He will lead the steelwork contractor through a new phase of growth, targetting over £100m revenue.

Kelly’s appointment now completes the leadership team at Embrace after the appointments of Ross McAdam as its new CFO in January and Matt Gibson as COO, who joined the business last year.

Investor group Embrace entered the steelwork sector two years ago after buying North Yorkshire steel designer and fabricator Hambleton Steel. Last year, it bolted on South Wales steel fabricator Shufflebottom lifting revenue to £55m.

Kelly, who previously held the position of strategic business development director at Severfield, was involved in setting company strategy and vision while managing M&A activity.

Prior to his role at Severfield, Kelly worked within KPMG’s team of construction and infrastructure experts and, more recently, has been a consultant to several construction and engineering businesses.

Kelly said: “I’m absolutely delighted to become part of this entrepreneurial and acquisitive group at the early stages of growth.

“I’m confident that Embrace will become a major player in the UK steel industry and I look forward to helping the business realise this ambition.”