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