Ousted CEO Andy Milner to return to head up Amey under the contractor’s new private equity owners Buckthorn and OEP.
In a twist of events Amey's former CEO Andy Milner is to return to his former role following the takeover of the much maligned facilities management company by a private equity firm headed up by Phillip Hammond.
Last month, Amey’s current chief executive Amanda Fisher announced that she will step down when the business transfers to its new owners.
Buckthorn has now announced that Milner will return to his former post once the deal has completed.
A spokesperson for Buckthorn announced that “Andy has been working with Buckthorn and One Equity Partners in support of our acquisition of Amey”.
The spokesperson added: “We are pleased to announce that Andy Milner will return as Chief Executive of Amey.
“The transfer of ownership of the firm has been transferred from Ferrovial to Buckthorn and OEP is expected to conclude in the coming weeks and Andy will lead the business under Buckthorn and OEP ownership.”
Milner was succeded by Fisher at Amey in 2019 after four years in the chief executive job.
The return of Mr Milner completes a remarkable turnaround after a turbulent time which has seen a number of key personnel quit their roles under Ms. Fisher, the most notable being SHEQ Director Alan Shanks.
Since leaving Amey, Milner has been executive chairman of Matrix Networks, which installs utility infrastructure for corporate customers.
This seems to be a backwards step and a poor decision on behalf of the new owners when you consider the changes made by Ms. Fisher, during some very trying times, to turn Amey into a people centric, modern, and progressive company, not to mention her popularity and approachable nature. It makes you wonder what plans the new owners have and how much longer Amey will be around.