Our people

Stuart has over 25 years’ experience with Barker, having been appointed Managing Partner in 2007. He is accountable for setting strategic goals, overseeing daily operations, monitoring financial performance, and driving business growth. He has developed strong positive client relationships and continues to lead on any new business opportunities, strategic partnerships, and acquisitions.

Stuart leads a fast-growing multi-disciplinary consultancy, which offers a full range of services, from project inception to post-completion assessments.  His cross functional depth of knowledge and experience is primarily channelled within the education sector, delivering energy management and construction projects for schools, academies, and higher education establishments. He is a strategic advisor to the Multi Academy Trusts on estates and facilities management. In recent years his expertise in this area has afforded Barker, the Premises and Facilities Management award for Partners in Consultancy.

Email: swhite@barker-associates.co.uk
Tel: 01279 648058

Robert joined Barker in 2002 and is a Partner based in our Braintree office. A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, he has over 20 years’ experience of all core building surveying services and provides strategic estates advice to key accounts in the education, commercial, ecclesiastical and public sectors.

An education specialist, he provides the following services: estates and energy strategy, asset management planning, project management and capital funding applications.

Robert works closely with clients to plan and implement energy efficiency and sustainability strategies to save money, reduce carbon emissions and meet ESG objectives.

As a RICS Certified Historic Buildings Professional he provides conservation consultancy for clients with listed and historic buildings.

Robert is an experienced APC Assessor and Chairman and is also an external examiner for Anglia Ruskin University

As a Partner Robert leads the Business Development and Marketing function at Barker, builds relationships with key sector bodies and helps steer the strategic growth of the company.

Email: rgould@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 648057

Michael joined Barker in 1998, achieving partner status in 2010. He manages a team of surveyors heading up a key part of our educational sector as well as wider management duties across the practice.

An experienced chartered surveyor, Michael has a hands-on role in the design, project management and contract administration of refurbishment and new-build schemes for public sector, education, commercial and private clients.

With the majority of his professional life spent working in the education sector Michael is an education specialist delivering projects from inception to completion including: feasibility/development planning, identifying funding streams, bid writing, project management of new build and refurbishment schemes and condition surveys/works.

Email: mmerrill@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 648068

Richard is a partner at Barker and leads the architecture department. He is dual qualified as a chartered architect and professionally certified project manager with over twenty-five years’ experience in the public and private sectors.

A diverse portfolio of completed projects includes new school buildings, visitor centres, courthouses, commercial offices and a variety of residential and mixed use projects both in the UK and overseas. Richard led the development and managed Staffordshire County Council’s first strategic construction partnership after several years leading an architectural team and has a broad knowledge of construction procurement.

Email: rpaynter@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 648086

Will joined Barker in 2003 and is a partner heading up the project management, cost consultancy and commercial team. Will became a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 2000 and has over twenty years’ relevant experience across all sectors of the construction industry. He is responsible for overseeing project management on all major schemes.

Previous project management experience includes major medical facilities, university buildings in Cambridge, aircraft facilities and extensive experience in educational buildings.

Will works with a cross section of clients from private individuals through to development companies and commercial organisations to provide project management services on new developments and opportunities.

Will is a principal designer under the CDM regulations and provides guidance and support for colleagues regarding health and safety on projects.

Email: wbidewell@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01223 297244

James joined Barker in 2004 and is a Chartered Surveyor and Partner heading up the Building Surveying projects team at our Head Office.

James specialises in design, specification and contract administration of refurbishment and new-build schemes for public sector, education, commercial and private clients.

An education specialist, he provides strategic advice/management, securing funding and the delivery of projects to the educational sector.

Email:jjohnson@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 648099

Tom joined Barker in 2020. He is a Partner based in our London office. Tom has over 15 years of experience in the built environment offering strategic and technical advice to a wide variety of clients across the UK.

Highly experienced in strategic estates advisory services, project management, estates planning, decarbonisation, net carbon zero strategy and funding solutions.

Tom’s key focus is to support Barker’s clients as they transform their estates and decarbonise. He works across the education and public sectors and advises a number of sector bodies on estates management and energy reduction best practice.

Email: tdeacon@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 0203 9127812

Jonathan joined Barker following a successful career working in management consultancy within the education sector both at central government and local level. This culminated in the formation of his own company, EO Consulting, which became part of Barker in 2018.

Jonathan builds strategic partnership with clients. He presents practical and innovative solutions to the complex challenges faced by clients in estates and energy management.

By combining his vast sector knowledge with data and analysis he helps organisations to achieve their sustainability goals, deliver organisational transformation and improve operational effectiveness.

Email: jcoyles@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 647111

Gary joined Barker with almost 40 years of industry experience, across a range of disciplines and construction sectors. His diverse career path has seen him working for a variety of businesses including national and regional contractors to international surveying corporations.

Gary’s primary focus is leading Barker’s Birmingham office, however he also provides commercial and project management advice in the Education and Healthcare sectors.

His extensive experience in the entire project lifecycle, including pre and post contract knowledge and the ability to plan and deliver projects to schedule, target costs, dependencies and risk management has seen him help a multitude of clients across a variety of sectors.

Tel: 0121 2892580

Gareth joined Barker in 2024, based in our Essex head office. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer with more than 20-years’ experience in Civil Engineering solutions & has lead both Civil & Structural Engineering teams on projects from conception to project delivery, with values exceeding a billion pounds both nationally and internationally. He holds a deep understanding of Infrastructure Engineering, focused on a value led design ethos to complex situations, which has allowed the positive integration of infrastructure into coordinated design masterplans across all sectors.

Tel: 01279 701 984

Daniel joined Barker in 2011, he is a Partner heading up the cost consultancy team. With over twenty years experience in the construction industry, Daniel specialises in providing cost consultancy for public sector, education and commercial clients across a wide range of new build and refurbishment projects.

Email: dbowler@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 648052

Formerly the Director of Estates for a leading Academy Trust, Matt brings over a decade of ‘client-side’ experience in property management and capital project delivery.

He has over 14 years of experience working at the forefront of Education Estates management. Working with staff and colleagues across the Trust at the “C-Suite” level to the operational Facility Management teams. He has successfully developed and established a variety of strategic and tactical approaches to the management and operation of the portfolio of schools to provide property assurance, capital works programmes and business resilience.

Email: misherwood@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 0121 2892572

Adam has over 12 years of experience working as a consultant in the construction industry, delivering building services design solutions for new and existing buildings, across all sectors.

He has extensive knowledge on working both, client side with developers on large residential and industrial schemes but has also delivered retrofit building services projects in education estates, collaborating with stakeholders throughout the design stages.

Adam’s key focus is leading the building services design team to deliver innovative solutions to Barker’s client base across the education, residential and commercial sectors.

Edwin has over 15 years extensive experience in delivering built environment and sustainability services across the planning, development and building occupation lifecycles of major public sector education and commercial estates.

As an Energy & Sustainability specialist with extensive knowledge of the public and education sectors, Edwin brings a wealth of experience to the Practice including the areas of Carbon Reduction & Energy Efficiency Measures, Energy Policy & Strategy, Project and Programme Management, as well as Sustainable Design Advice.

Edwin’s key focus is to support the Barker’s client base with achieving their carbon reduction and energy efficiency aims across their education and commercial estates.

Email: eoconnell@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 0203 9127811

Adrian joined Barker in 2017. Adrian specialises in contract administration and project management. His extensive experience covers a range of public sector projects including schools, universities, constabulary and fire and rescue services.

Email: abrowning@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 648090

Cem joined Barker in 2002. Working with our projects team in Cambridge, Cem specialises in design, project management and contract administration of refurbishment and new-build schemes in the education and private sectors. He also has extensive knowledge and experience in education funding streams and bid management

Email: corhan@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 1223 297245

Paul is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with over 20 years of experience working as a consultant in the construction industry. He has focused on delivering services in Retail, Banking, Commercial and Residential projects. Over the past 3 years he was worked within the Healthcare Sector specializing in NHS and Nursing Home Sectors.

Prior to working within consultancy, he was client side with Social Housing & Healthcare providers, which helped him to develop a strong understanding of stakeholder key drivers and the focus on client objectives.

Paul has over the past 5 years been coordinating both the Quantity Surveying and Project Management functions for his clients and is keen to expand upon this service offering across the Education and Healthcare sectors.

He has delivered complex projects within both the Commercial and Healthcare sectors that covered both refurbishment and new build elements with project values ranging from £1m to £35m.

Tel: 0121 4509078

Neil Brockman is an experienced Associate Engineer with over 16 years’ working as a Consulting Engineer in the construction industry, He has a proven track record of leading on and delivering projects ranging from bespoke housing to large, complex residential and commercial projects, providing cost efficient solutions ensuring project delivery is on programme and within budget.

Ian is a Structural Engineer with over 20 years’ experience. He has led the structural design on numerous residential, commercial and rail projects from inception to completion, directly liaising with clients and other members of the design team.

Projects he’s been involved in, include new build multi-storey apartments, traditional low-rise housing, warehousing, offices, railway stations as well as modifications and refurbishments of existing buildings including offices, schools, apartments and stations.

Email: icoates@barker-associates.co.uk

Cornelius joined Barker in 2022 from a global hotel chain and leads our building services engineering team. He is a Chartered Engineer with extensive experience in design, project management and contract administration of electrical engineering based schemes across the public and private sectors including new builds, refurbishments, extensions and energy efficiency projects.

Cornelius manages a team of engineers, oversees key accounts and helps develop our service offering across traditional and sustainable project programmes.

Email: cfong@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 701966

Based in our Braintree head office Charlie delivers building surveying, design, specification, contract administration and project management services to commercial clients and the public sector including schools, constabulary and fire services. More recently, he has been involved with workplace planning to reduce congestion as part of post Covid requirements. Charlie’s skills also include Condition Improvement Funding (CIF) bids and strategic School Condition Allocation (SCA) expenditure for education clients.

Email: cholmes@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 648085

Daniel joined Barker in 2019. Daniel has been appointed as an Associate to provide and develop Structural Engineering services. Daniel has over 22 years of experience on projects in the Residential, Commercial and Education sectors providing a wide range of engineering solutions on new build, refurbishment and remodelling projects.

Email: dclaydon@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 648076

James specialises in the education sector assisting schools and Multi Academy Trust clients with compliance, Condition Improvement Funding and School Condition Allocation advice, applications and project management of new and refurbishment projects.

Email: jbowen@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 790058

Ben works for Barker as an Associate Building Surveyor in the Braintree Office. Ben specialises in Design, Specification and Contract Administration; managing projects from inception to completion to deliver work on programme and within budget.

Ben has a wealth of experience in project delivery, particularly within the Education Sector, and with wider experience of undertaking Condition Surveys and Feasibility Studies to support various types of funding applications, such as CIF Bids, T-Levels and Business Cases.

Philippa joined Barker in 2009 and is a Chartered Surveyor and RICS Certified Historic Building Professional.

Philippa has been developing our estates and energy programmes. Combined with her experience in project and estate management she is assisting clients effectively collect and analyse their estates and energy data to facilitate bespoke client focused data driven estates and sustainability strategies.

As a Certified Historic Buildings Professional she provides conservation consultancy for private and municipal clients, advises on conservation strategies and works to listed and historic buildings.

Email: pgould@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 648051

Andrew joined Barker in 2021, he is an Associate Building Surveyor in our projects team based in Cambridge. Andrew has over ten years of experience undertaking a range of projects to deliver Building Surveying, Contract Administration and Project Management services to Commercial, Residential and Public sector clients.

Donna joined Barker in 1999 and is the practice manager. Donna manages the day-to-day operations of the practice ensuring quality and compliance is rigorously maintained. She manages the administration team as well as personnel and all applicable regulations.

Email: dwagstaff@barker-associates.co.uk 

Tel: 01279647111

Freddy joined Barker in 2021. He is a Chartered Engineer with extensive experience in design, project management and contract administration of mechanical engineering based schemes across the public and private sectors including new builds, refurbishments, extensions and energy efficiency projects.

As a Mechanical Services Technical Manager, Freddy works closely with the team to build on our in-house Mechanical & Electrical Engineering and Sustainability capabilities.

Email: faye@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 6478092

Mark joined Barker in 2019 and is a surveyor in the projects team. Mark has specific expertise in funding streams and bid management. His experience includes assisting schools and Multi Academy Trust clients with Condition Improvement Funding, School Condition Allocation advice and Project Management of new and refurbishment projects. Mark has a first class degree in Building Surveying and is an Association of Proposal Management (AMPM) Foundation Certificate Member.

Email: mneary@barker-associates.co.uk

Tel: 01279 648077

Robbie is a Building Surveyor in the projects team. He specialises in contract administration and project management of refurbishment, extension and new-build construction projects to education, commercial and private clients. Robbie is currently studying to achieve his RICS Chartership, with Barker Associates supporting his training towards this qualification.

Tom joined Barker in 2018 becoming an Associate in 2023.  Based in our Cambridge office, Tom specialises in cost reporting, valuations and procurement matters for commercial, education and local authority clients. Tom is experienced in the full range of quantity surveying services both pre and post contract and ensuring that the clients are kept aware of financial planning, financial reporting and budget control.