About Lechley

A retained executive search and leadership advisory practice, focused on C-suite, board-level and senior leadership appointments across construction and infrastructure.

A lattice roof sweeping down to a glass wall

Insight. Integrity. Access.

I established Lechley after a successful international career as a qualified Quantity Surveyor: from 1990 to 2002 I worked in cost and commercial management, including as a Commercial Manager at Sir Robert McAlpine, and in 2002 I moved into executive search for the industry I had worked in. That background is not just a biographical detail. It is the foundation of everything I do. I do not just understand job descriptions. I understand the commercial pressures, the project risks, and the specific leadership competencies required to deliver in this sector.

I have translated this deep sectoral knowledge into a retained executive search and leadership advisory practice, focused exclusively on C-suite, board-level, and senior leadership appointments across construction and infrastructure.

This is not a volume recruitment agency. Lechley is a strategic, discreet partner, sought out by the industry's leading organisations to build their most critical teams.

On camera

Who I am and how I work

The short version, in my own words: what I did before search, and why I still run every search myself.

Read the transcript

So for 12 years, from 1990 to 2002, I was a QS. I placed packages, I ran final accounts, and I sat in the meetings where the project money was won or lost.

But since 2002, I've done one thing, and that's find the leaders who run the UK construction industry, whether they be the commercial directors, managing directors, the people that build the country's biggest programmes. Lechley is me.

There are no junior researchers, no account managers. I just take a small number of searches on at any one time, and every one is run by myself, from the first brief to the accepted offer. And that means I can map the whole market, not just the people who happen to be looking.

I talk to every leader myself in confidence, and then I put a shortlist in front of you. I've met every one of those people on that list, and I can tell you why each one is there.

If you're a hiring manager, a senior leader, or a director wondering what's next, let's start a conversation. I'd be glad to hear from you.

Commercial

Commercial Directors, Quantity Surveying Directors, and senior commercial leadership. I place the people who manage cost, risk, and contractual strategy on the UK's most complex programmes.

Design

Design Directors and Design Managers who bridge the gap between architecture, engineering, and construction delivery. Leaders who can coordinate multidisciplinary teams and protect design intent through to completion.

Engineering

Senior engineering leadership, from Chief Engineers through to Engineering Directors. Professionals who combine deep technical knowledge with the commercial awareness to deliver at scale.

Project Management

Project Directors and senior project leaders who take full accountability for programme delivery. I focus on individuals with a track record of managing complex, high-value schemes from mobilisation to handover.

Estimating

Pre-construction and estimating leadership. The senior professionals who win work, price risk, and set the commercial foundation for every project in the pipeline.

Executive

Managing Directors, CEOs, and board-level appointments. I work with organisations to identify and secure the senior leaders who set strategic direction and drive business performance.

Health and Safety

Health, Safety, and Environmental Directors. The leaders responsible for culture, compliance, and operational safety across major construction programmes.

Planning

Planning Directors and senior planners who manage programme timelines on complex, multi-phase schemes. I source professionals who bring rigour and credibility to critical path management.

Career Architects

I provide honest, discreet guidance and access to the market's most significant, often unadvertised, leadership opportunities. This is not a transactional service. It is long-term career support from someone who understands the sector.

Integrity and Transparency

Honesty is at the heart of everything I do. I will tell you if a role is not right for you, and I will tell you if the market does not support your expectations. That directness is why people come back.

Navigating Construction Leadership

The construction leadership landscape is constantly shifting. I help you navigate it with clarity and confidence, so you can secure your next executive role on your terms.

Client
Testimonials

I have had the pleasure of working with Scott over a number of years. I have to say it's been a breath of fresh air. If Scott makes an appointment, he sticks to it; if he says he will call you at a certain time, he does. I find Scott is a mixture of old-school values and his finger firmly on the pulse of modern recruitment technology. It has been my pleasure working with him, and long may it continue.

Mike Thomson

Executive Leader - Building Resilient Businesses

Working with Scott whilst searching for a new role was a very good experience. Scott helped me understand the opportunity and helped align my strengths to it, providing me with further confidence when interviewing for the position. Scott was happy to take the time to keep me updated with the process and its progress and I always felt he really wanted the opportunity to be the right one for me. Highly recommended.

Jerry Coll

Head of Building Services - Russell WBHO

Scott is as sound as they come, straight talking and no nonsense. Was pro-active in getting me my current role and I would happily recommend him to anyone looking for their next opportunity

Neil Coker

Project Director

I've worked with Scott both as a client and candidate; both experiences were a pleasure. Too many in the recruitment field are reactionary and transactional; Scott is neither. He is the consummate professional - proactive, with an attention to detail and a determination to do the best job he can for his client and the potential candidate(s). This makes any recommendation a very straightforward process.

Keith Gourlay

Commercial Director

I’ve known Scott for over 20 years. He is a top-class recruiter with an in-depth knowledge of the market, employers and candidates. Easy to talk with, practical and realistic, I’m happy to provide a recommendation for him and his services.

Paul Taccagni

Managing Director

It was great working with Scott, given his very professional approach and good knowledge of the Construction industry. Scott understood my professional expectations and career aspirations, which led me to an accurate employment opportunity. What probably works in Scott's favour is his previous experience in the Construction Industry, which enables him to relate to clients better and gives him a leading edge over other headhunters. I would highly recommend Scott Lechley to anyone seeking career advice or a change of contracts.

Shweta Thakur

Project Director

For
Organisations

Working with me means a rigorous, research-led search process. I identify and engage the industry's most impactful leaders, including high-performers who are not actively looking. I act as a trusted advisor to boards, CEOs, and HR leaders to ensure every appointment drives strategic success.

I specialise in identifying top-tier talent for C-suite and senior-level roles. My retained search methodology is tailored to your specific strategic objectives, ensuring the right leaders are matched to your organisation's culture, pipeline, and future.

Executive Search

A retained, research-led methodology to identify, engage, and secure the industry's most impactful leaders. Every search is personally managed from brief to placement.

Leadership Advisory

Leadership Advisory

Strategic counsel on succession planning, market mapping, and compensation benchmarking. I help organisations build resilient, long-term leadership pipelines before vacancies become emergencies.

Confidential Access

Confidential Access

A network built across construction search reaches exceptional leaders that standard recruitment processes cannot. The best senior leaders are rarely on the open market. I know where they are.

Organisations I have recruited for

Dragados

Hochtief

Laing O'Rourke

Maersk

Balfour Beatty

Tilbury Douglas

Ballast Nedam

APM

Aecon

Eric Wright

Graham Construction

Besix

BAM

SRM

Bovis

Start a Conversation

Whether you are building a leadership team or considering your next move, I would welcome the chance to talk. No hard sell. No obligation. Just a direct conversation with someone who understands the sector.

Book a Conversation

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