Community impact:
this ownership structure reinforces Metis’s commitment to enriching communities across the UK
Metis is an Employee-
Owned Business!
In February 2025, Metis co-founders Simon Jones and Luke Meechan officially transferred a majority stake in the business to the newly created Metis Consultants Employee Ownership Trust. All present and future Metis employees who have completed at least 12 months’ service with us become beneficiaries of the Trust. This makes Metis an Employee-Owned Business (EOB).
View our short video adjacent to find out more!
“Setting up the Trust secures Metis’s independent future. I’m delighted that we’ve found a way to put the business into the hands of the people who have made it what it is today: our employees” – Simon Jones, managing director
What does employee ownership mean for Metis?
We believe that employee ownership is the ultimate expression of our faith in each other. It means that each individual at Metis is part of something bigger – with a say in how our business is run, and collective responsibility for its successes.
However, Metis’s transition to employee ownership incurs no day-to-day operational change. Our Board of Directors continues to lead the strategic direction of the business, Simon remains in post as managing director and Luke continues in his current advisory capacity.
Nearly 2,000 businesses in the UK have become EOBs through creating Trusts like ours.
Research by the Employee Ownership Association demonstrates that EOBs are more profitable, efficient, resilient, sustainable, and have more ethical practices. They are also more firmly rooted in their local communities, and their employees make an outsize contribution to the UK economy.
Why does employee ownership benefit
our partners and clients?
Our employees now have a stake in Metis’s success, and we trust this will reinforce the sense of community and collective responsibility that we are so proud of. We consequently also believe that employee ownership solidifies our employees’ commitment to building productive relationships with partners and clients. Employee ownership equips us to continue to deliver an agile, personalised engineering service.
Innovation:
employee ownership empowers our people to share their very best ideas, continuously improve and innovate on a day-to-day basis
Independence and stability:
becoming an EOB underpins our long-term strategy to ensure security and sustainable growth, and to recruit the best talent
Agile customer service:
our personal approach and ability to flex to clients’ needs will not change
How does employee ownership affect employees?
A Trustee Board has been established at Metis to oversee the business and ensure that decisions are taken in employees’ best interests. Employees will also share in Metis’s future profits: income tax-free up to £3,600, under the terms of the Finance Act 2014.
Employee ownership also facilitates:
- Motivation: employees can really own their work as part of Metis’s collective success
- No disruption: we remain dedicated to delivering the same high-quality service, and building a sense of shared responsibility in the business
- Job security: our long-term independence protects job security and we hope that our employees commit their futures to us
- Employee retention and recruitment: this change will optimise morale at Metis, and builds on our collaborative, inclusive working environment. We hope that our stability and profit-sharing approach will equip us to attract the talent of the future
Find out more
We’re very happy to answer questions about Metis’s transition to employee ownership. Our partners and clients are welcome to reach out to their usual point of contact at Metis, or to directly contact our co-founders, Simon and Luke.
Media enquiries should be directed to our communications manager.
Testimonials
Andy Foster
Manager - City Highways - Asset Management
“Metis has provided invaluable support over the past 4 years in supporting Westminster with their net Carbon zero aspirations, particularly in understanding the whole life carbon costs in footways, but also creating the ESAT carbon calculating tool and assisting WCC in evaluating the carbon baseline calculations and deriving the options to reduce embodied carbon.”
Tony Singh
Head of Highways, Ealing Council
"Metis support Ealing by fully understanding our needs and challenges on projects. They pay attention to details and through creative approach have risen to the challenge of producing innovative solutions at great value. Their team’s dedication is evident in all aspects, bringing a wealth of knowledge and in developing a successful and a valuable partnership. We appreciate their attention to detail, creative approach and being accessible when needed."
Mathew Jasper
Asset Manager, East Sussex County Council
"METIS Consultants Ltd have been working with us at East Sussex County Council for the past three years. They have been producing our Investment Report and providing advice to us over the interpretation of our CVI and scanner results. Their input has been extremely helpful allowing us to provide good engineering advice."
Mick Bradshaw
Deputy Team Leader, Commissioning and Infrastructure Team, Harrow Council
"Metis are a unique consultancy in the flood risk sector providing development and delivery of projects that align with our own view that successful flood risk management has to be based on a ‘partnership’ approach which meets our own values and priorities"
Olga Gilevska
Highway Contracts and Delivery Team Leader, Kingston & Sutton Shared Environment Service
"Metis have detailed and thorough knowledge of flood water management and provide sound professional advice. Metis have always been responsive to our needs and priorities and were able to accommodate them. They build positive and long lasting working relationships that foster collaboration and effective teamwork."
Steve Grayer
Head of Highways and Transportation Strategy, London Borough of Redbridge
"Metis provides a professional and supportive service. Having worked with Metis for over 8 years we have confidence in their ability to deliver good outcomes with passion and commitment."
Ing. Fredrick Azzopardi
CEO Infrastructure Malta
"As a new agency entrusted with one of the biggest road investments in Malta’s history, Infrastructure Malta is benefitting from the expertise of Metis Consultants in its ongoing process to update and improve the quality and safety standards of existing road construction operations and output. The Metis team of experts helped us identify and adopt international best practices and new technologies to develop longer-lasting, safer road structures, for higher returns on investment and increased efficiency and sustainability to our ultimate shareholders and beneficiaries – Malta’s road users."