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Stewart Brundell, Willmott Dixon’s Managing Director of the company’s London & East region, has been promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at its £1 billion turnover Construction business.
Brundell has almost 40 years’ service with Willmott Dixon, having joined its trainee management programme before becoming the company’s first ever Trainee of the Year.
Stepping up at London & East to replace Brundell is Simon Ramage, currently Director of Delivery, who will initially be promoted into the role of Deputy MD before taking on the full MD role in January 2026 following a transition period. Like Brundell, Ramage is a former Willmott Dixon trainee and Trainee of the Year winner with almost 30 years’ experience at the company.
The promotions follow John Waterman’s decision to step down as the Construction division’s COO earlier this year after 10 years in the role and underlines the company’s commitment to developing a strong pipeline of talent and promoting from within.
Graham Dundas, Willmott Dixon’s CEO said: “Stewart’s promotion to COO reflects both his exceptional track record and our focus on creating the right platform for our next stage of growth. His near 40-year career from trainee to COO is a tremendous success story and demonstrates the strength of our succession planning.
“These appointments come at an exciting time as we see exceptional opportunities across our core markets. With Stewart leading our construction operations and Simon taking the helm at London & East, we have the right leadership team in place to drive our ambitious long-term plans.”
Alongside the appointments, Willmott Dixon is giving extended strategic roles within its Construction leadership team, with Anthony Dillon, MD in the North, overseeing growth, and Peter Owen, MD in the Midlands, supporting operational delivery. Also, Richard Cotter, a leading specialist in business strategy and growth, has been appointed to support the Construction Board as a Non-Executive Director.
