Complete construction partner Stepnell has expanded its regional capabilities with two new senior hires.

Tania Knowles joins as business development manager for the North West, and David Hughes takes on the role of pre-construction manager for the East Midlands.

Tania brings 38 years of experience across construction and consultancy, with a strong track record in client relationship management and supporting business growth. She has particular expertise in the education sector, alongside extensive knowledge of health, office, commercial and decarbonisation projects. Based in the North West, she is well connected across Liverpool, Manchester and the wider region, and also chairs the Save Construction Initiative in North Wales, working with industry colleagues to address the sector's skills gap.

Tania said: "Stepnell's culture and values built on integrity, collaboration and being progressive resonated with me and it’s an exciting time to be joining Stepnell to grow its presence in the North West. My market knowledge and innovative engagement strategies will help to strengthen Stepnell's network, and build meaningful, long-term relationships across this crucial new growth area for the business."

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Tom Sewell, director at Stepnell, added: "Tania's deep understanding of the North West construction landscape, in particular the education sector, makes her a valuable addition to lead our business development strategy. Her approach to building relationships aligns perfectly with Stepnell's ambitions for growth and she will be a key figure as we become a more active presence, including membership organisations and events."

Meanwhile, David Hughes will lead pre-construction activity in the East Midlands, bringing more than 27 years in construction that includes a number of senior pre-construction roles, with the most recent being at Kier. David has overseen projects on a number of public sector frameworks, with value ranges from £500k to £50m and covering all sectors including health, education, defence, custodial and decarbonisation.

In his new role, David will focus on further strengthening Stepnell’s pre-construction offering for its clients, developing new relationships and ensuring a collaborative approach to project delivery.

David said: "Stepnell strikes an appealing balance between governance and agility that enables its team to focus on delivering value for its clients, which really attracted me to the opportunity. I'm looking forward to building on our strong foundations through expanding framework opportunities in the East Midlands while supporting wider growth including in the North West."

Tom Sewell added: "David brings a wealth of technical expertise and leadership experience on projects of varying scale and requirements. His experience across design, commercial and operational provides the multiple perspectives that are instrumental to drive forward our pipelines of direct award and framework projects as a complete construction partner."