Answer extracted from the Pegasus Radio podcast — listen to the full episode below.
Why did Jamie Hillier start Accaloft right before the pandemic?
Accaloft was founded in November 2019—just before the pandemic—because Jamie Hillier saw a fundamental gap in how construction projects move from strategic intent to actual delivery. He left a major tier one contractor where he had spent nearly twenty years, reaching pre-construction director level, because he believed there was a better route to embedding delivery excellence at the earlier stages of project development, eliminating the gap between what clients wanted and what they actually received.
A career shift driven by delivery experience
Jamie Hillier spent nearly two decades in major contracting, progressing from site QS (quantity surveyor) to pre-construction director for a major projects business. In that role, he managed estimating, digital design, planning, and site-related activities—work that gave him deep insight into where projects succeed or fail.
What he observed was a consistent problem: strategic ambitions set at the boardroom level rarely translated seamlessly to the site. As Jamie explains in the Pegasus Radio episode, he wanted to work with clients and delivery teams at an earlier stage in the project lifecycle, before those disconnects hardened into scope, budget, and schedule issues.
Timing, founder partners, and a deliberate approach to growth
Hillier co-founded Accaloft with two other partners, each bringing distinct expertise—one with a deep focus on social value and ESG, another on procurement. The decision to launch in November or December 2019 was bold; within months, the pandemic would reshape the entire construction landscape.
From the outset, Accaloft adopted a deliberately conservative approach to scaling. Jamie and his partners maintained a minimum six-month cash reserve before hiring any new employee, a discipline that helped them weather the economic shocks that followed. This isn't a business designed for rapid orbital growth—it's built on sustainable, carefully managed expansion rooted in the founders' operational experience.
"if we do not fix [productivity in construction], we're going to be in a real mess in five or ten years. The industry is almost going to go out of control."
Jamie Hillier — Co-founder and Partner, Accaloft. Jamie spent nearly 20 years as a site QS and pre-construction director at a tier one major contractor, managing estimating, digital design, and planning for major projects. He co-founded Accaloft to bridge the gap between strategic ambitions and on-site delivery, embedding better practices at earlier project stages.
One detail that reveals Accaloft's mindset: the podcast conversation includes Jamie's reflection on how the firm approaches stakeholder perspectives, using methods like Amazon's "spare chair" principle to ensure every voice—client, delivery team, subcontractor, community—is genuinely heard in problem-solving. That philosophy directly stems from his years watching projects break down when key perspectives were sidelined.
From whiteboard tracking to strategic foresight
In Accaloft's early days, the approach was stripped to essentials. Jamie kept a whiteboard next to his desk, marking which invoices had been paid and which hadn't—a tangible, daily reminder of cash flow reality. Over time, the firm has evolved to balance operational discipline with forward-looking strategy: spend £20 optimizing your current business for every £80 spent thinking five years ahead.
This founding story—a senior contracting professional stepping away from a major firm to start lean, deliberately, and strategically positioned—explains why Accaloft exists at all. It wasn't a side project or a lifestyle business; it was a deliberate act of professional conviction, timed just before a global crisis tested every assumption about how construction could be organized.
See also
What are the three core service lines of Accaloft?
Accaloft provides services around ESG and social value, helping clients ensure their products deliver positive impact; industrialised construction support, and commercial management.
What are the three core service lines that Akerlof provides?
Akerlof provides services around ESG and social value to help clients ensure products deliver positive impact for places and people; industrialized construction support, and commercial management.
What are the three core service lines offered by Accaloft?
Accaloft provides services around ESG and social value to help clients ensure positive impact for places and people they are developing; industrialized construction support, and commercial management.
Key takeaways
- Accaloft was founded in November or December 2019 by Jamie Hillier and two co-founders after Hillier spent nearly 20 years at a tier one major contractor, progressing to pre-construction director.
- The core motivation was to eliminate the gap between strategic client intent and on-site delivery by embedding better practices earlier in the project lifecycle.
- The company adopted a conservative growth model, maintaining a six-month cash reserve before hiring and balancing operational optimization with five-year strategic thinking.
- Accaloft's three service lines—ESG and social value, industrialized construction, and commercial management—reflect a holistic approach to stakeholder alignment and delivery excellence.