Independent Northern construction consultants RLB appoints industry stalwart to leadership team

Leading independent Northern property, construction and management consultancy, Rider Levett Bucknall has secured the appointment of RICS Regional Chair for Yorkshire & Humber, Andy Hirst, who will join its team to lead its Industrial & Logistics (I&L) growth in Yorkshire & Humber region, a sector that has seen sustained growth YOY in the region.

Hirst, a Project Manager and Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has worked on some of the leading projects within the North including a recent £200m manufacturing facility and the newly formed Sheffield Hallam Alliance, joins RLB as Partner from the Mace Group and previously Faithful+Gould.  He brings with him extensive experience working in the Industrial & Logistics, Manufacturing, Higher Education and Local Authority sectors in both Yorkshire & Humber region as well as across the North of England.

Andy Hirst, partner at RLB, “Having worked in the region for 25 years, I have watched RLB’s growth with interest and been impressed by the projects that Matt and the team have been involved with. I am really looking forward to working with them and being part of an employee-owned firm is also an exciting new chapter for me.”

Matt Summerhill, managing partner, RLB Yorkshire & Humber, “Andy joining RLB is a superb appointment for the team in Yorkshire and for RLB as a whole. He comes on board at a pivotal time for us as our Industrial and Logistics work has seen massive growth in response to customer demand.

Despite the pandemic, we achieved 15% growth year on year in the region and we have ambitious targets for the future which Andy will play an important role in supporting. He not only strengthens our expertise within the region, but across Project Management services and a number of our key sectors.”

Andy is no stranger to Yorkshire having graduated from Leeds Beckett University in Quantity Surveying in 2000. As well as being a Fellow of the RICS, Andy also holds a MBA in Construction and Real Estate, a RICS post-graduate diploma in Project Management and has also worked overseas in both the USA and Western Europe.