Since beginning his career in the construction industry upon graduating in 2000, Mr Garland has developed a wealth of experience following a stint at Balfour Beatty and positions as business development manager at Royal Vopak Global and international business analyst at Shell Global. 

In his most recent role as Hertel regional director, Mr Garland was accountable for the North East, East, Scotland and UK ME&I business units. He also served on the UK board of directors, overseeing three years of strategic growth and a reduction in business costs via restructuring. 

Mr Suresh Lodha, chairman of Western Thermal, said: “We are absolutely delighted and excited to have Christopher join the Western Thermal Group. His impressive CV matched with his charisma, dedication and determination to succeed are key attributes in this industry and made him a standout performer in his field. 

“Christopher has worked with some of the UK’s leading companies and Western Thermal will benefit from his vast experience and insight. We are confident that Chris will be a huge success for the company and we welcome him to the Western Thermal family.”

Mr Garland’s appointment is the first key move by Western Thermal following a successful 2018 which saw the leading engineering company secure a number of high profile contracts in the fields of construction, pipe fabrication, mechanical and other major areas of operations. These contract include the Wardian Project in Canary Wharf, Heathrow Terminal 5, Arla Foods’ Aylesbury dairy, Wembley Stadium, Victoria Station, Battersea Power Station residential and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

“We look to pick up where we left off in 2018 by establishing Western Thermal as one of the industry’s go-to companies for contracting. We pride ourselves on our high-quality work and performance and know that Chris will help continue our company’s legacy,” added Mr Lodha. 

Former Western Thermal chief executive Trevor Horsley has been made chairman emeritus of the firm. He will continue his association with the company as a senior advisor.