Member Article

WH Partnership appoints chairman

Top engineer John Challenger has joined North design, construction and engineering company WH Partnership as non-executive chairman.

A former managing director of Shepherd Consulting, John was until recently divisional director in the Mott MacDonald Group and head of the Industry & Process Group. He brings with him a wealth of experience in the design, construction and commissioning of plants in the global oil, chemical and healthcare industries. He is a member of the IChemE contracts committee and has been an Expert and Arbitrator on a number of disputes referred to the Institution.

John joins the Board as WHP prepares to open a new office in Cairo, following major contract wins in Egypt. Last year it launched its UK Technical Centre, where it manufactures and tests modular equipment for clients in a clean, controlled environment before installing it in facilities worldwide.

John said: “I am particularly pleased to join the Board at this exciting time for WHP. I have enjoyed working with its directors on various projects and have watched its development with interest. The company has grown significantly in the last few years and has established an excellent reputation for the design, construction and commissioning of major facilities in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and personal care industries.

“I was attracted to this new role by WHP’s ability to deliver a fully integrated service to its clients that combines process plant and clean room technology, either with a traditional construction approach or using pre-assembly and modular techniques. I aim to use my 40 years’ experience in the process industry to help the business grow sustainably in the UK and abroad.”

WHP’s managing director, Nigel Hall, said: “We are delighted to welcome such a well-respected chairman as John on to the Board of WHP. His experience and standing in professional engineering circles are second to none and we look forward to working with him to achieve even more success in the near future.”

WH Partnership was formed in 2006 from two local companies whose directors have more than 30 years’ experience in the design, engineering and construction of facilities for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and personal care industries. It has gone from strength to strength, with a turnover topping £20 million in 2012.

The company counts chemical giant BASF, toothpaste manufacturer Church & Dwight, GlaxoSmithKline and Avon among its major clients.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Deborah Anderson .