Severfield appoints Simon Nicholas as Chief Technical Officer

9 November 2026, London, United Kingdom - Severfield plc, the UK’s market-leading structural steel group, is delighted to announce it has appointed Simon as Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and Executive Committee member to strengthen engineering leadership and support delivery of its refreshed Group strategy.

The appointment puts engineering excellence and stronger technical capability at the heart of a more integrated approach to design, manufacturing and construction, delivering greater certainty for clients.

Reporting to Chief Executive Paul McNerney, Simon will lead engineering and design, across Severfield’s operations in the UK, Europe and India, with a focus on driving innovation and closer collaboration across the Group.

A key priority will be engaging with clients earlier in the project lifecycle, including through pre-construction services agreements (PCSAs), to help shape designs and deliver more efficient, innovative and constructable solutions.

Simon, who is a Chartered Engineer with over 27 years' experience in structural engineering and international leadership, joins from Surbana Jurong, where he oversaw 650 people across 12 locations as Global Operations Director for MEP+ED and Global Sector Leader for Industrial and Data Centres.

Prior to that he spent eight years as Managing Director, UK & Europe, at Robert Bird Group, which grew from 140 to 260 people during his tenure. He also led global sustainability initiatives focused on reducing embodied carbon through design. Major Projects during that time include Battersea Power Station, Elephant Park, Brisbane's Cross River Rail, Camp Nou stadium, Nova Victoria, St Johns Wood Square, and the XLCC Hunterston cable factory.

Paul McNerney, Chief Executive Officer of Severfield, said:

"Our refreshed Group strategy is about building a stronger, more integrated Severfield, with engineering excellence and client collaboration central to our success. I am delighted that Simon is joining our team. He brings enormous industry knowledge, international experience and ability to develop engineering teams to help deliver that ambition.

His experience across both design consultancy and contracting will be particularly valuable as we look to engage clients earlier, improve collaboration and deliver better outcomes across the project lifecycle."

Simon Nicholas, Chief Technical Officer, added:

"There is a tremendous opportunity to build on Severfield’s engineering and delivery reputation by connecting our people, technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities. I've always believed the best outcomes come from bringing engineering into projects early, collaborating with clients and contractors, and designing with delivery in mind.

I look forward to working across the Group to develop our people, embrace innovation and strengthen our capability to deliver exceptional client outcomes."