New Chief Financial Officer Joins Tolent

Tolent is celebrating the appointment of industry stalwart Mark Overton who joined the business in February. Mark joins the North East contractor as Chief Financial Officer and will work with the newly-appointed CEO, Paul Webster in a new look executive board.

The parties have been in negotiations for a number of months following the announcement in 2021 that current financial director, Andy Clark was leaving the business after 26 years in post.

The appointment will see Tolent benefiting from a wealth of knowledge and experience with Overton possessing a decade’s worth of experience as CFO at Colas, a £300m UK-based business in the transport infrastructure market.

As a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, Chartered Management Accountant and MBA recipient, Overton possesses an impressive resume and is a major coup for the Gateshead-based firm in what is a challenging time for the construction industry.

Upon his appointment Chief Financial Officer, Mark Overton said: “I feel very privileged to be taking on the role of CFO for Tolent. My personal goals align with Tolent's vision perfectly, and it feels like a great fit on many levels.

Being a part of the construction industry for as long as I can remember, I have been impressed with Tolent and its mighty portfolio of works it has delivered in the past. I am really looking forward to this new adventure and very keen to know more about Tolent, its team, and its projects."

Paul Webster, the Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are thrilled to have someone of Mark’s calibre join our organisation and I look forward to working closely with him over the coming months as he familiarises himself with our business.

It’s certainly been a very challenging couple of years for the whole industry and I am confident that Mark’s appointment to our executive board will provide us with strength and stability long into the future.”

Despite reporting losses in 2020, Tolent set a record turnover and has a strong order book of secured workload for 2022 and 2023. The firm recently celebrated a string of contract wins including the development of 132 eco-homes at the Vaux Brewery site in Sunderland whilst breaking ground at a £40m residential tower at Brett Wharf, Gateshead. The coming years will see them consolidate their position as a major contractor within the North East and Yorkshire regions.