Derek McFarlane

Interim Chief Development Officer

Derek McFarlane is Interim Chief Development Officer at GreenScale, responsible for ensuring construction programmes are executed with discipline and are delivered safely, to specification, and on schedule.

With more than 35 years’ experience across healthcare, transport, energy, and commercial real estate, Derek has built his career in mission-critical delivery, where resilience, quality, and safety are non-negotiable. A collaborative leader by instinct, he is known for building high-trust relationships with clients, delivery partners, contractors, consultants, and regulators, aligning diverse stakeholders with clear outcomes and shared standards.

At GreenScale, Derek leads the development and implementation of delivery strategies, governance, and best practices, building high-performing teams, strengthening partner performance, and embedding a safety-first culture across the supply chain.

He places partnership at the centre of execution by setting expectations early, communicating transparently, and creating a “one-team” environment that accelerates decision-making without compromising quality. He defines “best-in-class” as safe, reliable, future-proof infrastructure delivered through rigorous risk management and collaborative delivery, raising the bar through innovations such as modular methodologies, advanced cooling, and renewable integration.

Outside of work, Derek is an avid Formula 1 fan, enjoys boating on Loch Lomond, and spends weekends renovating the family home, very much a project by design.

See the rest of our leadership team

Dan Thomas

Chief Executive Officer

Jean-François Berche

Chief Technology Officer

Ian Hammond

Chief Operating Officer

Zahl Limbuwala

Chairman

Anja Blumert

Chief Financial Officer

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