Our people

Phillip House is the founder of Shield Environmental which was initially established in Bristol in 1979, as Shield Insulation Services.

When Shield Insulation Services first began operations, 80% of the works were insulation and 20% asbestos removal. Within 5 years, asbestos removal became the main focus of the business as demands changed.

As Shield continues to develop, Phillip has looked at strategic avenues of growing the business and spearheaded the company’s move into new geographical locations, opening new branches in Cornwall (1987), Falmouth (1989), Devon (1990), Southampton (1998) Newcastle (2006) and London, Durham, Wales, and Birmingham in 2011.

Whilst expanding the business Phillip has maintained steady control over the group, ensuring the stability of the company for years to come.

In 2014, Phillip decided to take a step back from the daily running of Shield and became Chairman of the Board.

Luke joined Shield as a thermal insulation apprentice in 1996, progressing through the ranks swiftly, which led to him opening Shield’s Taunton branch in 2001. As the branch grew and established itself over a five-year period, Luke gained valuable experience, enabling him to take over management of Shield’s head office in 2007 and soon after, the Birmingham branch. During this time, he also played a key part in creating and establishing the Asbestos Licensed Scaffold division.

In 2014, Luke was promoted to Managing Director for the group, and has since been instrumental in the diversification of the business; directing the establishment and organic growth of Shield’s demolition and scaffold divisions as well as being actively involved in establishing and overseeing the acquisitions of both Shield Mechanical & Electrical, and Shield Fire & Security.

Following Phil House’s retirement in early 2021, Luke developed a strategy and structure to take the Shield Group to the next level and enable growth for the future and subsequently took over as Chairman. As well as oversight and direction of all the divisions within Shield, Luke is also involved in some day-to-day running of the business, ensuring continuity and consistency across the board.

Paul joined Shield in June 2004 as an Operative, and within two years, had become a Supervisor. Following two years in that role, Paul became a Contract Manager, progressing to Senior Contract Manager. A period as manager of the Bristol branch followed, and his responsibility was broadened to incorporate the Birmingham branch. It was then a natural step for Paul to complete the set by taking responsibility for the Warrington branch.

In March 2021, Paul stepped up into the role of Managing Director for the Asbestos business.

Paul was instrumental in the opening and initial years of Shield Scaffolding and still looks to support the team.

Paul guides staff at all levels of the business and leads by example, sharing his vision of becoming the best asbestos company in the country with the whole team.

Ross joined the Shield Group in 2016 as Director of Shield Fire & Security, bringing with him over 20 years of experience in the Fire & Security sector.

Ross began his career as an electrical/mechanical engineering apprentice, moving into the security sector working as an installation engineer and contractor, including his own business installing large scale Access Control/Biometrics, CCTV and fire systems across the UK and Europe.

Ross excels in sourcing new business, designing bespoke systems and integration solutions. Ross is passionate about keeping up with the latest technologies and products.

Daniel joined Shield in 2015 as director of Shield Mechanical & Electrical, bringing with him over 20 years’ experience within the electrical industry.

Daniel started his career as an apprentice, going on to be a contracts manager running major projects. At 24, Daniel started his own business, undertaking projects across Bristol and beyond, which resulted in his company working alongside Shield to deliver projects.

As well as having extensive knowledge of the Mechanical & Electrical industry, Daniel has a passion for keeping up-to-date with industry best practices and advances in equipment and technologies

Derek joined Shield in 2019 as Marine General Manager and was appointed as Marine Managing Director in March 2021.

Derek started his career in the Royal Navy straight from school and served for 15 years, leaving the service in 1995. Following this, he has worked globally within the Marine sector in senior Procurement and Commercial positions.
Derek’s previous experience includes Supply Chain Management in China, Japan & Dubai and working closely with the Royal Navy & MoD on projects supporting the Type 45 Destroyer fleet.

In his current position, Derek is looking to integrate the Marine business further into the Defence and Cruise sectors, including having a global presence in the Marine services market.

Rob joined Shield in 1988 as a Site Operative, originally to fund his architectural studies. Within two years, he progressed to the role of Company Estimator.

In 1993, Rob opened Shield’s Plymouth branch, winning new clients and running projects in a completely new geographical area.

Rob was promoted to regional director in 1999, offering support to several other branches, as well as continuing to grow Shield’s presence across the Cornwall, Devon and Somerset regions. In 2011, Shield’s Plymouth and Taunton branches were amalgamated, moving all operations to a single location in Exeter under Rob’s management.

Rob then spent several years running the Exeter office, as well as supporting other branches in the business and also directing various company-wide key accounts and major projects.

In 2015, Rob took on the role of Operations Director across the whole Shield Group, dealing with operational aspects such as transport and key accounts as well as continuing to support various branches with major projects.

After many years of dedicated service, Rob has planned his retirement for November 2024 and is currently sharing his wealth of knowledge with his Operations Director colleagues, to ensure a smooth transition.

Dean started in the asbestos industry in 1988 as an operative. Over the last 31 years, Dean has gained vast experience, knowledge and understanding in all aspects and sectors of the industry.

Dean has acted as Project Director on a National basis for some of the UK’s most prestigious clients and asbestos contracts. These contracts vary from Health Care, Social Housing, Public and Private Sectors, High Street stores and the Industrial and Petrochemical industries.

In addition to his ability to deliver technically challenging contracts and exceed client expectations, Dean applies a hands-on and pragmatic approach to his responsibilities.

Craig joined Shield in January 2021 as Director in the M&E Division, intending to build a hard service FM service offering within the business. Craig brings with him 30 years of experience within the Construction and FM Engineering sectors.

Craig’s early career began with an apprenticeship in carpentry and joinery, where he worked across all aspects of the construction industry from main construction site works; refurbishment works; heritage & planning works and insurance works. Moving to the FM sector in early 2000, Craig moved up through the ranks from Supervisor to Contract manager, Account manager, National Account Manager and Director. His previous experience includes looking after multiple Blue-Chip client estate portfolios within the Banking/Leisure/Retail sectors, as well as single client, multi-site national property portfolio contract values up to £20m per annum covering 3000 sites.

Craig is a highly experienced Director responsible for all aspects of building successful, profitable businesses, ranging from Business Strategy and Finance to Operations and H&S & Compliance.

Jamie joined Shield in 2013 as a scaffolding supervisor, working on the tools. Before this, Jamie spent 7-years working for a local company as a labourer and progressed up to supervisor.

Since joining Shield, Jamie has progressed through the ranks to Contracts Manager, Senior Contracts Manager, Branch Manager & on to his current role as Scaffolding Director.

As Scaffolding Director, Jamie is responsible for determining and implementing policies, ensuring budgets are achieved whilst maintaining the highest level of workmanship across the branches, as well as day-to-day management of the Scaffold division.

Dean joined Shield in 2011, almost immediately after completing his degree. Starting with the frameworks office and dealing with key accounts, Dean moved on to Operations followed by Contracts. In 2017, Dean was promoted to Branch Manager for Bristol, overseeing all asbestos removals projects in the area.

Darren joined Shield in 2009 as a Management Accountant after holding various financial roles within the building materials and transport industries.

With over 20 years of experience working in accounting & finance, Darren also holds a CIMA accountancy qualification.

Darren has progressed his career with Shield and has most recently moved into the strategic position of Group Financial Director, where he leads the financial processing, control and reporting for the Group.

Mike joined Shield in April 2020 as Group Commercial Manager, following a career in house building and construction.

Mike’s career in construction began on-site with Westbury Homes 20 years ago. He then moved into the office as an assistant QS. Mike then progressed upwards to Commercial Manager, working for several housebuilders and construction companies in the South West.

Mike then moved upwards to the role of Group Commercial Manager, where he focussed on managing contracts, monitoring payments and reporting on costs.

Most recently, Mike has stepped forward into the role of Group Commercial Director, where his strong commercial acumen and leadership will provide the Group with the commercial security from which to drive further on.

David joined Shield Services Group in September 2021, bringing with him over twenty years of marketing and product management experience across the construction, manufacturing and engineering sectors.

David provides leadership across all aspects of marketing and works with our divisional MDs and service team Directors to ensure that the Group’s activities are presented in the best light to existing and prospective customers.  David also ensures that our colleagues, group-wide, are kept informed of key updates to our services.

Daniel has been with Shield for over two and a half years, having joined as Gas Safety and Maintenance Manager, and has a wealth of experience in construction and building services.

Dan strongly desires to remain at the forefront of product and service development and has significant relationships with strategic partners within the renewables sector.

Dan has now stepped up to provide technical leadership to the M,E&F,S division.

Barry joined Shield in 2015 as a Contracts Manager and quickly progressed to Senior Contracts Manager in 2016, bringing with him 36 years of experience within the asbestos industry.

In 2019 Barry took on the role of Branch Manager, taking on the daily running of the branch, ensuring projects are planned and operated successfully, and developing new clients.

As a result of Barry strengthening Shield’s presence within this region and building stronger relationships with existing clients, Barry assumed the role of Operations Director for Wales.

Ryan joined Shield in 2009, starting his career in the asbestos industry as an asbestos removal operative.

Quickly progressing through the grades, Ryan was promoted to Contracts Manager in 2013, having successfully led asbestos removal projects throughout the Bristol, Midlands and Northern regions.

In 2016, Ryan took on the role of Branch Manager for the newly established Manchester Branch, responsible for the daily running of the Manchester Branch, ensuring projects were planned and operated successfully, and developing a strong presence for Shield in this region.

In 2023, as a result of his success and the growth of Shield in the North of England, Ryan was promoted to the role of Operations Director – North.

Liam is our Operations Director for the South of England and has over 13 years of experience within the asbestos industry starting as an operative at the age of 18. He joined Shield with the ambition to progress further in the industry, which he now undoubtedly has in his current role.

As a site supervisor, Liam ran numerous high-profile projects including New Walk Museum for Leicester City Council. Not only was he responsible for a site staff of 16, but also liaised with the client, architects and English Heritage.

Following his outstanding performance on-site, Liam was promoted to Contracts Manager within the Birmingham branch and then to Senior Contracts Manager. Liam has managed jobs of various sizes, including a large, complex project for XPO logistics warehouse. Liam was on site for 3 months, overseeing up to 40 men. Despite the magnitude of this project, he oversaw the project completed within the agreed timeframe.

Helen joined Shield in May 2014 as Training Coordinator and quickly moved up to be the Technical Admin Team Leader and then to Quality Systems Manager, gaining her Lead Auditor 9001:2015, ISO14001:2015 and GDPR practitioner certificates and achieved her NEBOSH in Environmental Management.

Helen progressed into the role of  Head of Compliance, managing Shield Group’s accreditations and audits, as well as managing GDPR across the group, as well as Quality and Compliance.

October 2023, saw Helen step up into the position of Group Director of SHEQ.

Will’s profile will be uploaded soon.

Lauren joined Shield in 2014 as a Key Accounts Coordinator assisting with informing clients of important information regarding asbestos removal works and swiftly progressed to Key Accounts Manager looking after commercial and domestic client accounts.

In 2017 Lauren took on more responsibility as Senior Key Accounts Manager for the company’s Key Account division and team.

With the ever-growing Key Accounts Department, Lauren has progressed to Head of Key Accounts, managing all Key Account clients, teams and Account Managers across the Shield Group.

Daniel has been a part of the Shield Team since June 2021. His role focuses on establishing relationships nationwide for the Asbestos and Insulation divisions. This involves meeting with existing and prospective clients, to further understand their needs and all project requirements.

His role sees him regularly visiting clients throughout the NHS/Healthcare, Local Authority and Private Sectors, supporting all Branches up and down the country.

Daniel’s experience in the asbestos and environmental sectors is extensive and, before joining Shield he launched and headed up The Contamination Expo.

Simon has over 24 years of experience within Business Development & Sales roles and a proven track record of managing and developing sales teams to achieve their personal and professional goals.

Simon has significant knowledge and experience in identifying opportunities and managing client accounts to grow and develop the business across various business sectors; Mechanical & Electrical, Scaffolding, Asbestos removal & management, Demolition and waste management and recycling solutions.

Having operated as a key account manager, Simon establishes and maintains excellent communications with clients to ensure total satisfaction whilst developing additional revenue streams to achieve further growth with high and long-term value in line with the organisation’s strategy.

Chris joined Shield in 2012 in the role of Management Accountant and has experienced first-hand how Shield has grown and gone from strength to strength. Chris manages and produces the accounts across our divisions on a monthly basis.

Chris has operated in a variety of accounting roles for the past 30 years and joined Shield having spent 8 years as a Commercial and Finance Manager within the hospitality industry.

Esther has been a part of Shield since 2008, starting out raising purchase orders for suppliers. Over the years, Esther has assisted with Purchase Ledger, Sales Ledger and then Credit Control before progressing to Finance Manager in 2016.

As Finance Manager, Esther is responsible for overall Credit Control and manages a team that raises Project Numbers and Invoices to Clients.

Before Shield, Esther worked in various roles with the construction industry, including Accounts Assistant at Dulux Paints, PA for MD & Accounts for Hodgson Group and Tarmac in their Accounts Department.

Katy has been with Shield since the early days, joining in 1998 as Administration Assistant, based in the St. George offices.

Over the years, Katy has held several roles including Asbestos Administrator, Surveying Office Manager, Quality Manager and then eventually to her current role in Procurement.

As the Procurement Manager, Katy is responsible for securing the most competitive pricing from our supply chain across the Shield Group.

Jackie joined Shield in July 2008 as Purchase Ledger senior clerk, quickly progressing to a Managers role.

Jackie has over 40 years of experience in Sales and Purchase Ledger. In her current role as Purchase Ledger Manager, Jackie is responsible for controlling the ledger for five Shield companies, dealing with suppliers and branches.

Tracey joined Shield back in 2003, managing the payroll for 70 employees, across six branches.

Today, the story is very different………

With approaching 400 employees across 16 branches, her role has had to keep up with the fast-paced changes presented over the years as the company rapidly expanded and diversified into different areas.
Tracey also ventured into the world of HR back in July 2016, which brought a challenging yet rewarding opportunity to develop personally and she now manages the HR and Payroll Team for all divisions.

Alongside this, the additional role of managing company events such as awards ceremonies and summer parties brings an exciting challenge each year.

Joanne joined Shield’s Human Resources team at the start of 2019, bringing with her a wealth of business administration management skills that have helped to strengthen this vital part of the Group’s operations.

Joanne is a strong believer in personal development and continuous improvement and became the company’s first Mental Health First Aider.  This approach saw Joanne promoted to the role of Team Manager in April 2021.

Joanne is very people orientated and looks to provide great experiences for all of the colleagues at Shield Services by working closely with individuals and management teams.

Charlotte joined Shield in 2020 as an Administration Assistant, working for the Technical and Compliance team.

During that year, Charlotte took up the challenge to join the HR department and has progressed to HR and Payroll Coordinator.
No two days are the same in HR, and Charlotte supports the team with daily challenges and provides payroll cover.

Richard Begley has extensive experience in the Asbestos sector, having worked for the last twenty years in various roles at demolition and asbestos firms around the Midlands. Richard started first on the tools, working as an Operative and Supervisor before working as a specialist asbestos Surveyor and then a Contracts Manager.

In his three years at Shield, Richard’s knowledge has proved invaluable and he now works as the Birmingham Branch Manager, taking on the responsibility of the everyday running of the branch. This involves leading a team of 10 Supervisors and 10 Operatives, overseeing contracts and ensuring projects run smoothly.

Jackie has been in the asbestos industry for over 25 years and joined Shield in 2003 as an Asbestos Surveying Administration Assistant.

Jackie was promoted to Asbestos Contracts Manager in 2008, and after successfully managing many large scale projects, she was promoted to Senior Contracts Manager in 2014. Jackie prides herself on maintaining strong client relationships, which is demonstrated by the amount of repeat business she brings to the company.

In 2020 Jackie was promoted to Exeter Branch Manager, where she is responsible for the branch performance, ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget and to the clients satisfaction and maintaining existing client relationships and building new ones within her region.

Jason joined Shield in 2017 and worked his way up to Senior Contracts Manager and then to his current role as Branch Manager.

Jason has worked within the Asbestos Removal industry since 1994, starting as an asbestos operative and quickly moving up to become a supervisor. Working all over the country, Jason has experience with Domestic Properties, Government Buildings, MOD Sites, Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, large retail stores and cruise ships

Dan has been with Shield since 2011, starting as an asbestos removal operative and working his way up to the role of Branch Manager.

He has developed a broad experience working within Shield, having spent time in both our Bristol and Birmingham branches, prior to moving to our Warrington branch in 2016 upon its opening.

During his time at Warrington, Dan has worked on projects across the North West of England plus Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Mark joined Shield in January 2021 as Marine Project Manager, with over 40 years of experience in the Marine industry.

Mark started his career as an apprentice at Falmouth Docks and went on to do an HND in Mechanical Engineering at Bournemouth University.
At 24, Mark returned to Falmouth Docks, and over 27 years held the positions of Project Manager, Fabrication Manager and Procurement Manager.
Whilst Procurement Manager, Mark worked closely with Shield to help develop the close working relationship between Shield and the A&P Group, which endures today.

Since leaving A&P Group in 2013, Mark has worked in India, Scotland and Portland on various marine projects, including spending 2-years on the Prince of Wales Aircraft Carrier build project in Rosyth.

Mark now returns to Falmouth as Marine Project Manager with Shield to continue the close working relationship from the other side of the fence.

Martin joined Shield in 2004, working as an Asbestos removal operative within the Marine Division and general hands-on working alongside laggers and joiners.

It became clear in a short time Martin was determined to further his career and proved he could run large contracts and work to deadlines as well as excellent man-management skills.

Martin was promoted to supervisor before being promoted to Operations Manager and is now, since 2015, employed as Falmouth site Branch Manager.

Martin has vast practical and technical knowledge from an engineering and design background in all aspects of the work undertaken within the marine sector. He has gained experience in overseeing all marine projects from Health and Safety, planning, delivery.

Danny has over 25 years of experience as a flooring professional across industries but has a primary focus on marine installation.

Having served his apprenticeship, Danny spent 18 years on the tools gaining invaluable experience of products and techniques working around the world.

Danny joined Shield Marine Services in May 2021 to take on the exciting challenge of being a Marine Operations Manager, having spent seven years as a Contracts Manager.

Andy started working in the asbestos industry in 1985 as an Asbestos Removal Operative.

Joining Shield in December 1990 as an Asbestos Removal Operative, Andy worked his way up through the ranks, being promoted to Supervisor, Contracts Manager, Senior Contacts Manager and finally Director, until his retirement in 2014.

Martin retired in 2022 having spent over 50 years in the Thermal Insulation industry having joined Shield in August 2012 after moving to Cornwall from Birmingham, bringing with him 40 years of industry knowledge.

Martin began his career as an apprentice in 1972 and went on to run both major contracts and Fabrication shops, leading him to run his own company.

He has extensive knowledge of the industry across Thermal, Acoustic and Fire Protection, where he was involved with contracts management, procurement, estimating and much more.

Having joined Shield as an insulation engineer, Martin soon progressed to the estimating side and onto Branch Manager and ultimately as Insulation Director responsible for every stage from initial contact to completion of works and Technical Data submissions.

Vanessa took early retirement from Shield in the summer of 2022, having spent nearly 10 years as a crucial team member at the Truro branch.

Vanessa joined Shield in December 2013 as a temporary Administration Assistant in the Surveying Department. She was taken on full-time in January 2014. At the start of 2015, Vanessa transferred to the Asbestos department as an Administrator, assuming additional responsibilities, including becoming the Waste Transfer Station Supervisor.

Vanessa was promoted to Office Manager in February 2020, a role that her peers knew she was already doing! She built great working relationships with her colleagues across many departments and branches, twice being nominated for and winning employee of the month.

Vanessa remains passionate about Shield and feels proud and privileged to be a part of the Shield family.

Jane took retirement at the end of July 2023 to spend more time with family and friends and enjoy some lazy lunches out.

Jane joined Shield in March of 2017 and has been key to providing a working environment that all of our colleagues at our head office in Bristol get to enjoy.

As with all of our Ambassadors, Jane is a part of the Shield family, and we look forward to seeing her at all of our events.