Former Laing and Lendlease chief takes reins at Bam

Royal Bam Group has named former Lendlease finance chief Kim Sides as its new head of UK building.

She will formally become executive director of construction for UK and Ireland at the Dutch parent company on Tuesday 2 April.

Sides replaces James Wimpenny, who retired in January, and will report to regional chief operating officer John Wilkinson.

She spent almost eight years at Lendlease, rising to the role of finance director on a major regeneration project in Malaysia.

Sides previously spent more than a year at Laing O’Rourke Australia, a country she later returned to with battery technology firm Gelion.

Most recently she was chief strategy officer at plastics recycler Mura Technology in London.

Wilkinson said Sides was a “proven leader” who “puts a focus on bringing diverse and complex teams together, providing healthy support and challenge and getting positive results”.

“She also brings a commercial and contractual edge, a deep understanding of risk and is someone who delivers,” he added.

“With sustainability sitting at the heart of our strategy, her experience of how this can drive success in the built environment and eye for detail in this area will be a huge benefit.”

Bam UK and Ireland executive director for ventures Simon Finnie, who has worked as interim head of construction since Wimpenny’s exit, will work with Sides on a “smooth transition” over the coming months, Wilkinson said.

Sides said she was “excited” to be joining Bam. “I look forward to getting to work with the Bam Construction team so we can build on its heritage and acknowledged expertise in delivering sustainable, quality projects for its clients and communities.”

Bam’s UK construction division suffered a €14.8m (£12.7m) pre-tax loss in 2023, it emerged last month.