Changes at the top as environmental consultancy APEM eyes further growth

• New CEO and strengthening of leadership team
• Revenues soar six-fold from £10m to £60m
• Continuing international growth and expansion

APEM Group, the global environmental consultancy, has announced changes to its senior leadership team as it sets its sights on further growth.

Dr Adrian Williams, who has led the business for the last six years, will pass the baton of CEO to Leah McGimpsey and become an executive director. Following the recent appointment of three managing directors; Alex Campbell, Darroch Baker and most recently Alistair Davidson joining from Royal Haskoning, the leadership team is further strengthened by Dr Stuart Clough as chief client officer.

The APEM Group has seen a six-fold growth in revenue since a management buyout backed by private equity firm WestBridge in 2019.

APEM has grown from a small UK consultancy with revenue of £10m to a Group with revenue of £60m, employing over 600 staff at offices in UK, Europe, USA, and Australia.

Strong organic growth has been supplemented with the strategic acquisition of four specialist businesses – Woodrow, AQUAFACT, GoBe and Macro Works. As demand for end-to-end environmental consultancy continues to grow, developing innovative solutions enables APEM to help solve our client’s biggest environmental challenges, partnering with them to deliver a thriving shared natural environment.

Williams said:

“It has been a privilege to be CEO of the APEM Group. We have achieved remarkable growth thanks to the dedication of our people, who all share an unflinching commitment to innovation, progressive science, and technology in their service delivery to clients.
“Over the last two years, I have brought together a leadership team with the depth and breadth of experience to take the company to the next level. With Leah’s strategic skills and vision, I have every confidence in the future success of APEM.”
Since joining APEM as chief strategy officer in 2022, McGimpsey has developed and launched the Group’s five-year growth strategy and delivered an M&A pipeline of global opportunities.

With a background in the scientific, consulting, and private equity sectors on both sides of the Atlantic, she will continue implementing the Group’s business strategy with a focus on organic growth, international expansion, and strategic acquisitions.
In other changes, Dr Stuart Clough has become the company’s first chief client officer. The new role will see him take responsibility for client engagement, brand development and international expansion.

Of her new role, McGimpsey said:

“The APEM Group’s reputation for scientific and technical excellence is second to none and is central to our unique right to win. We’re passionately devoted to driving real impact for the environment and communities in which we operate, in partnership with our clients and people.
“I am thrilled to be leading the next phase of growth, surrounded by a hugely capable leadership team, underpinned by the impeccable reputation established by Adrian, Stuart, and the team. The APEM Group operates in markets that have a growing need for our environmental services, and we are poised to deliver.”

Clough said:

“Throughout my APEM career, I’ve enjoyed partnering with a great variety of organisations from around the world.
“We have been established in the US for several years and have recently agreed long term contracts with clients in Australia’s renewables industry.
“What drives me is identifying and understanding the challenges of today and tomorrow, then collaborating with the brightest minds to find progressive solutions. Our market leading innovations, such as H2OVER and LIDAR, for example, were born out of delivering ROI for clients, and I’m delighted that demand for them continues to grow.
“Engaging with our clients to find optimal technical solutions builds cohesive and mutually advantageous relationships.”
Support from WestBridge has brought strategic value and enabled APEM to develop a scalable internal infrastructure and pursue acquisitions.

WestBridge partner, Peter Barkley, said:

“Since our investment in 2019, we have supported APEM’s investment in high quality talent and leadership to create a robust platform to deliver organic and acquisitive growth.
“The success of this is demonstrated by the six-fold increase in revenue delivered during this period and recognition of APEM as a world leading niche environmental consultancy.
“Given the significantly increased scale of the Group since our investment, the changes announced create a best-in-class leadership team with the ambition and capability to deliver the next phase of APEM’s strategic growth plan.”

ENDS
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