Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Kate Tinsley, CEO of builders merchant group MKM, has been awarded an OBE in the HM The King’s Birthday 2024 Honours list, which was published by the Cabinet Office on Friday (June 14). The award cites her outstanding services to the construction sector and her commitment to promoting diversity within the industry.
Tinsley started her career as an accountant with PwC and Deloitte, and further roles included finance and operations director of the Specialist Division at BSS Group, finance director, then managing director, and ultimately, CEO of Buildbase in 2015. After seven years at the Grafton Group, she joined Ibstock Plc as divisional managing director at Ibstock, before re-joining the merchant sector as CEO with MKM in 2020.
Under her four-year stewardship, MKM has embarked on an ambitious expansion programme, growing to 129 branches nationwide.
A lifelong fan of Notts County, Tinsley has devoted significant time to promoting grassroots football, coaching various teams and contributing to the sport’s development. In 2017, she was appointed as a Senior Independent Director on the board of the Football Association (FA), where she continues to drive positive change at the highest levels of English football.
Tinsley said: “It is a huge honour to be recognised alongside so many brilliant individuals. For me, this award doesn’t just reflect my personal efforts, but the efforts of countless others. The power of teamwork has been a constant theme in my career, and I’ve seen first-hand how the collective efforts of a team can achieve far more than the individual. I’m deeply passionate about what I do, and this recognition fuels my commitment to continue striving for excellence in the construction industry and promoting diversity more widely.”
David Kilburn, co-founder of MKM, said: “Kate is a strong advocate of developing and continuing MKM’s unique business model. She is a proven operator with a high-class reputation, and her leadership has been a major asset to our business, I’m delighted she has been recognised on a national level.”
