Haley Somerset director Diviani to quit after nine-year stint at firm

A director at Haley Somerset Consulting is to leave the firm after nine years’ service in the business.

Managing director Steve Haley confirmed this week that Diviani was departing the £7.8m turnover firm, which employs a workforce of more than 100 and has seven offices across England.

Haley said: “He (Diviani) wants to do something else. He’s a good guy and goes with our blessing.” Diviani’s impending departure follows the exit of co-founder of the firm David Somerset at the start of the year. Somerset sold his shares in the company and has since joined central-London based firm Litchfield Group. He is to head up Litchfield’s management arm, which will specialise in QSing and dispute resolution.

The firm was founded as a partnership by in 1989 by Somerset and Steve Haley. It converted to a limited company in July 2005.

Its last results posted on Companies House saw the firm post a pre-tax loss of £343,717 for the year to 30 June 2003. This followed pre-tax profits of £447,867 in 2002 on turnover of £7.9m. The company is due to post its results for 2004 at the end of this month. Haley said the firm was in good shape despite being in the red. He said: “Order book are full. The business is in fantastic shape.”

The company was recently restructured into two: construction services and the engineering cost management. The firm’s management includes directors Tony Murray and Rolfe Jackson.

The firm’s QS subsidiary Matrix, which was formed in 2003 by ex-MDA directors David Clark and Paul Mansell, last year carried out a management buyout from the firm.

The MBO was led by Matrix managing director Clark last September and the firm has since grown to a workforce of 12 and undertakes projects in the PFI hotel and leisure sectors.