Judges

Matt is co-owner and Editorial Director of Media Now Ltd., a B2B publishing house specialising in magazines and digital content for the construction sector. Media Now's titles include Total Contractor, a monthly magazine dedicated to operatives working within the roofing, cladding and associated sectors; Total Installer which provides advice and guidance for glazing installers and home improvement specialists, and Total Fabricator which targets all those involved in the fabrication of windows, doors, conservatory roofs and associated products.

Anna Thompson FRICS FCABE is a Chartered Building Control Surveyor and Chartered Building Engineer with nearly 40 years of experience in public sector building control. Previously Building Control Manager at East Devon District Council and Director of Training at LABC, Anna is LABC’s Head of Engagement. She works with local authority building control teams, partners and clients to improve understanding, competency, collaboration and standards.  

Anna is a passionate advocate for exemplary building control, having previously been an LGA National Policy Advisor, and a past member of the RICS Building Control Professional Group.

She is a Non-Executive Director and Vice-Chair of the National Home Improvement Council, Chair of the NHIC Consumer Voice Working Group, a member of the CLC RMI Workstream Digital Taskforce and part of the Constructing Excellence SW Leadership Council. She is a Women in Construction Ambassador.

John has 50 years’ experience in the construction industry and now runs a consultancy business specialising in technical advice, specifications, training, technical literature and articles, and investigative work on pitched roofing and cladding projects. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Roofing and prior to being employed as Technical Manager for roofing and building materials manufacturer Marley, trained as an architect and worked as an architectural assistant for both local authorities and private architectural practices.

He is currently Chairman of British Standards Technical Committee B/542 responsible for 11 sub-committees dealing with pitched roofing and cladding products for discontinuous laying and is also a member of the European CEN/TC 128 mirror committee. He is also chairman of B/542/1 responsible for BS 5534 ‘Slating and tiling for pitched roofs and vertical tiling - Code of practice’ and BS 8000-6 ‘Workmanship on building sites - Part 6: Code of practice for slating and tiling of roofs and walls’, and is a member of the NFRC Roof Slating & Tiling Committee and the Roof Tile Association Technical Committee.

With 35 years of experience within the envelope industry, including 15 years at director level, Neville has an in depth, practical knowledge of a wide range of façade and roofing treatments.  Beginning his career working with a leading envelope specialist, he cut his teeth working on ground breaking projects such as Waterloo International Train Terminal, the British Pavilion at Expo ’92 and the Western Morning News plant.  Since then his career highlights have included designing a patented blast resistant unitised façade that secured his then employer, Alumet Systems (UK) Ltd., The Queen’s Award for Enterprise and being appointed as Head of Facades for Wates Construction.

Neville is responsible for delivering Wates’ building envelope strategy and ensuring that all their designs meet exacting levels of quality and regulatory compliance.  He also chairs the Joint Competence Initiative in the Envelope Sector.

Paul is an architect with over 40 years of experience of architectural practice in small, medium and large practices in the UK and abroad, Over this period he has developed a specialist technical design expertise in the application of all types of building related legislation and constructional guidance. He is the London representative of the in-house AHMM Technical Consulting team who research current and best practice technical solutions on all projects.

Paul developed the concept of “CDM Differently” with the introduction of the 2015 CDM Regulations.

With a diverse career in roofing Steve has worked for manufacturers, distributors, in supply chain and more recently as the in-house roofing expert for Wates Construction and now Laing O’Rourke.

Being the roofing expert for a large main contractor is the culmination of 35 years’ experience and putting this to good use by helping project teams make informed decisions on the most suitable roofing systems and design that provide robust solutions which meet current and future regulations.

Working in collaboration with the lead designer, waterproofing manufacturer and roofing contractor Laing O’Rourke ensure the roof design and installation observe good roofing practices which provides a watertight building free from roof defects.

With 32 years of experience within the envelope industry, including 20 years at a senior level, Bob has an in depth, practical knowledge due to following a diverse career path. Starting on the tools, Bob moved through to working at director level for one of the largest independent installation companies that specialise in façade and roofing treatments, and for the last seven years has held the position of Head of Technical and Training with the UKs largest roofing and cladding federation, the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC). Bob is also current Chairman of WG2 Competency of Rainscreen Operatives, Chairman of British Standards Technical committee B/546 and sits on the committee for B/542.

Recently, Bob has been involved with the update of the Rainscreen façade and sheeting and cladding National Occupational Standards and is working with the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) on updating the Trailblazer Apprenticeship standards.

Ben is passionate about roofing, specialising in roof slating and tiling. 

Having worked on the tools for many years, Ben transitioned to becoming an NVQ assessor and tutor before starting a career with NFRC as an inspector and technical manager.

With a commitment to excellence, Ben is actively involved in training and competitions such as SkillBuild and IFD (International Federation of the Roofing Trade), showcasing top-tier craftsmanship and dedication to the trade.

Gary is a Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner with over three decades’ experience in the roofing industry. Having started out as a trainee flat roofer, he has worked in the industry for around 35 years.

As well as being our flat roofing expert, Gary looks after all things health, safety and environmental for NFRC, which includes working on the relevant British Standards.

At the same time, he chairs the Fire Safety Group of the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC), and sits on the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Working at Height.

With a background in commercial property, Jo runs all organisational and administrative activities for the technical team and committees. This involves arranging events like SkillBuild, drafting presentations for technical officers, and collating Member accident data.

Also, as secretary to the federation’s technical committees, she organises committee meetings and produces minutes for each one.

Jo plays an integral role in co-ordinating the shortlisting and judging for the UK Roofing Awards.