Tom Wheldon to Lead Henry Boot Developments' Industrial and Logistics Strategy as Vivienne Clements Retires
Henry Boot Developments (HBD) announced that Executive Director Tom Wheldon will take on the role of Strategic Board Industrial and Logistics lead following the retirement of Executive Director Vivienne Clements at the end of 2026. The company announced the succession on Nov. 4, 2026.
Clements, who has spent 30 years with the company and more than four decades in property, will remain in her role until the end of December. A full handover to Wheldon is already underway, the firm said.
Tom Wheldon Steps Into Industrial and Logistics Leadership
Following Clements' retirement, Wheldon will take on the Strategic Board Industrial and Logistics lead role. The company said he will build on the foundations Clements established and ensure continuity as the business continues to deliver its development strategy across the UK.
Clements leaves HBD after helping lead its industrial and logistics (I&L) team through a period of significant growth while strengthening the business's collaborative approach to development, the company said.
Vivienne Clements' 30-Year Career at HBD
Clements joined HBD when eight people worked from a single office. The company said she played a significant role in its growth into a national property development business.
HBD said she spearheaded partnerships across the public and private sectors and significantly expanded the firm's industrial and logistics development portfolio, including leading the creation of the Origin platform. Her work spans industrial and logistics, regeneration and wider development partnerships, including major schemes such as Markham Vale in Derbyshire, the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) in the North East and SPARK in Walsall.
"I am very proud of what we have achieved during my time at HBD; on joining it was a much smaller business so it has been fascinating to see how much it has grown and changed. I have been very fortunate to have worked with some incredibly talented people over the years. The team has tremendous knowledge and expertise, and I look forward to seeing the business continue to grow and flourish in their capable hands," Clements said.
Hamer Boot, Managing Director at HBD, said: "Vivienne has made a significant contribution to HBD over the last 30 years. Alongside helping to build our industrial and logistics business, she has spearheaded important public and private sector partnerships and helped deliver major schemes that have supported regeneration and economic growth. Her leadership and experience have been invaluable, and the team will now build on the strong platform she leaves behind. We wish Vivienne all the best for the next chapter and thank her for everything she has contributed to the business."
HBD's Development Pipeline and Origin Platform
HBD said it continues to deliver a strong pipeline of projects across the UK, including SPARK in Walsall and FREEPORT36 in Goole.
Henry Boot's 2026 interim results show HBD's committed development programme rose to £161 million in gross development value, up from £128 million a year earlier. The programme was 79% pre-let or under offer, compared with 40% in 2025. The Origin joint venture was progressing across three industrial and logistics schemes, with 66% of space leased or under offer, up from 9% at the start of 2026, and rents reportedly ahead of business plan. The programme also includes a fully funded £95 million Golden Valley Phase One addition.
UK Industrial and Logistics Market Context
The leadership change comes as UK industrial and logistics take-up reached 21.8 million sq. ft. year to date by October 2026, ahead of the 10-year pre-pandemic average. Average industrial rents increased 4.3% annually. Expected speculative development completions stand at 7.3 million sq. ft., the lowest annual level since 2018 and 45% below the five-year average.
Vacancy has risen from recent lows. The national logistics vacancy rate was 8.6% in the second quarter of 2026, while another market measure put vacancy at 8.1% at the end of the third quarter, up from 7.5% at the end of 2025. Capital costs remain elevated: prime distribution yields were around 5.25%, while the broader MSCI industrial equivalent yield was approximately 6.2% in mid-2026. By the third quarter, average prime net initial yields across 71 logistics submarkets had softened to 5.74%, from 5.59% in the second quarter.
Tenant incentives have also grown. Average rent-free periods for leases of more than 100,000 sq. ft. rose from 14.8 months to 15.8 months in 2026, and the gap between headline and net-effective rent widened from £0.71 to £1.11 per sq. ft.
Outlook for Henry Boot Developments
The retirement is a planned succession, with Clements staying through December to complete the handover to Wheldon. HBD's development programme is growing and becoming more heavily pre-committed, while the wider market combines solid occupier demand with limited speculative supply and higher financing costs. Wheldon will take on the industrial and logistics lead under those conditions as HBD advances projects including SPARK and FREEPORT36 and the Origin platform moves from planning and construction into leasing and delivery.
Sources
HBD, "HBD Executive Director Vivienne Clements to retire after 40 year property career," Nov. 4, 2026: https://hbd.co.uk/news/hbd-executive-director-vivienne-clements-to-retire-after-40-year-property-career/