Michael Whittingham

Position General Manager for Heilbronn Contractors & Developers

In my present role I am responsible for the day to day management and function of this privately owned construction and development business, were I am the single point of contact with the Chairman and Board members. Our portfolio of work is separated into two distinctive business units - contracts and development. Each division has its own portfolio of work with an annual turnover of circa AED 250 million p.a. My role and responsibilities are wide ranging and include, but are not limited to: board reporting and liaison, strategic business development, staff recruitment and retention, key client management, work winning, P+L management, staff development, brand management and development, business delivery, etc....


Position Operations Manager/ Project Director for Khansaheb Construction Division (Jan 13 - Nov 14)

I was offered the opportunity to take on the role of Operations Manager with the Infrastructure & Roads Division at the start of 2013. This presented a different challenge to my previous role and experiences within the construction industry. In my new position I reported to the business unit manager and I was accountable for the successful operational delivery of the works which had an annual turnover of circa AED 450m. This role was wide ranging and I was responsible for many parts and functions of the business unit which included but are not limited to:

1. Overall business project management and delivery.
2. Commercial delivery and reporting from site.
3. Strategic planning and development.
4. Pre-contract support and bid management.
5. Design management.
5. Resource allocation, supervision and monitoring.
6. HSE management
8. Staff recruitment and retention.
9. Supply chain management.
10. Corporate reporting to the company directors.
11. Key client liaison and development.

I moved from the Roads Division to the Construction Division, for which I was undertaking a similar, but more senior operational role. My duties are very similar to those listed above, but presently more emphasis is being placed on bid management were I was leading an EPC Oil & Gas bid, as well as a AED 600m bid for a significant Mall project. Furthermore, I was overseeing the completion of a new high spec Engine facility for Emirates Airlines (value AED 350m) and a high rise mixed use development for a private client on The Palm (value AED 200m).

RTA Routine Maintenance & Special Works
The renewal of the RTA contract (year 4) covers a variety of works from the routine daily maintenance of Dubai's roads to the provision of special works for the Crown Prince's office.
Value: AED 150 million p.a.
Duration: 2 Years.

Gate 4 and Gate 8
Both these projects are for DP World/JAFZA. The projects involve the provision of new gatehouses in each location, significant carriageway additions, modifications remodelling, signal modifications and several service diversions. Additionally, theGate 4 project includes the construction of 350m long post-tensioned dual Carriageway bridge.
Value: AED 88 million & AED 20 million

Al Furjan
The project covered the substantial roads an infrastructure package to the 1st phase of the residential development by Nackheel.
Vale AED 450m.
Duration : 3 years.

Duration: Sept 2012 to March 2014
Fujairah Roads
The works for the Fujairah Public Works Department are sited in 14 different locations and involve the refurbishment of a series of carriageways, both in Fujairah City Centre and in the surrounding towns.
Value: AED 82 million

My role at Douglas OHI of Operations Manager covered a wide variety of duties. My fundamental responsibility was to ensure the timely delivery of the projects and their commercial performance. This was undertaken through my management team that consisted of 2 contracts managers (industrial and non-industrial), the Plant & Transport Manager, the Joinery and Interiors Manager, the MEP Manager and the HR Manager. This team helped me ensure the smooth timely and successful commercial delivery of a diverse portfolio of work approaching OMR 60m p.a.

During my time in Oman I was responsible for overhauling the operational reporting procedures, aligning the site teams with the operational and commercial performance objectives through the use of improved programming, monitoring and KPI targets. This strategy improved our performance in the 2 key areas of operational delivery and commercial performance. The benefits being appreciated by our clients in the EPC sector of Power generation, the Oil & Gas sector, Commercial development, Residential, Retail, Custodial, Education, Militaryand a wide variety of private and publicly funded projects. These procedures and systems were transferred to they Joinery & Interiors Division were the business strategy of expanding the business proved a huge success with business growing from OMR 1m in 2008 to in excess of OMR 10m in 2012.

We successfully delivered many projects with the highlights being:

1. The $80m EPC building & civil package for the Surr 2000MW Power Plant.
2. The 3 year Oil & Gas term contract for Occidental in the Mukhaizna Oil field - OMR 20m p.a.
3. Sohar Court - OMR 15m.
4. The Chedi Spa with its 110m long pool - OMR 6m.
5. The Sheraton Hotel fit out - OMR 15m.
6. PAC projects to the PDO oil fields - OMR 50m.
7. Bank Muscat HQ and fit out programme - OMR 5m.
8. Sohar & Barka 650MW power projects - $50m.
9. British School Muscat development - OMR 4m.
10. Shadeed Iron & Steel plant at Sohar - OMR 20m.
11. Salalah Methanol plant - OMR 10m.

Along with several other equally demanding and complex projects throughout the whole of Oman from Muscat, to Sohar in the north, to Salalah in the south as well as servicing the Oil fields of the interior.


Other duties included recruitment of staff and the workforce, compliance with legislation in relation to Omanisation, camp standards and the all round welfare of the workforce.

As a member of the Senior Management team I was instrumental in helping to shape the strategy and direction of the business. I worked closely with the work winning department with tender submissions in providing advice, guidance and support, particularly in producing alternative bids as a way to secure projects through an alternative bid strategy. This strategy won several projects for the Joinery & Interiors division as we provided alternative, commercially compliant bids that met our clients brief.

Position Contracts Manager for Gulf Contracting Contractors (Feb 08 - June 08)

During My time in Qatar I undertook the role of Contracts Manager as the project in Oman was subject to a delayed start. The time proved invaluable in gaining my 1st experience in the Gulf with the work in Qatar predominantly featuring a heavy industrial projects at Ras Lafan for Shell on the Paerl GTL project. As one of several main contractors we were employed by the main EPC contractor to deliver a multi-million dollar building and construction package of works ($ 100 million) for which I was the Project Director. As well the EPC works I had a controlling overview on a large sub-station roll out and delivery programme and I reported on the construction of a 28 floor residential tower block on the Pearl.

Position Contracts Manager/Project Manager/Site Manager (Aug 93 - Feb 08)

Job Role In the 15 years I spent working for Interserve Regional Building I developed from a Site Engineer into a Senior Contracts Manager. The many roles I was promoted into and undertook, provided me with the skills required to move from a junior managerial employee into an established and proven senior manager.

Projects Scarborough General Hospital
In a 3 year period (2005 - 2008) I managed several site teams that were responsible for the delivery of a series of projects at Scarborough General Hospital as part of the P21 Framework. The projects were varied and diverse in nature and required a skilled and well managed healthcare team to meet the demands imposed by a well managed Acute HealthCare Trust. Most of these projects involved working within the existing hospital and to particularly demanding deadlines. The projects included the provision of a new MRI scanner, a new 6 theatre building, a new endoscopy building, several existing ward refurbishments, a new Medical teaching facility, new path labs, refurbishment of the existing boilers, many corridor renovations and numerous small works orders that were delivered as part of the P21 Minor Works programme.

P21 Small Works programme.
Value: $30 per annum
Duration: 3 years

Benton Park View (BPV)
Following on from the successful Tyneview Park I was appointed Project Manager for the negotiated $70 million BPV with AMEC Developments. The project delivered 2, 000 office spaces for the Department of Work and Pensions through the construction of 4 large open plan interlinked office buildings; all on a lump sum, Design & Build basis. The success of this project was founded on the development of mutual trust, understanding and target setting for both our internal and external clients. This was done with the involvement of the whole of the local construction market and included suppliers, sub-contractors, Interserve staff and workforce, Interserve designers, the clients consultants, the client, the end users, FM provider etc.....The project was a stunning success, with a delighted client and a healthy commercial margin.
Value: $70 million
Duration: 18 months

Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals
I worked as the deputy Project Manager on the construction of the new P7 pharmaceutical facility in Teesside (2000 - 2002) . The project involved the complicated integration of the raw manufacturing process with the final tableting tableting process. Consequently the project involved the integration of heavy. industrial structures into the highly specified and controlled pharmaceutical manufacturing process. The project was a flagship facility when it opened as it was the first operational facility to combine the raw and end product in the same building.
Value: $50 million
Duration: 2 years

I have worked on several other projects that cover many areas of the Construction market that I would be happy to provide additional data should it be required.