcasses of homes frozen in a moment mid-build, explaining their layout and construction.

Obsessed with residential houses and home transformation, her idea of a good time is pouring over local planning applications and chatting to builders about their latest projects so being asked to be a regional judge for the FMB Master Builder Awards 2025 is a real treat for Philippa!

Richard Hibbert

Chairperson, The Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association

Richard Hibbert is the current Managing Director of KSL Kitchens, Bedrooms and Bathrooms in Sudbury, Suffolk and KBSA National chair with 21 years industry experience.  Richard is a trained chef and uses this experience in his designs today.  A regular writer for trade and retail KBB magazines, national design awards judge, as well as a business consultant for the KBB industry.

Richie West

Industry Manager for Construction, City & Guilds

Richie West is the Industry Manager for Construction at City & Guilds, bringing over 30 years of experience in the construction sector. Since joining City & Guilds two years ago,he has worked closely with the construction industry to gather insights into it’s evolving needs and challenges. This collaboration ensures that City & Guilds remains aligned with industry developments, delivering qualifications that are both relevant and fit for purpose.

As a qualified Carpenter & Joiner, Richie brings a wide range of experience across the construction industry, from new housing and commercial projects to exhibition work. Prior to joining City & Guilds, he spent 22 years in further education at one of the UK’s largest further and higher education colleges. Richie started as a Carpentry & Joinery tutor, progressing to the Head of Apprenticeships across multiple sectors and campuses. Richie's extensive background allows him to connect industry knowledge with educational initiatives; playing a key role in developing the next generation of skilled professionals in construction.

Shula Granville

South Regional Director, RIBA

Shula Granville is the South Regional Director in the Membership Experience team at RIBA. In this role she plays a pivotal role in advancing the architectural profession across the South, from the Kent Coast, up to Buckinghamshire and down to Cornwall. Her work involves supporting over 10,000 RIBA Chartered Members, Practices and Student members in the region, promoting professional development, and fostering connections between architects, communities, and stakeholders.

The RIBA South manages initiatives such as the RIBA Awards in the region, professional mentoring programs for architecture students, and events aimed at continuing professional development (CPD). Shula also champions networking and collaboration through local RIBA branches and groups, including initiatives for women in architecture and small practices.

Tim Phillips

Senior Quantity Surveyor, Quantiv

Tim Phillips is a Quantity Surveyor with over 30 years of experience in commercial and residential construction and has managed a diverse range of projects including multi-million-pound budgets. For the past 17 years, he has worked as a freelance consultant through his company, www.quantiv.uk, combining his professional acumen with hands-on experience gained through managing his own full-scale renovations.

Tim writes a monthly ‘Build Cost Clinic’ for Homebuilding & Renovating magazine and frequently delivers seminars at their live events across the UK. He is a familiar voice on Fix Radio and contributes to The Times, The Telegraph, and other leading publications.