Hargreaves Services plc (AIM: HSP), the diversified group delivering services to the environmental, infrastructure and property sectors, has confirmed that Simon Hicks became Chief Executive Officer on 31 July 2026, succeeding Gordon Banham. The board change was previously signalled in announcements on 28 January 2026 and 29 July 2026, making the transition a planned rather than an abrupt Leadership shift. Banham is not departing the group entirely, instead assuming responsibility for managing Hargreaves' Investment in its German joint venture and overseeing the development of a zinc recycling plant. Investors in the County Durham-headquartered company will now be watching how Hicks, who joined as Chief Operating Officer in May 2025, steers the group's three distinct Business segments.

Key Points

  • Hargreaves Services plc (AIM: HSP) is a diversified group operating across environmental, infrastructure and property sectors in the UK and South East Asia
  • Simon Hicks formally became Chief Executive Officer on 31 July 2026, with Gordon Banham stepping down from the CEO role on that date
  • The leadership transition was flagged in two prior announcements dated 28 January 2026 and 29 July 2026, indicating a structured handover process
  • Investors may be watching whether Hicks accelerates activity across the Services, Hargreaves Land, and German joint venture segments under his leadership

Simon Hicks Moves from Chief Operating Officer to CEO at Hargreaves Services

Simon Hicks joined Hargreaves Services in May 2025 in the role of Chief Operating Officer, giving him more than a year of operational experience within the group before assuming the top executive position. His appointment as CEO follows a structured succession process that the company had publicly flagged on two separate occasions, in January and July 2026. The announcement states that Hicks now leads a group whose Services division provides materials handling, mechanical and electrical contracting, logistics, and major earthworks to sectors including Connectivity, Clean Energy, and Environmental infrastructure across the UK and South East Asia.

Gordon Banham Retains Role Overseeing German Joint Venture and Zinc Recycling Development

Rather than leaving Hargreaves entirely, Gordon Banham transitions into a focused strategic role managing the group's investment in Hargreaves Raw Materials Services GmbH, the German joint venture based in Duisburg. The announcement states he will also oversee the development of the zinc recycling plant, an operation connected to DK Recycling und Roheisen GmbH, which specialises in recycling steel waste material. This retained involvement suggests the board considers Banham's sector-specific expertise in specialist Commodity markets and recycling infrastructure to be of continued value to the group's continental European operations.

Hargreaves Land and Three-Segment Structure Provide the Context for New Leadership

Hargreaves Services operates through three business segments: Services, Hargreaves Land, and its investment in the German joint venture HRMS. Hargreaves Land concentrates on the sustainable development of brownfield sites for residential and commercial purposes, a business line that reflects the group's environmental sector positioning. The company is headquartered in County Durham and maintains operational centres across the UK as well as presences in Hong Kong and South Africa. The breadth of this operational footprint means Hicks inherits a geographically and sectorally diverse business at the outset of his tenure as chief executive.