2022 was a thriving year with an abundance of new talent joining the ifse family, so we’re excited to welcome Harry Simpkin, our brand new ‘Building Works Coordinator’ and the latest recruit to ifse’s accomplished building team!

What’s your new role at ifse? Who will you be working with and what will you be doing?

My new official title is ‘Building Works Coordinator’, where I will be working with ‘Building Works Manager’, Neil Clark, assisting with the supervision and management of our in-house building teams and contractors.

I also have the pleasure of working closely alongside the Estimating, Sales and Design teams in our Croydon-based Head Office.

Having only started the new position a couple of months ago, I am pleased to say that I’m already enjoying the highly varied nature of the role, with some very active days travelling to site visits across the UK, balanced with some slightly less physical, more relaxed days in the office.

Tell us a bit about your background, qualifications, and recent roles across the Construction and Building industry.

I kicked off my career in the Construction and Building sector, initially working as a carpenter for a domestic renovations firm in South London. Operating within the renovations side of construction, I have been fortunate enough to dip my hands into various roles when carrying out works, from foundations to final fixings, decorations and more!

Thanks to my previous employer having complete trust in my abilities and my professionalism on-site, I was often chosen to operate as a foreman, where I would be responsible for supervising the entire construction crew, ensuring things run as smoothly as possible for the client.

How do your background and experience relate to the new position?

My extensive history in both working within and managing Construction and Build teams translates directly to my new role as Building Works Coordinator, where I will be responsible for overseeing multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring that our team meet deadlines and carry out work as smoothly as possible.

A background in the renovations and refurbishment sector has already proved incredibly useful, providing me with a very solid understanding of the ins and outs of design and build companies, which means I’m familiar with the processes and steps involved in ensuring that our finished projects exceed our client’s expectations and are delivered on time.

What’s a project you’ve worked on that you are proud of?

This is a tricky question as I’m proud of all the projects I’ve had the pleasure of working on so far!

I’m very grateful to have positive memories from an assortment of different domestic sites, each with its own unique requirements and challenges, and it’s been great to see the smile on customers’ faces once we’ve transformed their vision into reality.

For me, building very close relationships with clients and team members alike has been one of the things I take the most pride in from my previous work across these projects, which I’m looking forward to continuing at ifse, albeit in a more ‘commercial’ environment.

How have you found the first few weeks at ifse?

The first few weeks have been a fantastic new experience. The ifse and Romann team are so welcoming, and it’s been a delight to work in such a supportive environment.

Having a new balance of both field and office-based work has been very refreshing, especially since I’m used to grafting on-site every day.

Each day brings new challenges and opportunities and no one day is ever the same, which keeps me on my toes!

What do you do to unwind or like to do outside of work?

When I’m not on-site or in the office, football is my real passion. Although I may not play in the Sunday League as regularly as I once used to, I still love playing competitive games with my close mates on most weekends.

I’m a lifelong Arsenal fan, so I try my best to make it to as many matches throughout the season as humanly possible. I’m delighted to say that, as of now, Arsenal are top of the league!

In the summer months, I try to get out to my local tennis court, where I can practice my swing against friends or family. Be warned – I take no prisoners when it comes to competition…