Key ECA Officials & Staff

Malcolm Crofts was born in 1959. Just a year later, his father founded D.H Crofts Ltd - an electrical firm based in Surrey. In 1975, Malcolm left school to join the family electrical business.

Malcolm served his apprenticeship at Crawley College in West Sussex, working on the tools for 15 years before moving into the office to take on the day-to-day running of the business.

When his father retired in 2000, Malcolm and his wife Pauline took over the company, with Pauline as Finance Director and Malcolm as Managing Director.

The company joined the ECA in the early seventies and have been active members ever since. Malcolm has held various official roles at the ECA; he was ECA vice president in 2016 and became senior vice president in May 2017. He became ECA President in May 2018.

Born in 1955, Jim began his electrical training in the Royal Navy, where he held various roles as an electrical mechanic on ships and submarines between 1971 and 1978.

Jim finished his time in the Navy as a leading ordnance electrical mechanic and went on to work for Thames Water Utilities before forming his own company, JR Pridham Services Ltd Reading in 1988. The company now has 74 employees.

Jim has been active within the ECA, holding branch and regional chair positions and serving on the council. He was appointed Vice President in May 2017, then Senior Vice President in May 2018.

Gary joined Lorne Stewart Engineering as an engineer over 30 years ago, and worked his way up to CEO of the Engineering Division of Lorne Stewart Plc, having held several roles in both Regional and Divisional Management over the course of his career. 

Gary was appointed Vice President in May 2018. 

Mike Smith became ECA’s Immediate Past President in May 2018. Mike was made President in May 2017, having been senior vice president for one year prior to that. He had held numerous other roles with the ECA since becoming directly involved back in 1999.

Born near Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East, Mike is the son of an architect who worked for construction firm Taylor Woodrow. Mike followed in his father’s footsteps, joining the construction industry as an electrical apprentice straight from school just before his 16^th birthday. Mike’s JIB electrical apprenticeship was with R & I Harrison in Leeds, which resulted in him gaining Approved Electrician status.

Following a secondment with Shepherd Engineering Services (SES), Mike was offered a permanent position by SES as an estimator. He has held a variety of commercial roles at SES over a 25 year period, and is currently the firm’s Estimating and Sector Director. Mike has worked on projects totalling tens of millions of pounds, and has helped the firm grow its turnover significantly.

Steve was appointed ECA Group Chief Executive Officer in October 2010, having previously served as Deputy CEO from February 2010.  Steve joined the ECA from Magna Housing Group where he was Group Business Development Director and MD of Charter Ltd and Affordable Homes UK. 

Steve’s career consists of senior positions, both executive and non-executive, centred around the building services and construction sectors including a number of non-executive chairman’s roles within property development companies.  Prior to his time with Magna, he was Group Commercial Director with CORGI and MD of CORGI Services Ltd where he was recognised by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as one of Britain’s top 200 businessmen in 2002 and 2003.

Steve is a Chartered Director and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.  He is also a Non-Executive Director of numerous industry bodies including Build UK, JTL, Electrical Safety First, the JIB, the Electrical Industries Charity and EC Insurance Group.

Paul Reeve has held a number of senior policy and business roles within the organisation. Paul’s role as ECA Director of Business and Communications includes commercial, CSR, promotional, public relations and public affairs. He has an extensive track record in public affairs and media relations, having previously held senior roles at the Engineering Employers’ Federation and the Chemical Industries Association.

Paul is a Fellow of both IOSH and IEMA. He is currently on the advisory board of the certification body Exova BM Trada, and is Deputy Chairman of SSIP and the HSE’s construction ‘Managing risk’ group.

Helen became ECA’s director of member services in September 2014 and is responsible for the member services and regional teams, IT and digital project teams and also the ECS contact and administration centre.

Previously, Helen worked for the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) where she was director of strategy and communications. Prior to that, she was director of client services at CORGI and membership services director at BTS.

Helen is an affiliate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.  She is also a Trustee of the Gas Safety Trust and Chairman of its Marketing Committee.

Martyn was appointed ECA Group Finance Director in 2010. He first joined the Association back in 1988 as an Accountant for the employee benefits division, and then progressed to become Financial Controller for the Association and also General Manager of the Benefits Division. In 2005 with new financial service regulations coming into force, he became the Managing Director of EC Insurance Services Limited which then went through the process to become the regulated body for managing the employee benefits provision.

Prior to joining the Association he was involved with a sports sponsorship company and also gained extensive post qualification accounting and auditing experience with the firm he trained with as an articled clerk as far back as 1971. That firm was first called Hill Vellacott and following various mergers it is now known as Moore Stephens.

Martyn is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He is also a non-executive director of numerous subsidiary/associated and affiliated companies and Secretary for the Association and the ECA Pension Scheme.

Before joining ECA, Andrew spent four-and-a-half years as Crossrail’s Head of Employee Relations. Prior to this he worked for the Olympic Delivery Authority’s delivery partner, and for several years in employee relations roles at the BESA and the Engineering Construction Association.

Andrew is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of the advisory panel for Greenwich University’s Work and Employment Relations Unit, and a regular guest lecturer at Exeter University’s Business School.

Responsible for the ECA’s Technical Department, Steve ensures relevant and practical advice and support is given regarding all technical areas of work, notably fire and security, home technology and building automation.

With an established industry background, Steve has firsthand experience within contracting and the challenges faced when embracing emerging technologies as additional revenue streams.

Having joined ECA in 2018, Rob qualified as a solicitor and mediator with extensive construction and FM experience, obtained in private practice and trade associations.  He is widely known in the industry for his active contribution to dialogue between industry players and Government on a range of business-related issues, on behalf of the engineering services sector.

Rob is also an SME Business Advisor to the Cabinet Office/Crown Commercial Services. He is an active advocate of digital business solutions and, based on his personal experience, a passionate advocate of the commercial benefits of mentoring, diversity and wider inclusion in industry.

Carolyn joined ECA in June 2014 as Head of Education and Training. Prior to this she worked for 23 years in pharmaceuticals manufacturing in various roles with a global remit, followed by 5 years working with automotive and aerospace companies across the UK on skills projects and funding applications. She is also a trustee of the industry charity, NET.

Farhaan joined the ECA as Head of Marketing in April 2015. He is responsible for all aspects of the ECA online and offline marketing strategy with a focus on building a strong ECA brand presence across our industry. He manages a team which implements proactive and forward-thinking tactics that enable the ECA to attract both new Member businesses and Associates.

Farhaan and his team work closely with all ECA business functional areas and regions, to ensure that existing Members and Associates are fully aware and making maximum use of the many value-adding services and benefits offered by the ECA.

Farhaan has nearly 20 years professional marketing experience and has held senior positions across a variety of sectors including commercial and residential property/construction, technology and financial services.

Mike joined the ECA in 2015, having previously worked abroad as a broadcast journalist and communications consultant for three years.

Prior to that, Mike was a senior PR and media adviser for a major UK trade association. He has also worked as a parliamentary researcher for an MP, and in communications for two political research organisations.

Mike has 10 years' experience in PR, marketing and public affairs, and is a member of the PRCA.

Phil joined the ECA in 2005 and is responsible for Human Resources in the ECA Group.

Prior to joining the Association Phil worked for Air Products PLC, a global industrial gases and chemicals manufacturer in a number of senior HR generalist roles, both in the UK and overseas. This followed several years working in industrial relations with a major contractor in the UK engineering and construction industry.

Andy joined the ECA from Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years where he was Membership Services Manager responsible for the 35,000 members of the organisation. 

Andy’s 14 years in customer service has seen him work in Financial Services, Charity and Utility Services, with a set focus on customer service and identifying procedural improvements to enhance the customer journey. 

Richard Giddings is a Technical Manager at the ECA.

He is a senior technical electrical engineering professional, with a long-standing profile in the practical, hands-on aspects of electrical engineering and building services sector, having completed a time served installation apprenticeship, engineering drawing office apprenticeship, and worked in both the design and installation fields of the industry.

For the last 13 years he has worked for the ECA and its associated companies as a technical assessor, author and support engineer. Prior to that his years were spent predominantly in client- side consultancy and contracting roles.

An electrical power and lighting engineer by background, Richard has worked equally across all three sectors of domestic, commercial and industrial electrical engineering.

He has over 30 years work experience in all manner of projects, ranging from dwellings, schools and higher education, retail and leisure, commerce as well as heavy industry.

He is a member of the Institution of Engineering & Technology, an associate member of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, and registered with the UK Engineering Council as an Incorporated Engineer.

Richard believes that engineers should above all be practitioners of solid practical engineering merit, and strive to achieve end results which are straight forward to install, work on, maintain and operate, whilst also offering the necessary attributes of safety, efficiency and effectiveness.

Terry was appointed Group Financial Controller in January 2018, having joined the Association in 2013 as Chief Accountant. Terry is responsible for overseeing a small team that look after the day to finances of the Association and is based in the Sevenoaks office. Terry is also a Trustee of the Electrical Industries charity and a non-executive director of BASEC.

Terry is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and has worked as a qualified accountant for over 25 years. Most of that time has been running finance functions in a variety of industries, everything from motorbike racing to logistics and manufacturing and prior to joining ECA Terry had spent the previous 14 years in construction based companies.

Terry is a keen triathlete, proving that a lack of sporting ability is no barrier to taking part.

Steve joined the association in 1998 and has overseen many changes in regard to systems used within the group. He manages a small team from the Sevenoaks office, who run the day to day IT operations, as well as the development team who look after the systems and websites that are used to support membership activities.

Having worked in the IT industry for many years, Steve has managed IT environments across a number of sectors, ranging from insurance, publishing and certification through to trade and membership bodies.

Steve works closely with all the companies within the ECA family and is currently the chairman to the ECA staff pension scheme.

Phip joined the ECA in 2014 and was appointed ECA Business Development Manager (South) in April 2016 to primarily identify new business opportunities and different ways to reach both existing and new electro technical markets. Her role focuses on the recruitment and retention of electrical and specialist contracting businesses, and building strong relationships with client specifier organisations and key stakeholders across the southern based regions within the ECA.

Prior to this Phip held a number of management positions within education, recruitment, sales and marketing.

Phip covers the following regional areas within the South: South East, Greater London, Central South, South West, West and part of Eastern region.

Stephen became ECA Business Development Manager (North) in March 2016 to primarily identify new business opportunities and different ways to reach both existing and new electro technical markets. He works closely with the marketing department to create enhanced service offerings to better meet the needs of prospective and existing ECA members and associates. His role focuses on the recruitment and retention of electrical and specialist contracting businesses and building strong relationships with client specifier organisations and key stakeholders across the northern based regions within the ECA.

Stephen is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and as well as working within the electrical contracting industry immediately prior to joining the ECA in 2008, has also held a number of senior management and store opening roles within various retail and wholesale organisations across the UK.

Stephen covers the following regions within the North: North West, North East, West Midlands, East MIdlands and part of Eastern region.

To see the details of all of our 11 regional teams, you can go to our Regional Page.