about us

Jodie is director, consultant and co-founder of DARNA Project Management, bringing over 22 years’ experience in client-side development, regeneration and project delivery across both the public and private sectors. She has overseen more than £3 billion of development and regeneration programmes, including more than 20 joint ventures, consistently turning strategic ambition into deliverable, commercially sound outcomes.

Her career has been shaped by a focus on strategy, commercial optimisation and partnership-led delivery, with experience spanning complex, high-profile programmes such as the Harrow Strategic Development Partnership, the Ebury Bridge regeneration, and major frameworks for L&Q and Riverside. She is known for her pragmatic and resilient approach, with a strong ability to navigate complexity, build trust with stakeholders and maintain momentum across challenging schemes. What drives Jodie is not only supporting clients to achieve their objectives, but the long-term impact those projects have on people and communities. She views development through a human lens, recognising that the spaces delivered will become homes, neighbourhoods and places where lives unfold. This perspective underpins her commitment to delivering safe, high-quality environments that create lasting social value.

Alongside her project work, Jodie plays a central role in shaping the culture and future direction of DARNA. She is a strong advocate for her team, investing in their development and encouraging them to take ownership of their growth. She is also leading the ambition to establish the DARNA Academy, with a focus on giving future professionals meaningful, real-world experience and embedding a consistent, high standard of project delivery.

Jodie’s commitment to placemaking extends beyond her professional role. She serves as a trustee for Cyfannol Women’s Aid in her hometown of Wales, supporting work that makes a tangible difference to vulnerable individuals and the wider community. This involvement reflects her belief that the built environment should always contribute positively to people’s lives.

Kirstan is director and co-founder of DARNA Project Management, with over 25 years’ experience delivering complex regeneration and development programmes across the public and private sectors. She has led more than £5 billion of capital investment across London boroughs, guiding schemes from early strategy through to successful delivery.

Her background spans client-side development and senior leadership within local government, giving her a grounded understanding of the political, organisational and commercial realities that shape major projects. She is known for her ability to bring clarity to complex situations, build trusted relationships quickly and support confident, informed decision-making. Her experience includes landmark projects such as the Harrow Strategic Development Partnership, Kidbrooke Village, Royal Arsenal, Wood Street Estate and Blackhorse Lane, where she has helped shape regeneration strategies that balance commercial outcomes with long-term social value and placemaking.

Leadership for Kirstan is rooted in collaboration and values-led delivery. She takes pride in supporting people to develop and grow, and is particularly passionate about championing women in construction and nurturing emerging talent, which she views as one of the most rewarding aspects of her work.

A consistent thread throughout her career has been the focus on impact and place. Having helped deliver schools, libraries, leisure facilities and thousands of new homes, she remains driven by the difference these projects make to everyday lives, creating opportunity and providing homes where people can build their futures. Alongside her professional work, she supports charities including Shelter and Crisis, reflecting a long-standing commitment to addressing homelessness and supporting vulnerable communities.

Mathieu leads our operations team with a wealth of experience spanning over 28 years in the construction industry. His responsibilities extend across new business development, process and procedure optimisation, quality management, recruitment, finance oversight, and line management. Currently, he is also managing projects for a key client while providing dedicated support to our apprentices as they progress through their careers with us.

Before joining the company, Mathieu spent six years as a senior facilities manager in the private sector, followed by over 16 years in the public sector, where he served as a programme manager and commercial director. What drew him to DARNA was the directors' vision, the company's ambitious growth trajectory, its strong work ethic, and a genuinely employee-focused leadership style.

Mathieu’s core strengths lie in programme management, people leadership, and commercial acumen. He approaches challenges with logical, evidence-based thinking to ensure informed decisions that deliver real value. Driven by a client-first philosophy, he is committed to doing the job right and representing the company positively at every opportunity, believing that trust is fundamental to creating lasting client relationships, underpinned by open communication and consistent engagement. He leads his team collaboratively, firmly believing that treating people well fosters loyalty and ensures everyone steps up when it matters most.

Looking ahead, Mathieu is working towards achieving his Chartered Membership with the CIOB (MCIOB) while driving our operations forward to the next level of excellence.

Mark is an associate director providing project management support to a range of clients, working across new-build schemes for local authorities and refurbishment projects within the private sector. He supports clients from the early stages of their projects, assisting with brief development and advising on the regulatory and statutory requirements that need to be considered as projects progress.

Mark’s focus is on helping projects run as smoothly as possible by maintaining oversight of the wider project team and managing interfaces between consultants, contractors and key stakeholders. Working closely with clients at the front end of projects has allowed him to develop a strong understanding of their objectives and to provide clear, informed advice throughout the project lifecycle.

With a background in architecture, Mark brings a strong technical perspective to his role. He is highly detail-oriented and is particularly skilled at identifying potential issues within construction drawings before they materialise on site, as well as resolving issues effectively when they arise during construction. He has extensive knowledge of the Principal Designer role under both Building Regulations and CDM Regulations, enabling him to clearly advise clients on their statutory duties and compliance obligations. His architectural experience also supports clients in assessing build quality and design intent during delivery.

He has worked on a wide range of projects, including the restoration of three Napoleonic watch towers on the west coast of Ireland, dating from around 1800. Contributing to the preservation of these historic structures for future generations remains a particularly meaningful experience for him.

“Designing a retirement home during my final year at university for a couple, one of whom was living with Parkinson’s Disease, reinforced for me the importance of ‘home’ - both as a physical place and a social concept. Seeing them move in is something I’ll always remember and reflects why I chose this profession.”

Mark is keen to continue developing his leadership skills by leading a small specialist team within the business. He remains committed to ongoing professional development, gaining further hands-on project experience and expanding his expertise across new roles within the consultancy.

Dale is an assistant project manager and has been part of the business since its inception. From day one, she has supported the delivery of projects, working closely with senior team members and clients to help ensure programmes run smoothly and efficiently. Dale is motivated by working within a supportive and collaborative team environment and thrives on achieving project milestones and shared goals. She brings a positive, organised approach to her role and is valued for her willingness to take ownership and see tasks through to completion.

Dale joined the company drawn by its commitment to investing in people and supporting long-term career development. She plays a key role in project coordination, providing reliable support across multiple work-streams and contributing to the day-to-day management of projects. Her core strengths include team collaboration, problem solving and clear, confident communication with both clients and project teams. She has a particular aptitude for research and technical coordination, and has recently been involved in supporting planning applications for door entry systems and security-led door replacement programmes. Through this work, Dale has developed a strong understanding of the balance between quality, cost, risk and time, and how these factors influence successful project delivery.

Alongside her project work, Dale is currently undertaking her APM apprenticeship and is working towards degree-level study, with the aim of qualifying as a Level 6 Project Manager. She is committed to developing her skills and progressing her career within the profession.

Pete provides programme and delivery management services to clients across a range of complex development projects. He brings a strong track record in development management and the delivery of mixed-use schemes, with experience spanning housing associations, private developers and contracting organisations.

Prior to joining the business, Pete held senior and leadership roles where he oversaw the delivery of thousands of new homes across multiple tenures. His experience includes leading large-scale residential programmes, managing complex stakeholder environments and operating within robust governance and compliance frameworks. He has spearheaded framework agreements and led compliance audits with organisations such as Homes England and the Greater London Authority, giving him a thorough understanding of regulatory, funding and assurance requirements.

Pete joined the company to be part of an ambitious consultancy committed to providing a high-quality service and delivering well-considered homes and buildings that meet genuine need. He is known for his practical, delivery-focused approach and his ability to balance programme, quality and risk while maintaining clear communication with clients and project teams. At the core of Pete’s work is a strong commitment to understanding each client’s objectives and translating them into clear, achievable delivery strategies. He takes pride in providing a consistent, reliable service and working collaboratively to ensure projects meet their intended outcomes.

Looking ahead, Pete is keen to support the continued growth of the delivery team and to help strengthen and expand the company’s service offering for both existing and future clients.

Lizzie is our marketing lead, supporting all content and communications across the company. She plays a key role in shaping how DARNA presents itself both internally and externally, ensuring that its work, values and expertise are communicated consistently and with purpose.

Lizzie holds an LLB, where she developed strong analytical and research skills, before continuing her academic journey with a Master’s degree in Journalism, Media and Communication. Her postgraduate research focused on media law and health promotion through modern digital platforms, exploring the influence contemporary media has on public behaviour and understanding. Interviews with a range of online influencers, have further strengthened her insight into how modern audiences engage with content and messaging.

She brings extensive writing and content development experience, having worked with a variety of organisations to strengthen their online presence. Her work has included defining target audiences, developing brand voice, producing website and email copy, creating engaging social media content and supporting wider digital strategies. She combines her strong technical writing ability with a deep appreciation for literature and modern media, enabling her to produce content that is both considered and engaging, while remaining authentic to the identity of the organisation.

Lizzie is particularly passionate about giving a clear voice to causes that matter, which aligns closely with the company’s mission and values.She has a strong understanding of the business’ purpose and communicates this clearly through thoughtful content, articulating how the company contributes to creating places where people can live well and communities can thrive. Her work helps raise the profile of the business while enabling clients to connect with the people and principles behind DARNA.

Ava is a Project Coordinator Apprentice within the Client Services Team, working closely with the directors and project managers to gain hands-on experience across the business. She supports both project delivery and internal operations, helping to ensure work is well organised, accurate and professionally presented.

Her day-to-day includes a range of coordination and administrative responsibilities, including diary management, event coordination and maintaining project information. Ava also supports the development of company policies and contributes to procurement and bid-related activities. She plays a pivotal role in completing detail-driven tasks such as proofreading documents, checking data accuracy and organising files, all of which contribute to the smooth running of the business and the quality of client-facing outputs. Ava’s academic studies on regeneration attracted her to DARNA, and she is keen to understand how regeneration and development principles are applied in practice. In her first year, she is focused on building a strong understanding of core project management principles while supporting project teams with administrative and coordination tasks.

Ava is committed to continuous learning and professional development. She thrives in collaborative environments, enjoys problem solving, and is motivated to build a long-term career in project management, with the ambition to progress into a leadership role as her experience and responsibilities grow.