Andy Jones

With more than 20 years of construction experience under his belt, Andy Jones has been a trailblazer in the delivery of numerous iconic projects in the UK and abroad. In his role as Managing Director for Major Projects, Andy leads a 460-strong team with a forward-thinking, hands-on approach that continuously raises the bar on innovation and sustainable delivery.

How did you get into what you do?

My dad paved the way for me. He set up his own construction and plant hire company when he was a teenager. From the age of four I accompanied him on site visits and my taste for the industry developed from there. Prior to joining Mace in 2018, I worked for Carillion in the Middle East and Canada. I’ve been very fortunate to have worked around the world, from building a new parliament in Oman to the first Opera House in the Middle East, as well as leading the delivery of major airports and hospitals in Canada.

Why Mace?

Mace is pushing boundaries when it comes to safety, sustainability and modern methods of construction and I really wanted to be a part of the journey. The Major Projects division has a strong track record in delivering world-class buildings and I knew I’d be collaborating with the best in the industry. Working with highly motivated teams makes all the difference.

Mace also has a strong health and safety culture, and it has always been a priority of mine to instil this across our sites. Nothing is so important that you cannot take the time to do it safely.

What do you enjoy most about your current role?

I enjoy the varied nature of my role - working with multidisciplinary teams, including engineers, designers, and clients, to solve complex challenges and pushing the boundaries on project delivery. It’s an exciting time to work in construction with new off-site manufacturing methods coming to the fore, combined with cutting-edge digital and net zero carbon solutions.

Battersea Power Station has been a challenging and rewarding experience, due to it being such a unique landmark and its scale. 

What has been your proudest achievement at Mace?

There have been many; it’s hard to pick just one.

I’m extremely proud of the safety culture that we’ve developed across our projects and how we’re progressing the net zero carbon agenda with our clients. Data and new advanced off-site solutions are transforming our industry for the better.

At 40 Leadenhall, a 34-storey skyscraper in the City of London, technology is key to the successful project delivery. Our MEP team, together with the design and supply chain partners, developed a digital platform early on in the design phase to monitor progress and fully integrate a modularised MEP solution. The benefits are huge; not only do we have factory quality components installed, but we’ve also significantly reduced the amount of waste and vehicle movements. 

What advice would you give someone looking to get into what you do?

In short, honesty, resilience, patience, focus and an eagerness to get stuck in, while being a strong communicator at all levels. As construction is changing at pace, it’s important to be able to wear different hats in order to manage the requirements of the client, supply chain and teams on site. We're increasingly becoming a data-driven sector, which opens up exciting career opportunities for people with digital skills.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

I enjoy cycling and playing golf in my free time. At 15 I was offered a role as an assistant professional golfer but I decided to follow my passion and fulfil my childhood ambition to work in construction. I followed the right career path, thanks to some of the most remarkable high-tech infrastructures I’ve had the opportunity to lead and the teams I've worked with who consistently deliver.