Construction firm’s development arm announces leadership changes in Birmingham

HBD, part of Henry Boot, has announced a senior move to its Birmingham office, with Simon Raiye promoted to head of region.

Raiye joined HBD in 2015 as a development manager, quickly making his mark on the business. He played a key role in the company’s regional growth, achieving a promotion to Director of Development in 2020. He has been an integral part of the HBD team in Birmingham, bringing extensive experience across the industrial and logistics, urban and residential regeneration sectors.

The change follows the impending departure of director Justin Sheldon, who, after a decade of notable contributions to the business, is taking on a new role elsewhere. Sheldon has helped deliver a number of major developments for HBD, notably the regeneration of the former Imperial Tobacco Factory, which has been transformed into a 426,000 sq ft industrial and logistics scheme, Power Park.

Vivienne Clements, chief executive at HBD, said: “Justin has played a key role in helping to establish HBD’s presence in the Midlands and we wish him all the best in his new role.

“We have no doubt that Simon will excel in his new position as Head of Region; is a key player in the Midlands market and has been instrumental in delivering a number of major projects such as SPARK in Walsall, Setl in Birmingham’s Jewelery Quarter and our exciting new residential scheme, Neighborhood. We look forward to Simon continuing to build HBD’s presence in the Midlands, expanding our development and investment pipeline and building on his successes to date.”

HBD operated from six offices, including Birmingham. Its development volume currently stands at £1.3 billion, focusing on industrial and logistics, residential and urban regeneration projects, delivering sustainable, high-quality schemes that meet strict ESG requirements.