About

We’re the trusted people clients count on to ensure things run more smoothly, profitably & enjoyably.

Established in Manchester back in 1999 by Dez Walker and Jon Sime, Walker Sime has developed from a two-man band into one of the North West’s most well-respected Construction Consultancies.

These days based out of three regional offices, our 80-strong team provides specialist services including Quantity Surveying, Project Management, Employers Agent, Commercial Consultancy, Dispute Resolution, Bills of Quantities and Construction Design & Management.

Our reputation as the go-to people for technical excellence and unrivalled client service is something we’re incredibly proud of. Always remembering that our clients get to choose the people they work with.

Those same clients turn to us time and time again, and continually feedback that – while they’re reassured by our obsessive attention to detail, our straight-talking, and our fearlessness to challenge the brief or deliver occasionally difficult news – their people always enjoy working with our people. We simply dig deeper than most to build rock solid relationships, built on trust, respect and likability.

We get invited, often via client referral, to consult on a remarkably broad mix of briefs – working across public and private sectors on projects ranging from large scale infrastructure commissions to landmark regeneration schemes. We work in virtually every sector including marine, ports, roads, rail, airports, residential, commercial, industrial, distribution, storage, hotels, retail, waste to energy, gas, defence, health, education to name a few.

The Walker Sime family

People people

Everyone knows people are the foundation of every great business. And we’re no exception. In fact, in a recent audit an independent brand consultant asked 24 of our clients, “What do you like best about working with Walker Sime?” – alongside our technical excellence, attention to detail and ultra-reliability, of course – the answer couldn’t have been more emphatic. “It’s all about the people.”

Dunc

Duncan Firth

Managing Director

Duncan’s our MD. Sleeves rolled up and glass half full, he thrives on leading his 80-strong team from the front, inspiring and empowering them to deliver exceptional service and driving growth by making the exceptionally complex run smoothly. A more peoplier person you’ll struggle to find! His diverse experience spans SME to multinational, including a Director of Real Estate at Deloitte and a Project Lead on London 2012.
John S

Jon Sime MRICS

Client Relations Director

Jon Sime co-founded the business in 1999. Before that he put in a shift for a national PQS outfit, was Commercial Director for a well-respected Contracting firm, and also a Claims Consultant. He also did a stint Down Under, where he first met Dez. Regarded as Walker Sime’s Mr Unflappable, Jon takes the strategic lead in our Infrastructure team, helping clients manage risks and maximise returns.

jsime@walkersime.co.uk
Caz B

Caroline Rennie Assoc CIPD

Director of People & Culture

Caz has been with us since 2003. She knows Walker Sime inside out and back to front. Better than anyone, she knows what makes our people tick and leads on helping make sure everyone’s happy working here. After years with the world’s longest job title; Head of HR, Finance, Facilities Management, Health & Safety, and Office Management we thought a promotion to Director of People & Culture suited her better.

crennie@walkersime.co.uk
Greg

Gregory Gordan

Financial Director

Greg joined us in 2020, bringing over 20 years finance experience with him. Oh, and his framed ACCA and AAT certificates. He’s worked across a variety of industries, including Refrigerated Shipping, Facilities Maintenance and Industrials Services, with multinationals, family-owned businesses and SMEs. Greg’s a proper people person who’s passionate about fair play and helping colleagues develop in their roles, and thrive.

ggordon@walkersime.co.uk
Tammy Harrison

Tammy Harrison-Round

Director / Business Development

A passionate advocate for both diversity and inclusion in our sector, and for investment in emerging talent, Tammy is a Fellow of The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), with a Masters in Business and Strategic Leadership. With 24 years construction consultancy experience, she’s perfectly qualified to lead our biz dev plan. Not only is she a highly experienced QS, Tammy also helps clients navigate procurement pathways, making the potentially complex bewilderingly simple.

tharrisonround@walkersime.co.uk
Mark P

Mark Parker MRICS

Director / Project Management

Mark Parker was Walker Sime’s first employee. He spread his wings for a while, honing his skills managing multi-disciplined construction projects, from site acquisition to contract completion, and also worked 10 years client-side. But he’s back! A rare breed, Mark’s a Chartered QS who’s equally accomplished as a level-headed, commercially switched-on PM who clients quickly warm to and trust.

mparker@walkersime.co.uk
Dom Gill

Dom Gill MRICS

Director - Infrastructure Services

Dom, Director of our Infrastructure division, has vast experience of complex projects in the Highways, Power, Gas & Oil, and Utilities sector. A Chartered QS with pre and post-contract experience, he’s worked with many of the UK’s largest clients, specialising in NEC form of contract, project controls and PMO environment. And reassuringly, he’s also a Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Practitioner.

dgill@walkersime.co.uk
Jon Neville Pic

Jon Neville

Director of Infrastructure

Jon 'grew up' in oil and gas, leading major delivery programmes for the likes of E.On, SSE, National Grid and others. He loves the challenge of high-pressure infrastructure projects, but what he really loves is getting the best out of people, because that's what leads to more successful projects. A 'people person' to his core, he's one of the most natural 'fits' for Walker Sime you'll find — someone determined to help us grow, and in the right way.

jneville@walkersime.co.uk
Cathy Palmer

Cathy Palmer

Director of Regeneration Delivery

Cathy knows a thing or ten about what it takes to successfully deliver regeneration projects that genuinely transform towns and communities. The former Assistant Director for Deloitte Real Estate has already done it for Bolton and Wirral councils on some of the country's most ambitious regen programmes. At Walker Sime, she brings that shrewd master planning and place-making strategic know-how to an organisation as committed to community as she is.

cpalmer@walkersime.co.uk
Walker Sime Andy McNaghten

Andrew McNaghten MRICS

Director Project Management (Leeds)

Andy from Sheffield joined our team in 2018 as Associate Director. Experienced managing mixed-use construction projects, he’s our kind of person. Trusted and much-liked by clients, Andy’s an insanely safe pair of hands with an eagle-eye for detail and an enviable track record of success planning and programming the delivery of complex construction projects. He is responsible for our PM team in Yorkshire.

amcnaghten@walkersime.co.uk
Bills of Quantities - Nick

Nick Quinn MRICS

Associate Director

Nick is one of Walker Sime’s talented Associate Directors. He has a strong pedigree in Consulting and his construction sector experience includes over 15 years specialising in the production of Bills of Quantities – so naturally he heads up our dedicated BOQ team. He brings natural leadership qualities to his role managing his team of Quantity Surveyors, along with strong technical expertise and passion for delivering to the highest possible standard.


nquinn@walkersime.co.uk
Chris Tildsley

Chris Tildsley MRICS

Director Quantity Surveying (Liverpool)

Chris manages our Liverpool QS team, working across all sectors. With over 20 years’ experience under his belt and a sky high reputation, his extensive skillset has helped ensure the success of countless projects. A real team player who’s always striving for first class delivery, he knows the commercial office, hotels and industrial sectors like the back of his hand, and has also worked extensively in Stadia, Residential, and Ports & Marine.


ctildsley@walkersime.co.uk
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Charity

We take pride that we support charities close to our hearts. To name a few, we have fundraised for Wirral Hospice St. Johns and Coffee4Craig, which provide support for the homeless community in Manchester. We recently took part in the Great Manchester Run, to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre North West and the JLL Property Triathlon North, which supported JLL Property’s corporate charity, Crisis and Peels Group’s charity, the Christie. Dez Walker undertook the Barcelona Ironman to fundraise for the Christie and Ronald McDonald House. We’re also proud winners of the Liverpool Dragon Boat Race, in aid of Claire House Hospice for children.

See charity events
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Community

We’re proud to do our bit to inspire students to choose quantity surveying as a career path. We do this by visiting local schools and colleges such as Saddleworth School, Crompton House, St. Wilfred’s Sixth Form and St. Bede’s Catholic College as part of the RICS ‘Surveying the Future’ initiative. We also offer students the chance to gain work experience in our company and find out for themselves what quantity surveying is all about.

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Environment

We’re all about building better environments, not just locally but when we can, on a global level. So we’re proud participants in the government’s cycle to work scheme – and recently gave our people a safer place for their new wheels with a new bike shelter funded by a grant from TFGM. We’re also a bit obsessed by recycling and make sure everyone who works here is too.

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Employee wellbeing

We can’t be people people without putting our own employees first. So we go further than being compliant with the law in health and safety and follow best practice to promote health and wellbeing in leadership, absence management, health and safety, mental health, smoking, physical activity, healthy eating, alcohol and substance misuse.

  • Full accreditation of the Workplace Wellbeing Charter
  • Signatory to the RICS Inclusive Employer Quality Mark
  • Property Weeks ‘Best Places to work in Property 2019’
  • Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce social value bronze award