PracticePeople

People

Our staff are the lifeblood of our practice and we pride ourselves on the diversity of skills, approach and experience that they bring to our projects. From acousticians to commercial experts, we employ forward-thinking people to complement our forty year experience.

Tony Morris

Managing Director - BEng(Hons) CEng MEI ACIBSE

As Managing Director, Tony is responsible for the overall strategic direction, commercial development and operations both within the UK and internationally. He is responsible for shaping the ethos and vision of Hilson Moran, inspiring a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

With over 25 years’ of industry experience Tony, originally joined the practice in 1998 and subsequently became member of the main board in 2011 before taking on a leading role in the practice’s international expansion in his previous role as International Director: This included overseeing the establishment of both our Abu Dhabi and Qatar offices, a significant expansion of our capabilities throughout the GCC region, along with leading the delivery of projects in the Middle East, Europe and internationally.

Tony is a motorsports enthusiast, regularly attending events internationally. A round of golf is also enjoyed.
John Deasy

Commercial Director - UK - CEng FCIBSE

As Commercial Director for the UK and a member of our Board, John works closely with Directors and specialist group leaders to lead business development activity, develop new business and manage relationships with our major clients.

With over 35 years’ industry experience, John’s career progressed from a five-year indentured apprenticeship through to the position of Managing Director of the South East region for a major engineering consultancy. He joined the practice in 2007 and has subsequently played a leading role in the practice’s growth and diversification. This has included securing some of the largest projects the practice has delivered, such as the Royal Albert Dock Masterplan, through to establishing multi-year agreements across public and private sectors for organisations including IBM, BSkyB and The Girls Day School Trust.

John is a keen artist, Arsenal season-ticket holder and astronomy buff.
Martin Murphy

Design Director - BSc(Hons) Dip Des Inn MIET

Martin is a Design Director with many years’ experience across a number of sectors, including commercial, residential and hospitality. He also leads our focus on the Life Sciences sector following recent success in Cambridge and Oxford.

Martin began his career in 1983, working in both contracting and consultancy, prior to joining the practice in 1999 and becoming a Director in 2008. Successful recent projects include Principal Place, one of London’s most high profile mixed-use schemes. Martin has helped to establish long term, repeat relationships with clients including Muse Developments, Brookgate, Lendlease, Skanska and Quadrant

Martin is as keen runner, sailor and a supporter of Sale Sharks rugby team.
Vince Ugarow

Design Director - BEng(Hons) CEng MIMechE

Vince is a Design Director leading the company’s strategic design direction, promoting progressive design thinking and harnessing digital technology. A qualified Chartered Engineer, he joined the practice in 2007 and spent 10 years managing one of our main London design groups, before moving into his current leadership position in 2018.

Vince is responsible for leading design teams on high-profile UK and international projects; for investors, developers and end users. These include commercial offices, workplace fit-outs, residential, hotels and cultural centres. He has extensive experience in successfully delivering environmental engineering designs, focusing on health & wellbeing, zero carbon, energy efficiency and smart technologies. Vince has a particular interest and expertise in sustainable high rise building design and is one of the founding committee members of the UK Chapter of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH UK).

Vince has presented at many conferences and seminars in the UK, USA, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience gained through 35 years of working in the industry. He has guest lectured to students at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and also to a wider international audience at the Swegon Air Academy.

Vince is a keen cyclist, has a particular practical interest in Italian wines and is also a big fan of the Harlequins rugby team.
Andrew Ashfield

Director - ONC HNC

Andrew leads one of our London office’s main multidisciplinary design groups, with overall responsibility for project delivery along with establishing and managing client relationships. With over 30 years industry experience Andrew worked for a range of organisations in both public and private sectors, including London Boroughs and Educational Authorities, before joining the practice in 1998. He became a Project Director in 2006, moving into his current position in 2015.

Andrew has a broad focus, ranging from new build offices for major developers, through to refurbishment and upgrade work in both public and private sectors. He has been central to our 15+ year relationship with the Bank of England and has helped to establish multi-year, multi-site agreements with organisations which include the University of Surrey and the Girls Day School Trust.

Andrew enjoys running, hiking and skiing, as well as his classic VW camper van.
Keith Hicks

Director - BSc(Hons) CEng MIET MCIBSE

Keith leads one of the practice’s main design groups with ultimate responsibility for design delivery, along with developing and managing client relationships at senior levels. After graduating from Manchester University, Keith worked in engineering consultancy in both the UK and oversees before joining the practice in 1999, becoming a Director in 2008.

Based in our Farnborough office, Keith has a particular expertise in mixed-use, residential and retail developments. A notable example is his work with Quintain Estates at the Wembley Park site, where Keith has built up a relationship over more than 10 years and successfully led 5 separate schemes within the context of an overall masterplan.
Chris Birch

Director of Sustainability - UK - MSc DIC BSc

Chris is responsible for the management of our sustainability group in the UK, a team of over 30 professionals who range from building performance analysts and building certification experts through to environmental specialists including air quality, flood risk and ecological consultants. Along with managing this team, Chris has expertise in sustainable masterplanning, environmental impact assessments, green building design, air quality and human health risk assessment. He is also an experienced planning inquiry expert witness.

Chris has over 25 years’ experience as a sustainability consultant, having previously worked at CES (now AECOM), Entec UK and WSP Environmental before joining the practice in 2001. He became a Divisional Director in 2007 before moving into his current role in 2012.

Chris is a keen skier and a failed F1 driver.
Andy Grint

Design Director - ONC HNC HND

Andy is a Design Director responsible for establishing and maintaining client relationships, as well as leading Hilson Moran’s Design Cultures agenda.

Possessing over 30 years’ experience, Andy joined the practice in 2001, working in a variety of engineering and project management roles prior to being appointed a Director in 2015. In 2020 he joined our leadership team.

Andy is primarily focused on the London commercial market for both developers and major corporate tenants and occupiers. He has established strong relationships with both clients and professional teams and his hands-on approach, commitment and leadership skills have helped deliver some of our most high profile projects in this sector.

Andy is a keen distance runner and combines this with his passion for travel by competing at events around the world.
Tim Freeman

Director - BEng, CIWFM

Tim is a Director with experience managing multidisciplinary project teams and ensuring an integrated and coordinated approach to complex design challenges. Tim is also responsible for ensuring the suitability of our technical solutions, as well as resource and cost management on key projects.

Tim has been in the industry for over 30 years, working as a project manager, property manager and electrical engineer on a diverse portfolio of projects. With an approach driven by clients’ satisfaction, he has built strong relationships with key stakeholders, including Bruntwood Estates, British Land and London Authorities.

In his spare time Tim enjoys rugby, golf, reading and walking with his Labrador.
Trevor Raynsford

Director

Trevor leads a multidisciplinary design group based in our London office, taking overall responsibility for the performance of his team, along with developing relationships with clients, architects and industry professionals.

With over 30 years’ experience, Trevor worked in contracting and consultancy in both the UK and the Middle East prior to joining the practice in 1997, becoming a Director in 2005. His main focus is London commercial, residential, retail and mixed-use developments – both new build and fit out – working with developers and blue chip corporate end users. He has successfully delivered some the practice’s most high profile and challenging developments, including the Rathbone Square development for Great Portland Estates.

Having owned a classic Triumph for the past 25 years, Trevor is a classic car enthusiast and has a passion for most sports, particularly football and his lifelong ‘love-hate’ relationship with Charlton Athletic!
Simon Ramsden

Director - BSc(Hons) CEng MCIBSE

Simon is responsible for all aspects of our Manchester office, including overall responsibility for project delivery, as well as development and maintenance of client relationships in Manchester and the North West.

Simon originally joined the practice in 1990 as a design engineer, became Divisional Director responsible for our Manchester office in 2006 and was appointed as a Director in 2015. He has overseen a significant expansion of both the capabilities and track record of our Manchester operations, along with establishing long term relationships with a client base which include Bruntwood, IBM and BSkyB.

Simon enjoys leisure cycling holidays abroad and walking in the Lake District.
Steve Johnson

Technical Director - CEng; BEng; MCIBSE

Steve is an experienced Technical Director. He started his career as a Mechanical Services design engineer before choosing to specialise in sustainability and particularly zero carbon design. Steve has a proven track record of successfully delivering large complex projects in London and around the world. His blended skill set of sustainability, along with his core MEP knowledge, makes him a great person to have at concept stage. Steve enjoys delivering great buildings to provide excellent, highly sustainable environments for users.

Steve’s career started as a student apprentice with Crown House, which led to him attending Reading University to study Building Services Design and Management. Following university he worked as a design consultant at Max Fordham before joining Hilson Moran in 2005. Steve has helped deliver a number of significant projects for Hilson Moran such as Principal Place, 20 Fenchurch Street, and Nova, Victoria amongst many others.

Outside of work Steve is a keen cyclist, when he has the time!
Matthew Kitson

Design Director - CEng BEng(Hons) MCIBSE MASHRAE

Matthew Kitson is a Design Director who has been with Hilson Moran for over 20 years. Matt has been responsible for building our Sustainability Consultancy Team, who have been involved in a wide range of the signature buildings in the UK. These include the RIBA Stirling prize winning 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin) and the Royal Albert Docks, which is the largest urban redevelopment project in Europe.

In 2012, Matt helped establish our business operations in Qatar, opening an office and securing work on a number of the 2022 World Cup Stadiums. After a 7 year period Matt returned to the UK and now leads our international work from London. He works closely with a number of signature architects on projects across multiple sectors and geographical locations including the Nordics, Scandinavia, Europe and the Middle East.

Matt’s ethos is to design masterplans and buildings that are environmentally progressive, functional, sustainable and protect the planets natural resources for generations to come.

Matt enjoys taking time out to take part in his new lockdown passion for open water synchronised swimming and extreme fair weather street tobogganing.
Tony Mayo

Technical Director - BSc CEng FCIBSE FIET

Tony is a passionate Technical Director, who has supported the technical agenda within our business for over 20 years, alongside his strong leadership and management on projects. Well known for contributing to and peer reviewing industry related technical standards, Tony continues to strengthen our connections with innovative suppliers and industry leading Contractors.

Tony has helped deliver major projects for clients such as Canary Wharf, Credit Suisse, City Offices, Allen & Overy and The Bank of New York. He specialises in the commercial office sector, placing utmost importance on client satisfaction.

Tony also takes a personal interest in electro-technical issues, representing the practice on a number of BSI Committees, and drafting the content of future British Standards relating to the design and installation of Fire Fighting and Life Safety electrical systems, with recent contribution (BS 8519) completed in September 2019. He was also the author of the BSRIA Technical Guide BG70 on the Subject of Life Safety and Fire Fighting Power Supplies.
David Orford

Director - IEng MCIBSE

David is Regional Director for the UAE, closely involved in business development activity in the GCC region along with taking overall responsibility for projects run from our Abu Dhabi office. This includes ensuring projects are compliant with local requirements along with incorporating sustainable, environmental and safety strategies relevant to the region.

With over 35 years industry experience David originally joined the practice in 1988 before relocating the UAE in 2008. His has since overseen a significant expansion of our Abu Dhabi operations and led the design delivery of some of Abu Dhabi’s most high profile new developments.
Matt Ingleton

Director - Operational Buildings/Vertical Transportation - BEng CEng MIMechE

Matt is a Director holding dual responsibilities within our Operational Buildings and Vertical Transportation / Façade Access Teams. Matt is passionate about working with clients to get the optimum from their buildings, throughout the complete lifecycle.

Matt’s background is in lifts and escalators and he has been involved in numerous significant projects for our major clients. These include acting as Designer, Project Manager, Principal Designer and Contract Administrator for modernisation programmes in commercial, retail and residential developments, both in the UK and internationally

With over 30 years’ experience, Matt originally qualified as a mechanical engineer prior to working for a major lift contractor, where he gained chartered status before joining the practice in 1995. In his role he has overseen a significant expansion of our activities, helping to establish long term relationships with clients including Aberdeen Standard, British Land, Savills, Jones Lang LaSalle and BNP Paribas Real Estate.

In his spare time Matt restores and drives classic cars, currently owning classic minis. Matt is also a keen cyclist.
Ben Abel

Technical Director - Head of R&D - CIBSE BSc HND

Ben is a Technical Director and Head of Research & Innovation, responsible for leading a team of specialist consultants to deliver all R&I activity – both in external commissions and to improve our own working practices.

With over 20 years’ experience in the building services industry, Ben’s previous positions included a role with BSRIA. His main areas of expertise are in building physics and computer modelling, where he is highly skilled in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Dynamic Thermal Modelling (DTM). He is involved with the CIBSE Building Simulation Group where he chairs the Certification sub-group on improving competence in the industry. He is also a Low Carbon Energy Assessor (LCEA) involved in bringing energy efficient design to the commercial market.

In his spare time Ben enjoys windsurfing, snowboarding and cycling.
Jason Horner

Director - Infrastructure & Environment - MSc CEng MEI

Jason is a Director of our Infrastructure and Environment Group, which delivers infrastructure and environmental planning, design and procurement solutions to all parts of the built environment supply chain.

Jason’s particular specialism is planning and procuring water, wastewater, energy and data infrastructure in support of major development, major urban regeneration and public sector growth studies (economic and spatial planning). He has delivered these services for some of the UK’s biggest regeneration projects, numerous Garden Villages, and has supported local, regional and even national government with growth and planning studies.

Jason is a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Energy Engineer and Member of the Energy Institute and finding innovative/viable opportunities to meet net zero and net positive carbon outcomes is his driver.

Jason joined the practice in 2014, having created and developed Thames Water’s multi-utility business, led a consultancy framework with White Young Green and delivered some of Water & Environmental Resource Management’s largest projects. Jason is currently working on the £1.7bn Royal Albert Dock, a Garden Village and the infrastructure investment need associated with 21,000 new homes in south east London.

Jason’s best stories are of caving in North Yorkshire and scrapes when travelling in remote parts of the world.
Steven Kershaw

Head of Fire Engineering - LPCB OND

Steven heads our fire engineering group, supervising the design of fire protection systems and establishing the fire standards which are adopted on all projects delivered by the practice.

With over 15 years’ experience in fire protection design, Steve previously worked in design and management roles for Tyco Integrated Fire and Security, Wormald Fire, Hall and Kay Fire Engineering, UTC and Eton Fire prior to joining the practice in 2015. He has managed and delivered fire engineered systems across a broad range of developments and special risk projects, which in his time with the practice has included 80 Fenchurch Street, Wembley NW06, Principal Place and Rathbone Square, along with the Precinct 5 Stadium in Qatar.

Steve is a dedicated family man, devoting all of his recreational time to his young family – from teaching his son to swim every weekend to fun pursuits such as rock climbing. Steve dreams of the day when he can dust off the golf clubs and continue his car restoration.
Marie-Louise Schembri

Design Director

Marie-Louise is an architect and energy expert, specialising in intra-disciplinary collaborations across our projects, from buildings to city masterplans.

Marie-Louise started her industry journey as an architecture and design management practitioner. After 5 years she qualified as an environmental engineering consultant and worked in a number of European cities, with a focus on sustainable masterplanning, energy and carbon, dynamic thermal modelling and environmental certification. She joined Hilson Moran in 2012 and has since successfully delivered some of Hilson Moran’s most sustainable projects, including a zero carbon residential-led masterplan in Bermondsey, an EPC A for the Grade II listed 30 Grosvenor Square, and CO2 reductions in excess of 50% at Royal Albert Dock and 30 Broadwick Street. She continues to lead a number of R&I initiatives about residential overheating and operational carbon, modular design, community creation in tall buildings and environmental parametric design.

Marie-Louise was technical advisor to several planning authorities in the UK and France and for the Carbon Challenge (Homes England). She authored the Health Technical Manual HTM 07-07 for the UK Department for Health (2013) and has contributed to a number of industry publications and regularly speaks and blogs on sustainability and health aspects of the built environment.

Marie-Louise is a graphical illustrator, a holiday hiker and is actively involved in local community groups in her area to improve community involvement in placemaking and air quality.
Phil Gardener

Bid Manager

Phil is the practices Bid Manager, working closely with Directors and discipline leaders to support all commercial bid related activity. In his time with the practice he has contributed to securing a number of major projects along with long term appointments in both public and private sectors, including ongoing framework agreements with the Girls Day School Trust and the University of Cambridge.

Having graduated from the University of Manchester in 2009 Phil spent 5 years working in the Oil & Gas industry for a mechanical services contractor before joining the practice in 2015.

Phil is a keen footballer and lifelong supporter of his hometown team, Wolverhampton Wanderers.