09 Jun Promotion to PM for Martin Butcher

Martin Butcher has been with MiCiM since 2016,  joining originally as a Project Co-ordinator then quickly moving to become an Assistant Project Manager having gained further experience. Martin’s keen eye for quality, health and safety and ease in establishing relationships with clients and contractors alike has seen him develop tremendously over the past few years. Which is why MiCiM are proud that Martin has now become our youngest fully fledged Project Manager who will be running the second phase project for Cyxtera in Slough.

MiCiM’S Managing Director, Marc Beattie said, “Martin joined MiCiM, having worked with the founding directors on previous projects. His attitude, drive and enthusiasm has seen him progress quickly within the company to his current position as a project manager. Martin has risen and met the challenge of whatever task he has faced during his career with MiCiM, and is well on the way to becoming a senior member of the MiCiM family.”

Find out more about Martin’s career so far and what challenges his new role may bring:

Tell us a bit about your career and what you’re bringing to your new role:

After graduating from Reading University, I started my construction career working within the graduate scheme for Mace Logistics. This is where I was introduced to the Data Centre Sector, and I transferred to the Mace Technologies team working on Data Centre delivery. Starting as an assistant, then progressing through the levels of management working on multiple new build Data Centres. In 2016 I was invited to join MiCiM, and I have never looked back. During the past few years at MiCiM I have worked on a wide variety of projects within both the Data Centre and Pharmaceutical sectors, for both the construction delivery and client-side project management divisions of the business.

You have a highly pressurised career – what would you say are the key strengths you bring to a team?

My key strengths are in decision making, organisation and communication however, I also try to make every workplace better with a good sense of humour and positive attitude.

What are the main challenges in the Mission Critical sector?

The nature of Mission Critical works tends to be fast paced from conception to completion, as Data Centre providers line up end users, the time scales for projects can often suffer, requiring acceleration to meet demand. This applies pressure on the construction programme, meaning good planning is essential without compromising the high-quality installation required within critical environments.

What kind of skills does one need to have to enable a career in the Mission Critical sector that spans for 8 years?

Determination is key. And as much of a cliché as is it, I believe, failing to plan is planning to fail. However, things don’t always go to plan, therefore you must be willing to adapt your approach to succeed.

Over the course of your career, what would you say was your most challenging project?

MiCiM were asked by a client to take over a project as principal contractor, as the client was forced to terminate the contract with the previous main contractor. Our role involved the completion of the final phases of a 22MW DC, whilst fault finding and repairing defects left behind by the previous main contractor, all with a blue-chip tenant ready to occupy the white space. The successful delivery of this challenging project has led to the client becoming a repeat customer for MiCiM.

Is there any cutting-edge technology which you are excited about, which will be at the forefront of the industry in the next few years?

I wouldn’t say prefabrication is quite cutting edge anymore as its been around for a while, however it is certainly at the forefront of the industry. And with the benefits associated with speed, quality, and safety it’s not hard to see why.

Are there any skill/formulae/tech you learned in your formative years you still utilise today?

I often utilise 3D modelling whilst planning projects. This allows us as a team to clearly plan considering true logistics and buildability.

As you are always heavily involved in the final push to complete a project, what are your coping mechanisms to deal with the pressurised environment you live in?

Working under pressure is part of the job description. My approach is to stay positive throughout and encourage the team. The last thing everyone else needs during the final phase is negativity at the final hurdle.

What is it that you enjoy about working with the MiCiM team?

The team at MiCiM are handpicked, all individuals have great attributes that when combined result in a vast array of knowledge. We have great atmosphere and open approach within the team, and I am yet to discover a problem that cannot be answered at least one member of our team

After a busy working week, what do you do in your down time?

I enjoy fishing as much as my wife lets me go! I also pay golf, very badly I must admit.