Today's most interesting news is the appointment of Rob Bould as chief executive of GVA Grimley - the firm's third new boss in as many years. The announcement betrays the sound of jostling among what is called "the leadership team" at the top of a 1000-strong firm which sold 22.5% of its equity to the venture capital arm of Lloyds TSB in 2007.
About a year after chief executive Bob Barnett sealed that well-timed deal, he stepped aside in favour of Malcolm Whetstone, who we are told today "continues" as managing director. But over his head comes in a new chief executive in the familiar shape of Rob Bould, head of capital markets and the man not given the top job in 2005, when the Birmingham faction voted in favour of Barnett.
Over Bould's head comes in Stephen Brown, head of planning and regeneration. He is now "executive chairman". Brown - who seems to have orchestrated the shuffle - takes his place at the head of the boardroom table in favour of the ex-KPMG man Steve Halbert. He has been demoted from chairman to deputy chairman. Halbert was a Lloyds-inspired appointee, who took over from another Lloyds choice, former Atkins boss Mike Jeffries, who barely lasted nine months before resigning in December 2008.
Who knows what the employees think of all this milling around on a crowded top deck? But the 165 associate partners who did not benefit from the part-sale to Lloyds must be getting restive. They were given 15% of the business in shares, which are only redeemable once GVA Grimley float: for understandable reasons the 2007 half-promise to do so in 3 years has not been met. But when? "When market conditions dictate" says a spokesman.
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