Mace has appointed Hannah Vickers, chief executive of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) since 2018, as its new chief of staff.
Vickers will report to Mace Group chief executive Mark Reynolds, supporting him and the Mace executive board.
Vickers’ primary task will be to embed the company’s new 2026 Business Strategy across Mace’s four ‘engines for growth’, driving growth and the delivery of its strategic priorities, with a particular focus on the net zero carbon agenda, construction to production and digital and data.
The new chief of staff will also take on a number of other major external and internal responsibilities, including expanding and deepening the group’s relationships with target clients and senior industry and government stakeholders.
Internally, Vickers will lead a number of major change programmes, driving operational efficiency across Mace.
At the ACE, she has led the creation and delivery of ACE’s ‘Future of Consultancy’ programme, as well as providing support to the Construction Leadership Council on a number of programmes, including taking a lead role in the creation of ConstructZero, an industry-wide programme to address carbon emissions in construction.
Vickers will take up her new role in July this year.
Mark Reynolds, Mace Group chief executive, said: "Our new 2026 business strategy has set some very bold and ambitious goals for Mace over the next five years; and our focus now must be bringing our plans to life across the organisation; driving organic growth in our target markets and embedding our new purpose and priorities.
"Hannah is a highly effective leader, who has delivered a number of major industry change programmes over her time at ACE and has advised ministers at HM Treasury on infrastructure delivery policy. I’m thrilled that she is joining the business at such an important time and I look forward to working with her to realise our ambitions."
Vickers said: “I’m extremely proud of what ACE achieved in my time in charge and I am sure that my successor will be able to take our good work to new heights. I’d like to thank colleagues for helping to bring my ideas to life. Whether providing a space for members to discuss the future of consultancy, helping them through the pandemic with relevant and timely support, or moulding the organisation to better reflect the world we now work in, our people always delivered despite sometimes difficult circumstances.
“Finally, I’d also like to thank the board, and especially my two chairs Mathew Riley and Paul Reilly, for their never-wavering support through what has been an often tumultuous period.”
Commenting on her departure, current ACE chair and managing director – infrastructure & buildings at Stantec UK Paul Reilly said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Hannah for her huge contribution and wish her all the best in her new role. Successfully navigating the organisation through the pandemic, she leaves ACE in an excellent position – financially robust, with a strong pipeline of impactful projects and an influential voice with policymakers.
“I will be working with the board to find a new CEO who can build on these firm foundations to further grow ACE’s influence across the UK. Whether in Westminster, Holyrood, Stormont, the Senedd, or at a local level with metro-mayors, ACE will continue to make the case that its members are key delivery partners for government on issues such as levelling-up, Net Zero and building back better post-covid.”
