125 Years Director Spotlight
Tom Ogden
Walk into a meeting with this team member, and don’t be surprised if you walk out with not just a better understanding of land development, but also a few great stories, a healthy respect for ploughing matches, and a renewed appreciation for what it means to work in a community like this one.
Tom’s been with Lambert & Foster for 12 years now, and while he might not be one for shouting about it, his impact speaks for itself.
“The people here genuinely care, not just about the work, but about the clients, the outcomes, the long game. That’s what makes this place special.
Ask him what makes L&F stand out, and his answer is immediate: the team. “It’s a culture of care, really. People want to do the best possible job and that starts with the relationships we build.”
And those relationships run deep. Over the years, he’s worked with families spanning multiple generations, helping parents, and now their grown-up children, take the reins and drive things forward. “It’s a real privilege,” he says. “You get to be part of something that lasts.”
There have been some unforgettable moments along the way. He is proud of how the planning team has evolved, and the joy of hiring new recruits who find themselves at their first ploughing match, utterly bewildered, only to leave with muddy boots and a real sense of how rural life connects people.
“Those events aren’t just about farming,” he says. “They’re about tradition, community, history. There’s something special about watching someone experience that for the first time.”
And it’s not just nostalgia. There’s been some seriously high-impact work too. He’s proud of the large-scale agricultural projects that support some of the UK’s biggest fruit growers and equally proud of the smaller diversification schemes that, in his words, “can be genuinely life-changing for rural businesses.”
From Rochester Airport’s re-development to major residential projects across the south east , he’s had a hand in shaping some of the most exciting developments across Kent and Sussex.
The future? He’s got ideas. Big ones.
He sees huge potential in L&F continuing to grow as a group of specialist businesses with Bloomfields leading the planning charge into new sectors, and opportunities to expand the land promotion, architectural, and viability and agency services further.
“We’ve got the team, the knowledge, and the relationships. Now it’s about being brave enough to evolve and bold enough to lead.”
If that’s not a leader with ambition, we don’t know what is!