Our People

A seventh generation descendent of the company’s founders, Jonathan started work straight from school in 1982 as an apprentice plumber.

One of his first jobs was cleaning out the caravans for the many Norman & Underwood craftsmen who regularly worked away from home.  The caravans were usually placed on site, often in the middle of a churchyard somewhere.

In the family tradition, Jon worked his way up within the Group. He spent the first 15 years on the roofs of hundreds of churches and historical buildings across the UK.  When he came off the ‘tools’, he went into contracts supervision and then estimating, taking over as divisional director and joining the main board in 2000. 

Jon was involved in many of our most prestigious contracts, including the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Bermuda Cathedral, The Kings Chapel in Gibraltar,  the British Embassies in Moscow and Korea and, closer to home, Windsor Castle, St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Petworth and Chatsworth Houses.

He was appointed Group Managing Director in 2006 and has been responsible for leading the company’s development and growth through a difficult economic period.

Jonathan holds an Honorary Doctorate in Science from the University of Leicester and is a Freeman of the City of London.  He is an active supporter of local charities, raising funds by presenting lectures on Norman & Underwood.  Jon recently raised over £5,000 for charity by walking 185km between Cathedrals and Minsters nationwide.  

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Darrell began his career at Norman & Underwood in 1986 as an apprentice plumber. 

He trained as a ‘traditional plumber’, learning the techniques of shaping and welding lead and copper sheeting as well as water supply and pipework installation that plumbing focuses on today. He developed these skills and experience working with the company’s craftsmen on repairing and restoring hundreds of roofs.

 One of his most memorable moments was being part of the team selected to install the 1,260 golden panels it took to cover the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.  Darrell has also worked on the Governors House on the Falklands Islands, the British Embassy in Moscow and many landmark buildings in the UK.

Darrell was promoted to Contracts Supervisor for the Roofing Division in 1998 and was appointed Divisional Director ten years later.  His technical expertise and passion for quality gives owners and architects the assurance of knowing that their building is in safe hands.  He is also the driving force behind our Craft Apprenticeship scheme, passing the traditional skills onto the next generation.

Outside of work, Darrell’s interests include sport and spending time with his family.

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Meet the Roofing Team

Keith joined Norman & Underwood in 2009 to create and develop our Conservation and Restoration division.

Keith is a time served stonemason, with extensive technical expertise in stone conservation and the use of lime. He managed his own heritage business for many years before joining WM Sapcote & Sons. He headed up their Restoration Team, turning a few thousand pound turnover into a £4 million business.

He has worked with clients such as The National Trust, The Landmark Trust, English Heritage and the PCC, managing conservation and restoration projects ranging from £1,000 up to £2 million. Major contracts have included Kenilworth Castle, Worcester Cathedral and St Martin’s Church Bull Ring in Birmingham.

For Keith, restoration work is never just another contract.  He says: “When a building has held an important place in a community for a long time it becomes more than the sum of its parts, and its conservation becomes more a ‘duty of care’ than a building job.”

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Meet the Conservation Team

A former professional footballer, Peter transferred to Norman & Underwood in 1987 to manage our small works and emergency glazing department.

As well as supplying local businesses and residents, Peter works closely with the Leicestershire Police Force and Leicester City Council to provide a 24 hour, 365 day fast response replacement glazing service. He has also recently managed a major improvement project to upgrade the glazing in all schools and colleges throughout the city.

Contact Peter