MEC Consulting Group has elevated Daniel Tuley to lead its structures discipline, signalling a strengthened focus on technical design and project delivery across residential, commercial and heritage workstreams.
What the appointment means for projects and teams
Tuley, a qualified structural engineer with 13 years’ experience, will oversee the firm’s structures team and split his time between MEC’s Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham offices. The role covers a wide range of services including technical designs, surveys, assessments and advisory work for new builds, refurbishments and alterations.
The move comes as MEC continues to secure and progress a slate of projects ranging from housing schemes to conversions of industrial premises. Existing work in Tuley’s pipeline includes foundation and superstructure designs for a residential development in Repton, Derbyshire and ground improvement and piled foundations for a 177-unit housing scheme in Solihull, West Midlands. Other assignments involve structural surveys for an industrial-to-padel-courts conversion in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, and initial assessments for residential schemes in Kingsbury, Staffordshire and Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
| Project | Location | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Residential development | Repton, Derbyshire | Foundation and superstructure design |
| 177-unit housing scheme | Solihull, West Midlands | Vibro-ground improvements and piled foundations |
| Industrial conversion to padel courts | Market Harborough, Leicestershire | Structural surveys |
| Residential scheme assessments | Kingsbury & Mansfield | Initial structural assessments |
Growth opportunities and sector focus
Tuley said the position offered scope to broaden MEC’s client base and target sectors where he has prior experience. He highlighted particular opportunities in food production, vehicle manufacturing and aerospace markets as areas for expansion, indicating an intent to diversify the firm’s structures portfolio beyond its current client mix.
“The team has a strong existing client base, but there is definitely scope to broaden this, particularly in sectors I’ve worked in before such as food production, vehicle manufacturing and aerospace, so these will be new targets.”
He will also take responsibility for mentoring junior staff, including MEC’s assistant structural engineer, Euan Broughton. Professional development sits at the heart of his brief — both in growing other engineers and in continuing his own accreditation journey with the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE).
Management view and implications for delivery
MEC’s managing director, Alex Bennett, praised Tuley’s practical approach and client rapport, saying he quickly built trust with colleagues and customers and brought relevant experience from new markets. The endorsement underscores a business strategy that pairs technical leadership with client-facing credibility — a combination that can be decisive when firms bid for schemes where integrity of design and delivery risk are scrutinised.
For clients and contractors, a named structures lead who balances site-level technical oversight with staff development can reduce the risk of delays and rework — especially on complex projects such as large housing schemes and adaptive reuse of industrial buildings. For MEC, the appointment should sharpen delivery capability across the Midlands and support ambitions to win work in adjacent sectors.
- Operational impact: Dedicated leadership for structures can improve coordination on multi-site residential and conversion projects.
- Skills pipeline: Mentoring responsibilities suggest MEC is investing in internal capacity rather than relying solely on external hires.
- Market reach: Targeting sectors such as aerospace and food production signals a move towards specialised, higher-value structural work.
While the announcement is modest in scale, it is a clear example of how consultancy firms position technical talent to win and deliver a diverse portfolio — and how investment in staff progression is seen as a route to securing more complex, lucrative commissions in an increasingly competitive sector.
