Oxford: Property consultancy Ridge & Partners appoints new partner

Ridge & Partners LLP, an award-winning, multi-discipline property and construction consultancy, has announced the senior appointment of Patric Vale as a partner in the Oxford cost management team with a focus on the healthcare and science sectors.

Vale brings over 15 years of construction expertise and joins Ridge from construction consultancy AECOM, where he was head of the Oxford office cost management team, specialising in delivering services in healthcare, science and higher education.

Vale served in the British Army for eight years, prior to embarking on his career in the construction industry. He has successfully delivered many complex projects and programmes, navigating them through pre-construction phases into procurement and construction.  His pro-active and pragmatic approach that anticipates significant issues and risks, has resulted in some of the latest key healthcare and research facilities progressing into construction, some of which fall within the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge arc.  These include, amongst others, Rosalind Franklin Institute (STFC), National Satellite Test Facility (STFC), Biochemistry Completion (University of Oxford), Cancer Centre at Guys, East Wing Cladding and PET Phase 2 (Guys’ and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust), Pears Building (Royal Free Charity), Advance Quantum Metrology Laboratory (National Physical Laboratory).

On his recent appointment, Vale said: “I’m excited to be joining the growing Ridge team and admire the consultancy’s focus on clients with over 80% repeat business. I truly enjoy working on complex health and science related projects that require the highest level of control and leadership, and the direct engagement you have with clients, their varied end user and stakeholder groups, and the wider project and design teams. To turn a broad concept into a reality, often against a constrained budget and tight programme, is a challenge that I always relish. In the science, health and university sectors, I have been fortunate to work with the wide range of stakeholders including leading academics, researchers, signature architects, engineers and multi-disciplinary teams. I look forward to developing and growing our expertise in these sectors with Ridge”.

Mark Richards, Ridge Oxford office managing partner, said: “Patric is an excellent addition to our cost management team bringing his expertise and passion to this strong area of growth for Ridge in complex health and science projects. Our multi-discipline structure is ideally suited to support Patric in this endeavour”.