Mike Shields promoted to Design and Estimating Director
UPOWA proudly announces that Mike Shields has been promoted from Head of Design and Estimating to Design and Estimating Director.
In his new role, Mike will focus on the strategy for the front end of the business, further growing our design and estimating function to meet our customers’ ever-increasing needs so we can help them overcome the industry challenges they face.
He will look at new ways to drive consistency and enhance our design systems and procedures, so they run as seamlessly as possible. This is essential as we continue to expand and support our widening client base as they integrate more solar PV, battery storage and EV charging technologies into the sustainable new homes they build.
Since joining three years ago, Mike has built an in-house design and estimating function of 15 x trainees, designers, and senior designers to help meet the surge in demand. He also developed our in-house training system that new trainees follow and progress through to ensure we consistently provide fully compliant solar PV, battery storage and EV charging designs.
“This promotion reflects Mike’s drive, vision, and commitment to UPOWA to simplify and speed up the design and specification process to ensure clients’ projects meet the latest Building Regulations on time and on budget. We’re all super proud of Mike and the positive impact he’s had in building UPOWA’s design and estimating capabilities to where it is today.”
Before joining UPOWA, Mike was a qualified electrician for 22 years. He then transitioned to office life and trained as an electrical design engineer before completing an HNC in Building Services. From there, he progressed into Project Management and completed an HNC in Contract Management, utilising his design experience to interrogate tender documentation and specifications and deliver accurate tenders for commercial and residential electrical contracts.
With a keen interest in energy management, carbon reduction and renewable technologies and with the experience he gained, Mike went on to set up his own electrical contracting business, specialising in turnkey solutions for residential and commercial projects across the South.
After 8 years of building a successful business and starting a young family, Mike was approached by our Founder and Sales Director, James Bull, about an opportunity to join UPOWA just as the housebuilding industry was preparing to navigate the changes to Building Regulations Part L and Part S and the Future Homes Standard.
With demand from UPOWA’s customer base for solar PV, battery and EV charging on the rise, Mike saw the opportunity to create an industry-leading design and estimating team at UPOWA that would help meet their increasing sustainability needs and deliver high-quality and compliant solutions for residential developments across the country. The rest is history!