Richard Holmes
Vice President, Contracting UK
Geobear
Richard Holmes is a Chartered Engineer with more than 30 years experience in geotechnical engineering gained in construction, tunnelling and mining from around the world.
Prior to the appointment of Managing Director for Geobear UK Richard has worked for other high profile companies within the ground engineering sector.
At Keller Geotechnique he held the position of MD and had responsibility for all aspects of this specialist Geotechnical Company. At Keller he also worked as the Project Director of Victoria Station upgrade works involving a £37m jet grout package over a two and half year programme. As a Champion of Safety he was on the Safety Leadership Team for the company and believes passionately about delivering safety and quality in all projects.
Richard also spent a number of years with Van Elle where he worked in the positions of Contracts Director, Divisional Director and Group Managing Director. He had huge success here steering the business into new markets and growing the turnover from circa £30m to £50m and profit from £0.5m to £4m. This took the company into the Sunday Times profit Track 100.
He was employed as a Tunnel Engineer on the Marine Service Tunnel (Channel Tunnel) & UK Crossover Cavern.
In the earlier years of his career Richard was in South Africa as a Rock Mechanics Manager on South African Gold mines. He was involved with the design and implementation of Mine supports and mining sequences in order to minimise the effects of rockburst and seismicity and published a paper on this subject at the 2nd International Symposium on Rockbursts & Seismicity in Mines (Minneapolis 1988).
He achieved a BSc (Hons) degree in Geology with Chemistry at Polytechnic of North London (now London Metropolitan University).
Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Geology with Chemistry
Polytechnic of North London (now London Metropolitan University)
2nd Class Honours
1981 – 1984
Experience
Vice President Contracting UK, Managing Director
Geobear
Jul 2017 – Present
United Kingdom
Managing Director
Keller Geotechnique
Apr 2013 – Jul 2017
Keller UK Wide
Major Project Director (Geotechnical works)
KELLER
Nov 2011 – Mar 2013
London, United Kingdom
Owner and Managing Director
Solid Earth Geotechnical Limited
Nov 2010 – Nov 2011
UK Wide
Independent Advisor
Independent Consultant
Mar 2010 – Oct 2010
UK Wide
Group Managing Director
Van Elle Limited
Oct 2005 – Feb 2010
United Kingdom
Divisional Director
Van Elle Limited
Apr 2001 – Sep 2005
UK Wide
Contracts Director
Van Elle Limited
Jan 1997 – Mar 2001
UK Wide
Project Manager
Keller
Aug 1990 – Dec 1996
UK Wide
Tunnel Engineer
Groupe Eurotunnel
Aug 1989 – Aug 1990
Channel Tunnel, Kent
Rock Mechanics Manager
Buffelsfontein Gold Mines Ltd.
Aug 1986 – Jul 1989
South Africa
Rock Mechanics Engineer
Anglo American
Oct 1984 – Aug 1986
South Africa
Student placement
Cleveland Potash
Jun 1983 – Oct 1983
Boulby Mine, North Yorkshire
