What a Mace Consult Demerger Means for Mace in Construction

Mace Group is undergoing profound changes after completing the demerger of Mace Consult in March 2026. 

It followed Goldman Sachs Alternatives acquiring a majority stake in Mace Construct, which remains part of the Group.

The demerger allows Mace Construct and Mace Consult to operate as two separate entities, removing delivery and advisory conflicts of interest.

Since the demerger, Mace Construct has experienced a number of structural shifts at its top.

Non-executive directors step down

Nina Bjornstad and John Holland Kaye, two non-executive directors, have decided to step down from the Mace Group Board to focus on non-executive responsibilities.

John was appointed Chair of the planned 3.2-gigawatt nuclear power station Sizewell C, and Chair of gas distribution network Cadent Gas in 2025.

Meanwhile, Nina has served on the group board of Etraveli, a global flight technology platform, and holds several other board roles.

Nina joined Mace’s Advisory Board when it was first established in 2023, before moving into the Group Board in January 2025. 

John was an original member of the Group Board and sat on the Safety & Responsible Business and People & Remuneration Committees.

Sylvia Metayer succeeds Nina as Chair of the Group’s People and Remuneration Committee. The Group has not yet announced a replacement for John.

“Nina and John have made a hugely valuable contribution during a pivotal period for Mace Group. Their leadership, insight and expertise have strengthened our Board and helped guide the organisation through one of the most significant transitions in our history,” Mark Reynolds CBE, Executive Chairman of Mace Group.

The Group aims to continue to align with the UK Corporate Governance Code. It will be conducting a review of the governance needs of the company in the coming months.

Major leadership shifts

Changes among Mace Construct have far outnumbered those among the Group’s boards and are set to transform the company.

At the end of 2025 it announced it had established a more streamlined operating model of only three business units, shaved down from five. 

It now consists of Commercial; Public Sector, Science and Technology and Infrastructure. 

The company signalled that additional phased changes would follow in 2026 to boost long-term resilience and performance. 

One of these changes is the promotion of Paul Connolly from Head of Construction Technical Services to Director of Technology. 

Paul now manages Mace Construct’s data centres division. His appointment supports the company’s commitment to a technology-driven, engineering-led approach to project delivery in a growing market.

Alister Grey, Managing Director of Technology, is exiting the company after working for Mace Group for a decade. 

He was central to its delivery of Battersea Power Station and a number of hyper-scale data centres across Europe. 

In a move to align specialist capability with client need, the company has appointed Gavin Seager as Managing Director of Specialist Services. 

Under his leadership, the Interiors team aims to deliver a high-quality commercial fitout offer in London, with the goal of reinforcing integration across business units and improving the company’s ability to respond to market conditions quickly and with precision. 

“These changes reflect the next step in our long‑term plan to build a more resilient, focused and future‑ready Mace Construct. As a standalone company, we have taken the time to reset and refocus parts of our business and are sharpening our strategic direction, strengthening our leadership through internal promotions, and ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients,” says Jason Millett, CEO of Mace Group.

“Alister has played a pivotal role in shaping and operating Mace Construct’s data centres offer. I and the wider leadership team would like to thank him for his significant contribution and commitment. We wish him every success in his future endeavours.”

Mace Construct’s pipeline of work

According to Mace Construct, it has secured a strong pipeline of work since transitioning into a three-business-unit operating model, progressing a “refined route-to-market strategy across its target sectors".

It says more than 75% of its current work is with repeat clients.

The company has set a target to be the most productive UK contractor by 2030, signing a contract last month with St Martin’s Property Group to deliver the redevelopment of London’s former City Hall into a contemporary, sustainable workplace.