West Midlands housebuilding appoints new MD

Following the planned retirement of the outgoing Dominic Harman, a new Managing Director has been appointed at housebuilder Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia, based in Solihull.

Helen Lewis, who is originally from Bedfordshire but has lived in Liverpool for the past 20 years, is delighted to take the opportunity to head up such a successful company as Dominic looks forward to his retirement.

Based in Solihull, the Mercia division builds new homes across the West Midlands, including Birmingham, Coventry, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire.

Helen began her career in contracting, working on large demolition and remediation projects for a range of clients, including housebuilders. Subsequently, Helen worked for a number of national housebuilders before joining Barratt Developments as a Regional Operations Director in 2021.

Helen said: “I’m excited to be working with a team of hugely experienced people.

“Housebuilding is an exciting and fast paced industry which provides incredible opportunities for career progression. With so many different roles available, there is truly something for everyone, regardless of background or skillset.”

As a greater number of women take up roles in the industry, Helen says she is proud to be part of the generation spearheading the positive change.

She added: “I am grateful that I work for a forward-thinking company that promotes the right people to the right roles regardless of gender. A diverse workforce better represents our customer base and leads to more balanced business decisions.

“To any woman looking to begin a career in the construction industry, my advice would be to seize every opportunity that comes your way to gain as broad a range of experiences as possible.”