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Barry Fowler Reflects on Real PM’s Next Chapter

September 2026

As autumn gets underway, Managing Director Barry Fowler reflects on Real PM’s recent growth and the opportunities shaping the business.

Over the past year or so, we have continued to grow the business, strengthen the team and broaden the opportunities we are pursuing. We have done that against a market that is still challenging in places, so it has been especially encouraging to see new clients coming to us through recommendations, existing relationships and the reputation our team has built.

When I took on the Managing Director role, one of my priorities was to make sure we could grow while retaining the qualities that have always been important to Real PM. Namely, maintaining the quality of our work, staying close to our clients, and making sure we have the right people and expertise around the table.

That remains very much the approach today.

Growing The Team

One of the most visible signs of that progress is our team.

This year, we have welcomed Adam Jasinek as Senior Planning Manager and Tom Howse as Senior Project Manager, with Sophie Bowen joining us as Project Coordinator. They follow Levi Fletcher, who joined as Project Manager last year, and Jon Hurdle, who joined as Senior Planning Manager, reflecting the continued growth of the team as new opportunities develop.

Growing the team is important, of course, but so is creating opportunities for those already within the business. We are focused on developing the next generation of leaders within Real PM, giving people more responsibility and building greater strength and resilience throughout the team.

That includes Chris Burns, who has been promoted to Associate Director this year, and Lucy Cook, who has been promoted to Senior Project Manager.

Both promotions recognise their contribution to the business and reflect our commitment to developing talent from within. Chris’s new role will also add further strength to the leadership team as we continue to grow.

For me, that is an important part of building a sustainable business. We want talented people to be able to develop their careers here, take on new challenges and feel they have a real role in shaping Real PM’s future.

That thinking extends beyond our own business too. Earlier this year, we hosted twelve first-year A-level students from Hills Road College, giving them an insight into the industry and some of the different career paths available.

Our industry continues to face a skills challenge, and I think we all have a part to play in showing young people the breadth of opportunities available to them, including the many routes into construction.

Building On Our Strengths

Our people are, of course, only one part of the picture. We are also seeing encouraging opportunities across both our established markets and growth areas.

Commercial offices remain an important part of our work, particularly in London, and we continue to see demand for high-quality projects where clients need experienced teams that can provide clarity and certainty from the outset.

It is a market in which Real PM has built a strong track record, working across complex developments including Battersea Power Station, 8 Bishopsgate and 41 Lothbury, alongside projects spanning culture, infrastructure, residential, hospitality and other sectors.

The next stage of our growth is building on the expertise we already have and taking it into new sectors and locations.

Alongside our core London market, we are pursuing opportunities more widely across the UK, including in the Oxford and Cambridge life sciences markets, as well as targeted growth in energy, sports and stadia, hospitality and culture. We are already involved in the early stages of a number of complex opportunities in some of these sectors.

Close-up of the proposed roof terraces at Botanic Place © RailPen

Cambridge Science Park render of masterplan © Allies and Morrison

Our projects may vary, but many of the challenges clients bring to us are the same: understanding risk early, establishing realistic programmes, making informed decisions and maintaining control as schemes become more complex.

We can look at a project from several different perspectives.

That is where the breadth of our offer becomes particularly valuable. Bringing together project management, programme and planning expertise and logistics advice means we can look at a project from several different perspectives and, importantly, get involved early enough to make a difference.

Across all of this, one thing we hear consistently from clients is the importance of certainty. With viability under pressure on many schemes and decisions being scrutinised more closely, getting the right advice early can have a significant impact.

The technical and construction experience within our team is a big part of what we bring to that process. Many of our project managers and planners have worked on the contractor or delivery side of the industry, so they understand not just how a project should work on paper, but how it will actually be built.

That practical knowledge allows us to ask the right questions, challenge when necessary and work collaboratively with the wider project team to solve problems early.

Looking Ahead

There is still uncertainty across the market, but there is also a great deal of opportunity.

Our focus for the rest of the year is straightforward: continue doing good work for our clients, bring great people into the business, develop the talent we already have, and pursue the projects and sectors where we know Real PM can add genuine value.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the autumn brings and to continuing that progress into next year.