MIPIM: Brummie pride behind Rider Levett Bucknall success
Turn up at a major property development across the world that is being handled by construction consultants Rider Levett Bucknall and the chances are that there is a Brummie in charge.
Five out of the nine Birmingham-based property and construction practice’s global board directors hail from the city or cut their teeth working in Birmingham.
Rider Levett Bucknall is once more supporting the Birmingham team of city council and private sector sponsors at MIPIM 2010, continuing a tradition of supporting MIPIM that goes back over several years. The business has more than 2,000 people in 80 offices across Asia, Oceania, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. The firm provides cost management, project management and advisory services to the construction and property sector.
Since the Birmingham business of Bucknall Austin in the UK merged with Rider Hunt Levett & Bailey to become Rider Levett Bucknall, the company has forged ahead with a growing number of Brummies at the helm.
At the top is chairman David Bucknall, who works alongside chief executive officer Lance Taylor in Birmingham.
Born in Wolverhampton, David studied at Birmingham College of Art & Technology (now part of Birmingham City University) and qualified as a quantity surveyor in 1961 when he joined the family firm, which became Bucknall Austin. He has always lived in the West Midlands with his wife Moya.
Lance Taylor was born in Wolverhampton and attended South Bank Polytechnic.
Following a 15-year national career he is now based in Birmingham. He has always lived in Wolverhampton with his wife and two sons.
Bob Richardson, managing director of Rider Levett Bucknall in Australia, worked in Birmingham for Bucknall Austin from 1983 to 1986 and lived in Birmingham for the same time. His mother was born in the city and his sister and numerous nieces and nephews still live here. He now lives in Sydney, making regular trips back to Birmingham and the UK.
The managing director of Rider Levett Bucknall Hong Kong is Stephen Lai, who was born in Hong Kong. He studied in Hampshire from 1977 to 1980, then took a BSc degree course at the University of Aston in Birmingham and graduated in 1984. During his university course he worked at a A G Robottom in Birmingham and Wilson Large in Coventry.
The fifth Rider Levett Bucknall global director to have connections with Birmingham is Andy Ritchie. He joined Bucknall Austin 20 years ago and worked in Birmingham for six years before setting up the Manchester office and then going over to Hong Kong to do the same there.
His skills in this area are now being used in Saudi Arabia, where he moved last June to set up and launch a dedicated RLB office.
Chief executive officer Lance Taylor said: “As we already know in Birmingham, if you want a job doing properly you are better off with a Brummie in charge.
