Our leadership team
Meet our leadership team and learn more about their role, responsibilities and careers to date.
Richard Offord
Chief Executive Officer
Richard is a chartered engineer with over 25 years of experience in the civil engineering industry. He joined VolkerFitzpatrick in March 1990, progressing steadily through the ranks, from an engineer to managing director. He was appointed to the role of chief operating officer of VolkerWessels UK, before taking up his current role as chief executive officer on 1 August 2022.
Anita Harris
Anita Harris
Chief Financial Officer
Anita has over 20 years of industry experience and was appointed CFO in 2023, after previously occupying the role of Finance Director at VolkerFitzpatrick. Anita has experience in a wide range of finance roles, specifically in the construction and infrastructure sector, as well as taking responsibility for functions such as procurement and IT.
A member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Anita joined the business from Kier, where she gained experience across a number of large-scale projects such as Crossrail, HS2 and international projects such as Dubai’s EXPO and Bluewater projects.
Matt Woods
Matt Woods
Group Commercial Director
Bringing over 25 years of international and varied construction experience, Matt became the VolkerWessels UK Commercial Director in 2009 having joined Fitzpatrick Contractors in 2002. Matt leads on all commercial aspects across VolkerWessels UK and has developed strong risk management and client focused pragmatic solutions to contracting. Previously, Matt worked for Taylor Woodrow, Amey, Costain and Kier in various positions both in the UK and overseas.
Jonathan Suckling
Jonathan Suckling
Director
Jonathan has been with the VolkerWessels group since 1997. He has undertaken a number of Director roles across the group, in both the UK and the Netherlands, before being appointed as Director - VolkerWessels UK.
Jonathan is a chartered member of the RICS, with over 30 years’ experience within the construction industry. He has worked on projects across the building, energy and infrastructure sectors, including leading roles in major joint ventures and frameworks.
Jonathan is a strong advocate of working collaboratively, driving the right behaviours and relationships, between project teams, clients, and the supply chain, to deliver projects with certainty.
Steve Cocliff
Steve Cocliff
Managing Director - VolkerRail
Steve joined VolkerRail as the chief operating officer in October 2009 and was appointed managing director in early 2010. Steve, who is a civil engineer, has a wealth of experience from a number of different sectors including rail. Before joining VolkerRail, Steve worked for Carillion as the managing director of Utility Services. Steve has also held a number of other senior positions including managing director of Alfred McAlpine Utility Service, managing director of First Engineering Power and Civil and managing director of Jackson Civil Engineering.
John Cox
John Cox
Managing Director - VolkerStevin
John joined VolkerStevin in 2021, having previously been managing director of VolkerFitzpatrick’s rail and infrastructure division since 2014. Prior to this, John worked for VolkerRail as projects director from 2012-2014. John graduated as a civil engineer from Queen’s University, Belfast in 1987. Having previously worked for Laing O'Rourke for ten years, John, a chartered member of the Institution of Civil Engineers has a wealth of experience on a number of complex and multi-disciplinary infrastructure projects in marine, rail, energy, utilities and airports.
James Hindes
James Hindes
Managing Director - VolkerFitzpatrick
James joined VolkerFitzpatrick in November 2022 as managing director. James has a major projects background and is experienced in both Public and Private sector work spanning the UK. With over 30 years of industry experience, James has held a variety of business leadership positions, with particular experience in defence, aviation, custodial, health, science, education, residential and commercial sector work.
Peter Walsh
Peter Walsh
Managing Director - VolkerHighways
Peter has extensive and diverse industry experience spanning more than 25 years across tunnelling, piling, wastewater, rail, and highways. Prior to joining VolkerHighways Peter was responsible for highways maintenance contracts across a broad portfolio that included integrated, mixed economy, term maintenance and private finance initiative contracts.
Ben Joyce
Ben Joyce
Managing Director - VolkerLaser
As a chartered civil engineer with over 20 years’ industry experience in design and contracting, Ben has spent 10 years with the VolkerWessels UK business, predominantly with VolkerFitzpatrick on major civil engineering projects. In addition, Ben took on the management of VolkerWessels UK’s specialist slipform paving sub-contractor, P J Davidson, in 2019 as operations director. Now, as managing director of VolkerLaser, Ben takes an extremely active role in driving the business, taking every opportunity to use our specialist skillsets to bring maximum benefits to our clients, and working to continue developing this innovative, sustainable and successful business.
Paul McCreath
Paul McCreath
Group People Director
Paul joined VolkerWessels UK in 2019 and is responsible for developing our People Strategy across the Group, with a key focus on driving performance and developing our talent to maintain our position as a leading UK contractor.
Paul has more than 25 years experience in the Construction and Infrastructure industry. He previously worked for BAM and Kier for more than 20 years, working in generalist people-focused roles to deliver the people agenda in a number of sectors ranging from infrastructure and building to transport and utilities.
