Menu HomeAbout usLeadershipOperational executive Operational executive Simon Andrews Chief Operating Officer, Middle East Simon has an honours degree in civil engineering and became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1984. In 2015, after 28 years with KBR, most of which was spent living and working in Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Simon joined Currie & Brown as chief operating officer of the Middle East business. He has extensive experience in the delivery of major PM and EPCM projects such as Palm Jumeirah and Yas Island. Chris Balmbro Group IT Director With a degree in philosophy from the University of Birmingham, Chris decided to embark on a career in IT and is a member of the British Computer Society. During the 20 years he has spent in real estate and construction, he has acquired significant experience in change projects and integrating IT systems following acquisitions. Following 14 years at Knight Frank LLP, Chris joined Currie & Brown in 2013 as group IT manager, becoming group IT director in January 2016 before being appointed to the operational executive in January 2021. Kim Berry Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific Kim joined Currie & Brown in Hong Kong in 1982 when the business was known as Widnell. He became managing director of the Hong Kong and China offices in 1987 and in the ensuing years led growth in Asia Pacific from 10 people to over 700 at the present time. Kim trained as a quantity surveyor in Edinburgh, Scotland, and in addition to his qualification as a chartered surveyor he is a graduate in English law from London University. His professional focus is contract drafting, procurement, contract administration and claims advisory work. James Grinnell Group People Director James joined Currie & Brown as group people director in August 2016, following the acquisition of Sweett Group plc where he had been group HR director since November 2013. Prior to his time in this post, James operated in a variety of senior posts both inside and outside the HR function. These have included management of large-scale change programmes, linked to acquisitions and organisational change. James’ career has concentrated predominantly within the sectors of construction, engineering, support services and property. He is qualified to master’s level, and is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Alan Manuel Chief Operating Officer, Europe and UK Alan started his career with an apprenticeship in quantity surveying, becoming chartered in 1987. Having worked for a number of Scottish businesses, he ran his own quantity surveying/project management practice before joining Cyril Sweett as a director in 1999. Alan was appointed chief operating officer of Currie & Brown’s UK and Europe businesses when Currie & Brown acquired Sweett Group in 2016. During his 30+ years’ post-qualification experience he has played a key role in a variety of high-profile schemes for private and public sector clients. Alan is also a member of the RICS QS Leaders Forum and a committee member of both REVO and the Institute for Collaborative Working. Satyakumar Shetty Chief Operating Officer, India On completion of his degree in engineering from Mumbai University, Satyakumar started his career as a junior engineer with the Mumbai developer, Lokhandwala Group of Companies. In 1999 he joined Currie & Brown as a senior quantity surveyor. Having helped to expand the company in India and built up a wealth of experience in projects, cost and contract management, he was appointed as the region’s chief operating officer in 2010. A fellow of the RICS, Satyakumar has led Currie & Brown's operations in India where the company is recognised for its expertise across the full range of industries, but particularly in commercial and residential property, hospitality and leisure, retail, education, healthcare and industrial developments. Paul Wood President and Chief Operating Officer, Americas Paul Wood joined Currie & Brown as president and chief operating officer of the US business in August 2015. After obtaining a BSc in quantity surveying from the University of Westminster, Paul was admitted as a member to the RICS. Paul, who is also a member of the Association of Cost Engineers, is experienced in all facets of the service industry, including strategic planning, contracting, engineering, architectural design and consultancy. His expertise has been gained across a range of business sectors, including high-tech, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, transportation, energy and infrastructure, often for Fortune 100 clients. Share this page Share on Email Global showcase View featured projects Featured projects View all projects Inverness Justice Centre Inverness, Scotland Ferneham Hall Fareham, Hampshire Campbell’s Cove Promenade Sydney, Australia Yas Bay development Abu Dhabi, UAE Changchun Jucheng Huayi Plaza Changchun, China Tate St Ives redevelopment St Ives, UK © 2021 Currie & Brown Holdings Limited Registered in Jersey - No.110686 AccessibilityModern slavery statementPrivacy policyCookies policyUK gender pay statementConditions of useSite map RCIS This website uses cookies We use cookies to provide you with a better service. If you allow cookies without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on this website. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. 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