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Briggs & Forrester appointed Paul Burton Group Chief Executive effective 1 February 2017, in a reshuffle that also changed leadership of its Engineering Services business and South East region. This is a historical appointment, not a new announcement: the company later said Burton became Chairman and Chief Executive in 2019.
What changed in the 2017 leadership shake-up?
The Northampton-based building-services group announced three senior-team changes taking effect on 1 February 2017. Paul Burton, previously Managing Director of Engineering Services, became Group Chief Executive. Ian Lawrence took over as Engineering Services Managing Director, while Chris Church became director responsible for the South East region, succeeding Lawrence in that responsibility.
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The appointments followed the group’s management buyout in June 2016. Mike Stanton remained Executive Chairman and continued working with Burton and the group board. Stanton said: “Having completed the management buyout in June 2016, it was extremely important to address the group management structure.” The company described the internal promotions as supporting its plans to expand its activities.
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| Leader | Role from 1 February 2017 | Previous or related responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Burton | Group Chief Executive | Managing Director of Engineering Services |
| Ian Lawrence | Managing Director of Engineering Services | Previously responsible for the South East region |
| Chris Church | Director responsible for the South East region | Succeeded Lawrence in that regional responsibility |
The reshuffle therefore separated Burton’s former operating remit from his new group-wide leadership role: Lawrence moved into the Engineering Services post, and Church assumed the South East responsibility.
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What performance figures accompanied the announcement?
UK Construction News reported the following historical figures alongside the appointment coverage. They compare 2016 with 2015 and are not current results:
| Measure | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | £177 million | £164 million |
| Forward order book | £265 million | £214 million |
| Operating profit | £4.4 million | £3.5 million |
The reported comparisons put the reshuffle in the context of growth in revenue, forward orders and operating profit, while the company was setting out expansion plans.
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Is Paul Burton still the Group Chief Executive?
No: the 2017 appointment date should not be read as a recent change. Briggs & Forrester’s company history says Burton became Chairman and Chief Executive in 2019, after joining the company in 2000. The company says it became employee owned in 2020, and its current team page lists Burton as Chief Executive & Chairman.
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Later leadership changes also distinguish the 2017 announcement from the present structure. In an update at the start of 2025, the company said Ian Lawrence stepped down after eight years as Engineering Services Managing Director and was succeeded by Will Newman. Lawrence remained a group board director and was to help with the transition. The company’s 2025 brochure lists Burton as Group Chairman & CEO, alongside Will Newman at Engineering Services, Duncan Benedetti at Living and Tim Cunningham at Special Projects.
A Companies House filing records Kenny Charles James Holmes’s appointment as a director of Briggs & Forrester Engineering Services Limited on 1 January 2026, filed on 6 January 2026. That is a subsidiary-company director appointment; it does not establish a change to the Group Chief Executive.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Business Times, “Changes to senior team at Briggs & Forrester,” 1 March 2017
- UK Construction News, “Briggs & Forrester Restructures Board,” 27 January 2017
- Briggs & Forrester, About Us
- Briggs & Forrester, Meet the Team
- Briggs & Forrester, early-2025 update on Ian Lawrence and Will Newman
- Briggs & Forrester, 2025 group structure brochure
- Companies House, Briggs & Forrester Engineering Services Limited filing history
- Briggs & Forrester, 2023 “Excellence at every level” brochure
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