Confidence & Experience
Our people
Based across two offices with a national coverage, our experienced award winning team have the expertise and depth of knowledge to deliver excellence on every project we are engaged on.
Sunderland
Where it all started in 2006 and the home of our head office, our team based in the Sunderland Office offer all of our services in the sectors in which we work. Based in the North East of England we are well connected to not only service projects in the North East, but also to all major cities in the UK.
Alex Laws
Consultant
- Teams
- Employer’s Agent / Cost Consultant
- Here & now
- Alex works primarily on healthcare projects, but has experience in both public- and private-sector housing projects. As both Quantity Survey and Employer’s Agent, Alex has a range of experience in Contract Administration and Cost Management, and her experience working with funders has allowed her to develop clear and accurate valuation skills. Alex enjoys the challenges of working on complex projects with multiple stakeholders, managing client risk and ensuring they achieve best value.
- History
- Alex joined Identity Consult in 2017 after previously working for a local main contractor as an Assistant Quantity Surveyor. Prior to this, Alex worked for 6 years in the Social Housing sector.
- Affiliations
- Alex is currently undertaking her Assessment of Professional Competency and is hoping to become a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 2018.
- Personal
- Alex is a keen rower and an avid watcher of tennis. She loves to travel, and particularly to sample the local food and wine.
Alistair Henderson
Senior Consultant
- Teams
- Employer’s Agent
- Here & now
- Alistair is an experienced Employer’s Agent and Cost Consultant working predominantly in the housing and education sectors. In addition to the delivery of general needs affordable and private housing, Alistair has an extensive knowledge of specialist accommodation including extra care, dementia care and housing for disabled people. Alistair places a strong emphasis on the social impact of project delivery and takes pride in the positive impact our projects have on individuals and their communities.
- History
- Alistair joined Identity Consult in 2012 after graduating from Northumbria University with a BSc(Hons) degree in Quantity Surveying.
- Affiliations
- Alistair is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- In his personal time, Alistair enjoys music – having played in several bands in the past – and sports, including running and climbing.
Andrew Milnes
Director
- Teams
- Project Management
- Here & now
- Andrew is an experienced Project Manager with demonstrated history of working across a range of project scales and sectors. Andrew's expertise extends to multi-phased, multi-funded projects, which required a pragmatic bespoke Project Management approach to ensure the right outcome for his Clients. Andrew is inspired by and enjoys the challenge of working on complex projects and to help his clients create the buildings and environments they desire.
- History
- Andrew joined Identity Consult in 2013 after previously working for Morgan Sindall as a Building Design Manager where Andrew delivered projects in the Higher Education, Retail and Rail sectors.
- Affiliations
- Andrew is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- In his personal time, Andrew enjoys spending time on his pedal bikes - both in the mountains and on the road and spending time with his family.
Andy Pendlebury
Senior Consultant
- Teams
- Cost Consultant
- Here & now
- Andy is an experienced Cost Manager with extensive and wide ranging experience both within the public and private sectors. Andy has delivered schemes from inception to completion, across a wide range of projects, with specific recent experience in the Higher Education and Housing Sectors. Andy’s expertise extends to multi-phased, new build and refurbishment projects working in or around live buildings / estates and the knowledge to understand the cost implications of this. Andy has historical Main Contactor experience, which, aligned with his commercial consultancy knowledge and understanding of design allows key cost risks to be identified early. Andy will actively challenge all members of the project team to ensure value for money and will take a proactive approach to cost management to ensure the right outcome for his Clients.
- History
- Andy joined Identity Consult in 2006 after previously working for Barnfield Construction as a Quantity Surveyor / Development Surveyor where Andy delivered projects in the Higher Education, Retail, Housing, Commercial and Industrial sectors.
- Affiliations
- None
- Personal
- In his personal time, Andy enjoys training for and competing in Triathlons and travelling with recent trips to South America and Nepal incl trekking to Mountain Everest.
Beverley Peeke
Finance & Office Manager
- Teams
- Sunderland
- Here & now
- Beverley is the Office Manager for our Sunderland based practice, PA to Directors and also Finance Manager for Identity Consult.
- History
- Beverley joined Identity Consult in 2005 after previously working for Tarmac Northern as the Chief Accountant’s executive PA and supporting his Finance Team. Previously to that Beverley worked as PA to the Operations Director and also offered Support to the Finance team at BHD Building Products.
- Affiliations
- None
- Personal
- In her personal time, Beverley enjoys cycling and walking and going to gigs. Beverley also loves spending time with her family.
Charlotte Paul
Associate
- Teams
- Cost Consultant / Employer's Agent
- Here & now
- Charlotte is a Cost Consultant with an extensive pre and post contract management experience ranging across various sectors including Residential, Higher Education, Health and Sports and Leisure. Charlotte has a proactive approach to cost management and has direct experience of managing costs for schemes with multiple stakeholders, funders and schemes delivered in multiple phases. Charlotte applies her extensive knowledge of risk management and value engineering to all projects to ensure that the design team are challenged to guarantee best value through design whilst still achieving the Client’s key deliverables.
- History
- Charlotte joined Identity Consult in August 2009 and completed her degree BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying on a part time basis in July 2012.
- Affiliations
- Charlotte is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- Charlotte enjoys running and has taken part in several charity runs with fellow colleagues at Identity Consult. Charlotte tends to spend her holidays at her family home in Southern Spain and enjoys travelling around Spain, discovering new cities and sampling the local food and drinks.
Clara Riach
Assistant Consultant
- Teams
- Cost Consultant
- Here & now
- Clara has worked for over a year in the Social Housing Sector after obtaining her MSc degree at Northumbria University where she gained a range of experience in the procurement and tendering process and contract administration.
- History
- Clara recently joined Identity Consult in 2018 after working as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor for a North East based housing association.
- Affiliations
- Clara is currently undertaking her RICS Assessment of Professional Competency
- Personal
- In her spare time, Clara enjoys travelling and is a keen amateur photographer.
Claire Smith
Consultant
- Teams
- Employer’s Agent
- Here & now
- Claire is an Employer’s Agent and Cost Consultant working predominantly in the housing sector. In addition to the delivery of general needs affordable and private housing, Claire is expanding on her experience and becoming involved in larger scaled projects including office blocks and University refurbishment projects.
- History
- Claire joined Identity Consult in 2014 after previously working for RNJ Partnership as a trainee / assistant Quantity Surveyor whilst completing a part time degree at Northumbria University. Claire graduated in 2011 with a BSc(Hons) degree in Quantity Surveying.
- Affiliations
- Claire is currently working towards her chartered status for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- In her personal time, Claire enjoys participating in various charitable activities / events and as a result of this has recently taken up running. Claire also enjoys socialising and spending time with her family.
David Dent
Chairman
- Here & now
- David founded Identity Consult in 2006 and has overseen its growth into a leading Development Consultancy within the North of England. David is a Chartered Surveyor and qualified Project Manager who has supported clients deliver high profile and challenging schemes within a range of sectors. David’s experience extends to facilitating public/ private partnerships, adopting procurement strategies which can accommodate multi funded schemes which require a bespoke approach in which the client’s overriding objectives are fully satisfied. David is inspired by and enjoys the challenge of understanding the business and social context of any development and ensuring that the brief responds to those drivers and in so doing giving his clients true value.
- History
- Prior to establishing Identity Consult in 2006 David was a Board Director for international consultancy Faithful and Gould with overall responsibility for Education and Regeneration nationally.
- Affiliations
- David is a Member of both the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Association of Project Managers. David also sits on the Regional Council of the CBI.
- Personal
- In his personal time David can be found at Dean Street, Shildon where he is Chairman of Shildon AFC who play in the EBAC Northern League. David enjoys spending time with his wife Diane, his family including his Grandson, Alex and his beloved pug Apollo.
Duncan Rae
Assistant Consultant
- Teams
- Project Management / BIM Assurance
- Here & now
- Duncan is a new member of our team, working in Project Management, BIM and Information Management, following his recent MSc in Construction Project Management with BIM. Duncan assists our senior PMs with day to day project activities, to allow them to focus on strategically managing the project. His main area of work is in BIM assurance, federating models and running clash detection checks, in order to assist with design co-ordination. Additionally, he manages project Common Data Environments, ensuring project information is available to the relevant people and sensitive data is protected.
- History
- Duncan joined Identity Consult in July 2017 following his MSc at Northumbria University. Prior to this he worked as an Energy Management Officer at Durham County Council for 3 years. This role gave him a good understanding of client requirements on projects, from a Facilities Management perspective.
- Affiliations
- Duncan is an Associate Member of the Association for Project Managers.
- Personal
- In his free time Duncan enjoys sports including cycling, snowboarding and basketball, both playing and coaching at his local club.
Freddie Hebdon
Consultant
- Teams
- Employer’s Agent / Cost Consultant
- Here & now
- Freddie has had extensive project experience within the Residential sector but is also currently working within the Education, Retail and Public Sectors. As an Employer’s Agent and Quantity Surveyor Freddie enjoys the challenge of trying to achieve best value for Clients and the variety of work that both of these roles offer.
- History
- Freddie joined Identity Consult in October 2012 after graduating from Northumbria University with a BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying. Freddie undertook his APC (Assessment of Professional Competence) in June 2017 and subsequently passed to become a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Affiliations
- Freddie is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- In his personal time, Freddie enjoys keeping up with his favourite football team Newcastle United and going out for walks with his family and his Border Terrier, Pippa.
Jack Howey
Assistant Consultant
- Teams
- Project Management
- Here & now
- Jack is a new member of the Identity Consult team, working primarily in assisting senior members of the project management team within the affordable housing and private housing sector. Jack’s experience from his previous role has equipped him with the tools to deliver his client’s requirements with efficiency and success, while being able to deal with a variety of project team members.
- History
- Jack joined Identity Consult in November of 2017, having previously worked as an Assistant Project Manager at Rubb Buildings providing the RAF with relocatable aircrafts shelters. During his time with Rubb, Jack began studying a part-time MSc in Quantity Surveying through the University of Salford and is entering his final year of study in 2018.
- Affiliations
- Once completing his MSc Jack is looking forward to working towards completing his APC to become a chartered surveyor with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- Jack is football mad, not only playing up to four times a week but is also an avid Newcastle United supporter, following the team home and away. Jack also enjoys playing golf as long as the sun is shining and enjoys relaxing in his spare time playing his guitar.
Kieran Dent
Trainee Consultant
- Teams
- Sunderland
- Here & now
- Kieran supports all of the departments in his capacity as Trainee Consultant and plays a vital role in office admin support to the senior members of the Identity Consult team. Kieran is a proficient user of CostX and regularly supports the Cost Management team with measures on projects where we are working as part of a BIM enabled team. Kieran also supports with project setup, developing some of the tools that assist with ensuring project governance is in place from the outset of the project.
- History
- Kieran joined Identity Consult in July 2013 as a Trainee Consultant.
- Personal
- In his personal time Kieran enjoys gaming and reading, as well as spending time with family and walking his dog.
Luke Robinson
Consultant
- Teams
- Cost Consultant
- Here & now
- Luke is a Quantity Surveyor with experience in delivering projects from a wide variety of sectors including residential, retail, leisure and care and support. Luke provides both Employer’s Agent and Quantity Surveying services for his clients.
- History
- Luke originally graduated from Northumbria University with a degree in Quantity Surveying in 2011 and worked as an Asbestos Surveyor for 3 years before returning to quantity surveying for Identity Consult in 2014.
- Affiliations
- Luke is currently going through the APC process with ambitions of becoming a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- In his personal time, Luke enjoys live music, surfing, golf and snowboarding and is a keen follower of Liverpool F.C. and Irish rugby.
Mark Doherty
Managing Director
- Here & now
- Mark is the Managing Director of Identity Consult but maintains a hands on approach to project delivery. Mark is an Employer’s Agent and Cost Manager by background with extensive experience across a range of sectors including residential, higher education, health and commercial.
- History
- Mark joined Identity Consult when the company was formed in 2006, having previously worked for Faithful & Gould. Mark was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2009 and led the Management Buy Out in 2018 to be appointed as our new Managing Director.
- Affiliations
- Mark is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- In his personal time, Mark enjoys playing cricket, attending music gigs and spending time with his family.
Mark Graham
Senior Consultant
- Teams
- Project Management
- Here & now
- Mark is an experienced Project Manager, Employer’s Agent and Cost Consultant, specialising in affordable housing, private housing and development consultancy. During Mark’s time at Identity Consult, Mark has been involved in a number of key housing and regeneration projects throughout the North and the rest of the UK. Mark takes personal satisfaction in seeing a project through to its completion, from being involved in the initial concept stage to delivery and having the ability to experience the evidence of his contribution in the form of a final product. Mark believes Winston Churchill put it best when he said “we shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.”
- History
- Mark joined Identity Consult at the end of 2010, after having spent time working in China.
- Affiliations
- Mark is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- In his spare time, Mark enjoys keeping fit including martial arts, hiking and cycling.
Mark Williams
Associate Director
Mark Williams
Associate Director
- Teams
- Employers Agent / Project Management
Natacha Redon
Associate / BIM Lead
- Teams
- Project Management / BIM
- Here & now
- Natacha is an award-winning project manager who also leads the Building Information Modelling (BIM), Information Management, Soft Landings and Facilities Management consulting services for Identity Consult. Her wide range of specialisms allow her to offer holistic services on projects, with a strong understanding of interdependencies and efficiencies. Natacha’s international background and experience support her ambitions to implement wide-ranging best practices in projects, irrespective of their size and nature.
- History
- Natacha joined Identity Consult in March 2015 after having worked as a project manager, BIM Lead and information manager for Turner & Townsend across their UK, German and Austrian offices.
- Affiliations
- Natacha is an associate member, and North East Committee member of the Association for Project Management.
- Personal
- Natacha’s passion is for travelling, with holidays spent on road trips in exotic places where possible. Her count of countries visited is currently shy of twenty eight to match her age, which she is currently trying to make up for.
Pete Johnson
Senior Director
- Teams
- Project Management
- Here & now
- Pete leads the Project Management team based in the Sunderland office and is also a hands-on Project Manager and Development Consultant. Pete specialises in the delivery of projects with multiple stakeholders and has successfully used this to deliver complex multi-phase projects in the Higher Education sector. Through his previous roles, he also has expertise in housing development and regeneration projects and his commercial approach and thorough understanding of the market allow him to support Clients in maximising value from developments.
- History
- Pete joined Identity Consult in 2008 from Erimus Housing where he led the Development Team and prior to that worked for Sunderland’s regeneration agency, Sunderland arc.
- Affiliations
- Pete is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- Outside of the office, Pete is a keen football fan. He holds a season ticket for Sunderland, but the side closest to his heart is Liverpool (but don’t tell his wife that!).
Simon Allan
Associate
- Teams
- Project Management
- Here & now
- Simon has a wealth of experience within the construction industry working across UK markets, with an excellent track record delivering for academic, commercial and technical organisations in the North of England. Simon has extensive experience of managing multidisciplinary design teams from concept to completion through various procurement routes, often with multiple stakeholders and funders. Simon possesses an active commitment to ensuring clients receive bespoke services that reflect their specific project aspirations.
- History
- Simon joined Identity Consult in April 2018, further to 13 years with Atkins as an Architectural team leader and Project Manager having delivered numerous new build and refurbishment projects. Simon’s experience is spread across a range of sectors and markets; notably new build education, large refurbishment and remodelling of public facilities (including Listed Buildings) and commercial / industrial developments.
- Affiliations
- Simon is a Member of the Royal Institution of British Architects.
- Personal
- Outside of the office, Simon is an avid rugby fan, coaching / playing rugby at Tynedale RFC. Simon enjoys time with his young family, particularly walking, climbing and sailing in The Lakes and further afield.
Simon Imrie-Bell
Consultant
- Teams
- Project Management
- Here & now
- Simon is relatively new to Identity Consult but in a short space of time has gained a great deal of experience across several different project sectors to varying degrees of scale. Simon has thus far worked and is working on large residential schemes, student accommodation projects and has delivered numerous higher education schemes, the majority of which have been complex in their nature. Simon is enjoying the steep learning curve that he is currently on and is looking forward to a long future in Project Management.
- History
- Simon joined Identity Consult in 2016 after having returned to University to complete an MSc in Project Management. Simon had uses his experiences in working closely with clients to gain maximum stakeholder satisfaction.
- Affiliations
- Simon is working towards becoming a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- In his spare time Simon enjoys getting out on the golf course, playing his guitar or cooking up a storm in the kitchen, although Simon is about to become a Dad for the first time so leisure activities are about to take a back seat.
Preston
Borne out of our growing client base, our Preston office was opened in 2013 and delivers projects both locally and nationally across a multitude of sectors. Our team have the depth of experience which enables us to deliver the services you need to meet your brief.
Alex Atkinson
Associate Director
- Teams
- Project Management
- Here & now
- Alex is an experienced Project Manager with particular knowledge of general needs housing and extra care schemes. Alex also has considerable master planning experience and has delivered a variety of projects as part of a wider masterplan; including refurbishment of tower blocks and development of a multi-use hub comprising housing, health and retail. Alex’s skills include supporting organisations to work collaboratively to achieve a common goal and delivering schemes from conception through to operational running. Alex is able to deliver a bespoke service for complex projects and is passionate about working on schemes that will benefit local communities.
- History
- Alex joined Identity Consult in 2017 after previously working for Trafford Housing Trust as a Senior Development Manager delivering a range of Housing Projects for both affordable and open market sale.
- Affiliations
- Alex is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Building and the Chartered Institute of Housing.
- Personal
- In her personal time, Alex enjoys spending time with her family, especially her 2 young children. Alex is also very active in her local community including a co-operative owned pub in Salford.
Carey Gorgees
Assistant Consultant
- Teams
- Project Management
- Here & now
- Carey has accumulated a portfolio of key project management experience across a range of sectors and projects. Over the years he has refined his project management skills through working on residential, leisure, commercial and infrastructure developments. He has a proven ability to conduct the role of survey manager and document controller for large complex projects which involve a multitude of sites. His experience is diverse having worked on residential, leisure, commercial and infrastructure projects, this has allowed him to gain a firm grasp of project and program management. He is currently delivering projects for some of Identity Consult’s key clients within the Higher Education and Local Authority sectors.
- History
- Carey joined Identity Consult in 2017 after previously working for Arcadis in its Infrastructure division, specifically Rail, as an Assistant Project Manager
- Affiliations
- Carey is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Building.
- Personal
- While not at work Carey enjoys keeping fit through playing basketball and going to the gym. He enjoys being adventurous with his spare time and so is often trying out new hobbies or visiting undiscovered places on his weekends.
Heather Fitton
Assistant Consultant
- Teams
- Employer’s Agent / Cost Consultant / Project Management / Quantity surveyor
- Here & now
- Heather has been working on projects in the residential and education sectors in addition to commercial refurbishment schemes. Her role includes analysing contracts, collating project information for clients and providing cost information as projects develop. Heather's previous skills as a mathematician complement her analytical role.
- History
- Heather has a BA Hons Mathematics degree from The University of Manchester where she specialised in core maths and Fluid Mechanics. She also has a Post Graduate degree in Secondary Mathematics and is currently studying part time to complete a Quantity Surveying degree at the University of Salford and channel her previous skills into the role of a QS.
- Affiliations
- After her degree Heather plans to work towards chartered status for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- Heather is a freestyle snowboarder and enjoys rock climbing and going to the gym. In her free time she likes spending time outdoors, walking and socialising with friends.
Matthew Sowerby
Senior Consultant
- Teams
- Project Management / Cost Consultant
- Here & now
- Matthew is an experienced Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor with experience of working across higher education, housing and care sectors. Matthew has knowledge of both JCT and NEC forms of contract and has most recently completed a number of projects at Lancaster University including the Physics Refurbishment, new build extension to the Chemistry building and the ground breaking IsoLab project.
- History
- Matthew joint Identity Consult in 2008 as a Trainee whilst studying part time and then relocating to the North West in 2013 to work from the then newly formed North West office.
- Personal
- In his personal time Matthew has a passion for strength sports, competing in Powerlifting and Strongman competitions.
Matty Pendergast
Director
- Teams
- Project Management
- Here & now
- Matthew is a Director of Identity Consult and heads up the North West office in Preston. He manages multiple projects across various sectors providing support and advice on Stakeholder Management, PFI/PPP projects, Contract Administration, Programming and Risk Management. Matthew has a particular commitment to education and improving outcomes for young people, carrying out the role of Chair of Governors at a primary school in Merseyside.
- History
- Prior to joining Identity Consult, Matthew was Regional Education Sector Leader within Turner & Townsend’s North West office and a multi-award winning Project Manager, winning the APM Project Manager of the Year award in 2010 and RICS North West Project of the Year in 2014. Matthew has over 15 years experience and has successfully delivered projects across a wide range of sectors including Education, Local Government, Affordable Housing, Health, Regeneration and Heritage. Previously he has led the redevelopment of Liverpool Central Library (£50m), Edge Hill University’s capital programme (£80m) and the redevelopment of the University of Manchester’s Fallowfield campus (£200m).
- Affiliations
- Matthew is a member of the Association for Project Managers.
- Personal
- Matthew is a keen runner and cyclist. He is also an avid fan of Madness and is the lead singer of a Madness tribute band.
Michelle Merry
Business Support Manager
- Teams
- Preston
- Here & now
- Michelle has recently been promoted to Business Support Manager due to her ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritise work. She has responsibility for coordinating various back office functions within Identity Consult utilising her exceptional organisation and communication skills. Michelle has the skills to plan, organise and complete work with often conflicting deadlines, and is proficient in writing and management of the companies work on bids and tenders. Michelle also advises the company on all HR related matters after achieving Level 5 with Diploma for CIPD. Her ambition is to become chartered in the very near future.
- History
- Michelle joined Identity Consult in September 2013 after previously working for Enterprise plc in its Government Services Department as PA to the Managing Director.
- Affiliations
- Michelle is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a professional association for human resource management professionals.
- Personal
- While not at work Michelle enjoys running. She also enjoys a challenge and back in June 2014 took part in the Warrior Challenge, raising over £1000 for charity.
Simon Lomiiko
Senior Consultant
- Teams
- Employer’s Agent /Cost Consultant / Project Management
- Here & now
- Simon has extensive experience delivering commissions across a wide range of sectors from inception to completion. These include projects in the residential and education sectors ranging from complex multi-disciplinary new build projects with budgets of up to £30 million to small scale refurbishment schemes. As an Employer’s Agent, Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager Simon enjoys the challenges and the variety that both of these roles offer. Simon is currently working on a number of high profile projects for Registered Providers and Higher Education clients.
- History
- Simon joined Identity Consult in August 2013 after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management and has worked in Identity Consult’s Preston office since it’s opening in 2013.
- Affiliations
- Simon is a working towards his chartered status for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
- Personal
- Simon enjoys playing rugby for his local team and watching and taking part in most sports, as well as listening to music and travel.