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Carillion's Overview

Total employees4008
HeadquartersWolverhampton
Founded

Carillion plc was a major British multinational construction and facilities management services company, headquartered in Wolverhampton, UK. Formed on 1 July 1999, through the demerger of Tarmac's construction and services arm, Carillion grew to become one of the UK's largest and most significant contractors, involved in numerous high-profile public sector projects including schools, hospitals, and transport infrastructure, as well as private sector developments. The company also had substantial operations in Canada and the Middle East. After facing severe financial difficulties, issuing multiple profit warnings, and accumulating significant debt, Carillion entered compulsory liquidation on January 15, 2018. Its collapse was one of the largest and most complex corporate failures in UK history, impacting thousands of employees, suppliers, and numerous public services.

Where is Carillion's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as the primary administrative, strategic, and executive hub for Carillion's global operations, including finance, human resources, legal, and top management, before its liquidation in 2018.

Notable Features:

Carillion House on Birch Street was a prominent, modern office building in Wolverhampton city centre. It was previously known as 'The Sandwell Centre' before Carillion's occupancy. The site represented a significant corporate presence in the city.

Work Culture:

Prior to its acute financial distress, Carillion publicly aimed to foster a professional and efficient work environment focused on project delivery and client service. However, subsequent investigations and reports following its collapse highlighted significant cultural issues related to aggressive accounting, risk management failures, and a governance style that prioritized optimistic contract bidding over sustainable financial health.

HQ Significance:

The headquarters was the command centre for a FTSE 250 company responsible for tens of thousands of employees globally and a multitude of critical public and private sector projects. Its closure and the subsequent vacancy became a potent symbol of one of the UK's most impactful corporate failures.

Values Reflected in HQ: Ostensibly, the headquarters aimed to project values of corporate strength, reliability, and professionalism. In retrospect, its operations and the decisions made within its walls came to represent a cautionary tale of unsustainable growth, poor corporate governance, and the devastating consequences of financial mismanagement.

Location:

Prior to its liquidation in January 2018, Carillion plc had a substantial global presence. Its primary markets were the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Middle East (including the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia). The company also had operations in the Caribbean. Globally, Carillion supported functions such as: large-scale construction of public and private infrastructure (hospitals, schools, roads, railways, military housing, commercial buildings); facilities management for a diverse client base including government, healthcare, education, and corporate sectors; infrastructure services focusing on road and rail maintenance, and utilities; and support services, including integrated solutions for complex projects.

Street Address:

Carillion House, Birch Street

City:

Wolverhampton

State/Province:

West Midlands

Country:

United Kingdom

Carillion's Global Presence

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Address: Carillion Canada Inc., 7075 Financial Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 6Y3, Canada (Former Address)

Managed and delivered a wide range of infrastructure and support services for both public and private sector clients throughout Canada, representing a significant part of Carillion's international portfolio.

Dubai, UAE

Address: Al Futtaim Carillion LLC, Festival Tower, Dubai Festival City, P.O. Box 1811, Dubai, UAE (Former JV Address)

To execute large-scale, high-value construction contracts in the rapidly developing markets of the UAE and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, leveraging local partnerships.

Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK

Address: Carillion Regional Office, Sheffield Business Park, Europa Link, Sheffield, S9 1XU, UK (Example Former Regional Office)

To support Carillion's extensive UK-wide operations by providing localized management, project delivery, and client support for the northern region of England.

Buying Intent Signals for Carillion

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Executive Team of Carillion

As of April 2025, Carillion' leadership includes:

Philip Green - Chairman (Non-Executive)
Keith Cochrane - Interim Chief Executive Officer
Emma Mercer - Group Finance Director
Richard Howson - Chief Operating Officer (formerly CEO until July 2017)
Lee Watson - Chief Transformation Officer (appointed Oct 2017)
Andy Jones - President and CEO, Carillion Canada (also interim COO for UK Construction from Oct 2017)

Investors of Carillion

Carillion has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Kiltearn Partners LLP
Standard Life Investments (now Abrdn)
BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited
Majedie Asset Management Ltd
Letko, Brosseau & Associates Inc.
UBS Asset Management
Deutsche Bank AG (through various arms)

Executive New Hires/Exits in the Last 12 Months

Hire3
Exits3

The period from mid-2016 to January 2018 at Carillion was marked by increasing financial distress, culminating in multiple profit warnings and significant leadership changes. Key executives departed, and new appointments were made as the company attempted to navigate its escalating crisis.

Departures

Richard Howson, Richard Howson stepped down as CEO in July 2017 and left the company as COO in September 2017.
Zafar Khan, Zafar Khan departed as Group Finance Director following profit warnings.
Alison Horner, Alison Horner resigned from the board.

New Appointments:

Keith Cochrane, Keith Cochrane appointed as Interim CEO from Non-Executive Director role.
Emma Mercer, Emma Mercer appointed as new Group Finance Director from an internal role.
Lee Watson, Lee Watson appointed to newly created role of Chief Transformation Officer.

Technology (Tech Stack) used by Carillion

Discover the tools Carillion uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Carillion Email Formats and Examples

Prior to its liquidation in January 2018, Carillion plc likely used standardized email formats common for large corporations. Based on typical UK company conventions and patterns observed, common formats would include combinations of first name, last name, and initials.

[first].[last]@carillionplc.com or [f][last]@carillionplc.com or [firstinitial][lastname]@carillionplc.com

Format

john.smith@carillionplc.com or jsmith@carillionplc.com

Example

0 (Company defunct, emails inactive)%

Success rate

News and media

BBC News15 January 2018

Carillion to go into liquidation

British construction and services giant Carillion collapsed into compulsory liquidation after rescue talks with lenders and the UK government failed. The company, with 43,000 global staff (19,500 in the UK), held numerous public sector contracts, leading to widespread concern....more

Financial Times10 July 2017

Carillion chief executive to step down as it warns on profits

Carillion's shares plummeted over 39% after it issued a major profit warning, announced a £845m provision for problematic contracts, suspended its dividend, and revealed CEO Richard Howson was stepping down. Keith Cochrane was appointed interim CEO....more

Reuters29 September 2017

Carillion issues second profit warning, shares slump

Carillion issued its second profit warning in three months, stating full-year profits would be 'materially lower' than previous forecasts. The company also announced its finance chief Zafar Khan was leaving, to be replaced by Emma Mercer....more

National Audit Office (NAO)7 June 2018

NAO Report: Investigation into the government’s handling of the collapse of Carillion

The National Audit Office published its investigation into Carillion's collapse, concluding that the government was not fully sighted on the risks within Carillion and was reactive in its approach. The report detailed failings in contract management and financial oversight....more

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