Wates Group Board

James joined Wates Construction in 1983 and the Wates Construction Board as Marketing Director in 1994. He was appointed to the Wates Group Board in 1997 and became Chairman in 2013. He is also Chairman of the Nominations Committee.

Outside the Group James is involved with several industry bodies, reflecting his dedication to promoting the construction sector as well as ensuring access to employment opportunities for all. He is Chairman of the Construction Industry Training Board, Chairman of the BRE Trust, Co-Chairman of Build UK, Past President of the Chartered Institute of Building, a Member of the CBI, a Trustee of The University College of Estate Management, a Member of the government’s Apprenticeship Delivery Board, and a Non-Executive Board Director of Argent Services LLP.

James is also Chairman of the think tank Tomorrow’s Company, Chairman of The Prince’s Trust Corporate Advisory Group (2017), Vice Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People, a Governor of the Emanuel School and the University of Westminster, and a Patron of the Wates Family Enterprise Trust. In January 2012 James was awarded the CBE for services to construction and the charitable sector.

Tim started his career at Cazenove & Co. in the City, prior to joining the Wates Group. He is a member of the Audit Committee and the Nominations Committee. He is Chairman of the Wates Family Council – the Family Shareholder forum – and leads on housing issues for the family. Tim is a UKTI Business Ambassador, Chairman of the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership and a Non-Executive Director of Tampopo and Pedder Property. Tim is a Trustee of various Wates Family charities and a Trustee Director of the Clink Charity. He is on the Advisory Board for the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge and is a Deputy Lieutenant for Surrey (2017).

Andy joined the Wates Group in 1995 having spent six years gaining experience of the construction industry with Costain Construction and John Shreeves & Partners. Formerly the Managing Director of Wates Interiors, Andy was appointed to the Wates Group Board in May 2011 and is a member of the Nominations Committee and of the Remuneration Committee. He chairs the Wates Family Enterprise Trust. In 2014 Andy was appointed Chairman of Construction Youth Trust, as well as a member of the IFB Policy Committee. In the following year Andy was appointed Chair of Wates Foundation and Chair of IFB South East Region, along with becoming a Board member of the European Family Businesses. He also holds an MBA from Roffey Park Business School.

Charlie is a chartered surveyor with over fifteen years’ experience in the commercial property sector. He is founder and joint Managing Director of Needspace?, the Wates Group managed workspace division which now comprises a portfolio of six properties across London and the South East. Charlie joined the Wates Group Board in May 2011 and is a member of the Property Investment Committee. In addition, he is a member of the British Council of Offices, the British Property Federation and a director of the British Centre Association. Charlie is on the Board of Management, Estates Committee and Finance Committee of the Royal Alexandra & Albert School in Reigate.

Having started his career at Grand Metropolitan (now Diageo), Jonny joined Wates Developments in 1995 and later held the position of Group Marketing Director until 2006. He was appointed to the Wates Group Board in 2008. Jonny is a Trustee of the Wates Family Enterprise Trust and the William Wates Memorial Trust and has an MBA from Cranfield University. He has a particular interest in sustainability and is currently studying for a Masters in Sustainability Leadership at Wolfson College, Cambridge.

Andrew joined Wates in January 2014 as Chief Executive, following a long and successful career at BAE Systems, where he held a variety of senior management positions. A graduate of Sheffield University, Andrew joined British Aerospace in 1985, where he worked in management positions in the company’s commercial aircraft business. After leaving British Aerospace for an overseas position in Abu Dhabi, Andrew returned to aviation in BAE, where he occupied roles in BAE’s Commercial Aircraft Division, was Managing Director of the company’s Land Systems Division, and Group Strategy Director, sitting on BAE’s Executive Committee. He was most recently Managing Director of BAE Systems’ £2.2bn Maritime business.

At Wates, Andrew chairs the Executive Committee and the Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility (CR) Committee with overall board level responsibility for our approach to sustainability and CR. In 2016 he was named ‘CEO of the Year’ by Building Magazine and was shortlisted as CEO of the Year at the 2016 National Business Awards. Andrew was appointed Non-Executive Director of Chemring PLC in May 2016.

David joined Wates as Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary in January 2016. He is responsible for the financial affairs of the Group and also has board level responsibility for Information Technology and for the Needspace? managed workspace business.

Before arriving at Wates, David was Crossrail’s Finance Director and one of the three Executive members of the £15bn project’s board. He had joined Crossrail in March 2009 from Laing O’Rourke, where he was Finance Director for its European Construction business.

Prior to entering the construction industry in 2004, David worked in Accenture’s Strategy Consulting practice and HSBC Investment Bank’s Corporate Finance & Advisory Division.

David began his career with Arthur Andersen’s Tax Practice, is a Chartered Accountant and holds a degree in Modern History from St. Peter’s College Oxford.

David was appointed Non-Executive Director of Wates Group in December 2012 and is the Group’s Senior Independent Director. He is Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit and Nomination Committees. He also holds Non- executive positions with Wessex Water and The British Library, where he is Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee. He was appointed to the Board of YTL Land & Property (UK) Limited on 13 March 2017. He is former Non-Executive Deputy Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership and Vice Chairman of Dresdner Kleinwort, the investment bank. Earlier in his career, he spent ten years in the UK civil service, including two years as private secretary to the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

Deena was appointed Non-Executive Director of Wates Group in February 2013 and is Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Remuneration Committee. She is also an independent non-executive of the Grant Thornton UK LLP Partnership Oversight Board. Until its 2014 sale to Schneider Electric Deena was a Non-Executive Director of the global technology company Invensys and Chairman of its Audit Committee. She is a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee for the information and communication technology company RM, which provides IT products and services to educational institutions. Deena started her career with KPMG in their property and construction division, later joining Kier Group and becoming the Group Finance Director.