Lyndsey Gallagher, Co-Chair
Lyndsey is a Director at Gallagher Group Ltd. As well as being a Trustee, Lyndsey is the Welfare Officer for the South East Region. She has been instrumental in ensuring construction families in the area receive the support they need.
She is also a member of the Kent Ambassadors, a group of highly successful and experienced business professionals who either live or work in Kent and who work together to promote all aspects of life in Kent.
Edward Naylor, Co-Chair
Edward Naylor became a Trustee and member of the Audit and Governance committee in 2016; he became co-Chair (with Lyndsey Gallagher) in March 2020.
“I’ve been involved in supplying construction companies for almost 30 years and am conscious of our responsibility to look after those in our industry in need of support. Since becoming a Trustee, it’s been great to see the extent to which the Lighthouse Club Charity has been able to support the construction fraternity in so many ways”
Edward is a Cambridge Modern Languages graduate and double-prizewinning Chartered Accountant. He spent the first 8 years of his career in the City with accountants Deloitte, acquiring corporate finance experience and spending time on secondment in Germany. He took over the family business, Naylor Industries plc; a manufacturer of pipes and concrete products on the death of his father in 1993 and has grown it from £12m turnover to its current £60m. The business now has six sites and 400 employees.
Joanna Vezey, Trustee
Joanna leads the people agenda at Laing O’Rourke and is a firm believer that people are central to delivering exceptional built environment outcomes that support thriving local and global communities.
Joanna has worked in the construction industry for two decades having graduated from the University of Southampton with an honours degree in Environmental Engineering. She became a Chartered Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2008 and in 2018 completed a Master of Studies at the University of Cambridge in Construction Engineering where she won the Laing O’Rourke Queens’ College Prize for her research ‘The effect of autonomy on wellbeing in a highly constrained construction environment’.
In Joanna’s career, she has extensive experience delivering large infrastructure projects working for client, consultant and construction organisations both in the UK and Australia.
Ruth Devine, Trustee
Ruth is the Managing Director of SJD Electrical, a design and installation contractor for industrial and construction projects. She took over the business following the exit of her father in 2017 and it is now an award-winning scaleup. Following completion of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small business growth programme at Aston University, she was awarded a visiting industrial fellowship and an MBA scholarship.
Ruth undertakes voluntary activity supporting industry to improve employment and skills, including as Chair of both The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership and the ECA Skills Committee. She became a member of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s Construction Route Panel in 2017 and attends the Construction Leadership Council’s People & Skills Network.
“As a Trustee I’ve joined the Charitable Giving Committee, I’m proud that the Charity provides such incredible support and services to help individuals all across the Construction and Built Environment industry. A particular personal interest is the Charity’s programmes for proactive support for apprentices and students, designed to build confidence and resilience, provide help and understanding, and ultimately improve lives.”
Ryan O’Loughlin, Trustee
Ryan is Director at Sheffield based main contractor, Henry Boot Construction. Having joined the company in 1996 as a trainee, Ryan gained an honours degree in Quantity Surveying and has held a number of commercial & operational leadership roles at Henry Boot. Ryan brings a wealth of experience in corporate governance, risk management and strategic planning. He is also a member of the RICS and is part of their social value awards judging panel. Passionate about nurturing future talent, Ryan still acts as an RICS Councillor at Henry Boot and offers support to schools within the Sheffield City Region as an Enterprise Advisor.
“My dad has been a bricklayer for the past 46 years so I understand the health and wellbeing challenges that construction workers can face. Bill and the team do an amazing job supporting these workers and their families. My role as a trustee is an opportunity to contribute to this good work and give something back to an industry that has provided me with a fantastic career.”
Ian Carey, Trustee
Ian Carey boasts an extensive 25-year tenure within the construction industry. In 2009, he started Pulse Consult, a venture that, under his guidance, has progressively expanded to offer a variety of consultancy services across five distinct hubs. The bedrock of this business is in prioritising its personnel over profits.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Ian stands as a dedicated spouse and father to three, albeit not-so-young, children.
“I was deeply impressed with an organisation whose remarkable efforts achieve so much in aiding those in need in the construction industry and was delighted to become a Trustee. Observing the resolute vision and adept leadership at the Lighthouse Charity, along with their ongoing expansion, I am pleased to be able to offer my experience and support, providing synergy with the charity team.”
Joanne Conway, Trustee
Joanne Conway is CEO and Executive Chair of the FM Conway Group and has worked in the business for 21 years across a number of pivotal roles, including as a member of the FM Conway board since 2011.
Joanne began her career in the Marketing and Bids department, creating Central Services in 2010 to provide integrated support for back-of-house functions, clients, partners, and employees. Joanne then took over responsibility for the manufacturing arm of the business as Managing Director of the Aggregates and Asphalt division, with her tenure taking FM Conway forward to become the largest asphalt producer in the South East of England. In 2022, Joanne became Executive Chair of the FM Conway Group, before taking over as CEO in 2023.
“I’ve always been passionate about people, and focused on nurturing a safe, healthy and more inclusive, culture for both the people within FM Conway, and the sector as a whole and I’m proud to be able to offer initiatives such as the London Construction Academy and the Conway Charitable Foundation to our communities. As a Trustee of the Lighthouse Chairty, I am dedicated to sharing the skills and knowledge I have gained over the years to support the vital work the charity does every day to improve the lives of those within the construction community.”
Justin Mendelle, Trustee
Justin trained and taught as an economist before qualifying as a lawyer. He joined Sharpe Pritchard in 2009 and has been the senior partner since 2020. Justin advises on all aspects of construction law, from major infrastructure and development projects to town centre regenerations. He also advises on all manner of construction disputes, is a recognised adjudication specialist, and is regularly engaged in mediations, arbitrations, expert determinations and litigation. As the head of the construction team at a thriving law firm, he is at the forefront of trends and developments in the construction industry and is always seeking to achieve improvements in the delivery and resolution of construction projects.”
“I have been involved in the construction industry for over 20 years and have seen enormous changes in that period. Whilst there have incredible improvements over the last 2 decades, we still have a long way to go and charities such as Lighthouse are instrumental in getting us there. The core services (emotional, physical and financial wellbeing) Lighthouse provides are absolutely essential for our industry – I was honoured to be given the opportunity to sit as a trustee for the charity and am enormously excited about helping Lighthouse to continue its outstanding work.”
