executive committee

Paul Drechsler
Chief Executive.

Paul joined Wates Group in 2004 as Chief Executive and was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive in 2006.  He was previously an Executive Director of ICI plc, Chairman of ICI Pension Trustees and a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.  He is the Senior Non-Executive Director of Filtrona plc and Chairman of its Remuneration Committee

He was appointed to the Board of the BITC in 2011 and is Chairman of the BITC Education Leadership Team.  Paul is a member of the Trinity College Dublin Business School Advisory Board, a board member of the CBI, a board member of Business in the Community and Chairman of its Education Leadership Team.  He is also Chair of The Prince's Trust Construction and Business Services Leadership Group.

Helen Bunch
Managing Director, Wates Interiors and Retail

Helen joined Wates in 2006 as Group Strategy Director, developing and supporting the delivery of the Group’s growth and most recently was responsible for the establishment of the Wates International business in Abu Dhabi.

Prior to Wates, Helen spent 15 years with ICI working in global businesses that served a wide variety of industries from automotive to household products

Huw Davies BA MBA FCA
Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary
Huw was appointed Chief Financial Officer and joined the Wates Group Board in 2005. He was previously Head of Corporate Finance at Taylor Woodrow and has held key positions with KPMG, Ernst and Young and the Government of Oman.

Huw is Chairman of Wates Developments and Needspace?, and Company Secretary of Wates Group. He was a Non-Executive Director of West Bromwich Building Society and a member of both its Audit and Nominations Committees until July 2011.  Huw was appointed Non-Executive Director of WSP plc in 2011 and is Chairman of its Audit Committee.  He is also a member of the WSP Remuneration and Nominations Committees.  Huw was elected to the CBI London Council in 2009 and is a Trustee of the children’s communication charity 'I Can'.

David Smith MRICS
Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of Construction  
Dave started his career in construction as a trainee surveyor with Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. He joined Wates in 1985, being promoted to divisional manager with overall responsibility for the specialist refurbishment division in London in 1995.

In 1999 he became MD of Wates’ public sector business and in 2005, he was appointed MD of Wates Construction, taking responsibility for the Company’s education, commercial and public sector work. Dave was appointed to the Wates Group Board in 2009 and is the Company’s representative for the UK Contractors Group.

He is also a member of the UKCG Health & Safety Leadership Group, Chairman of the Wates Opportunities for All Committee and is Executive Sponsor for the Wates Target Zero Programme.

Julia Tyson
HR Director 
Julia joined Wates in September 2006.

After graduating, Julia joined the Boots Company in Graduate Recruitment and Training.  With her career path including working for a subsidiary of Marconi, a logistics company and financial services companies Barclays and RBS, Julia developed her generalist HR skills.

As a career HR professional, Julia has acquired over 23 years’ experience of working with businesses to generate success that can also create opportunities for staff.

Julia is also the Executive Sponsor for our Community Investment Programmes which includes Building Futures, Volunteering and Apprenticeships..

Peter Whittle
Group Strategy and Marketing Director

Peter has extensive UK and international business strategy and operating experience. 

His previous roles include Board Director and Head of Strategy at Tarmac Group Limited,

a £3 billion international construction materials business.  His responsibilities included group strategy, marketing, communications, technical, and also business development in the Middle East, India and China.

Peter has held a variety of roles in engineering services, paints, speciality chemicals and was a Director at the Met Office. He is also a strategic advisor to a UK charitable trust. 

Peter joined Wates in April 2011.

Stuart Togwell  MRICS
Group Commercial Director

Stuart joined Wates as a trainee surveyor in 1986 and has progressed through line management to his appointment in September 2011 as Group Commercial Director.  With twenty five years of experience, Stuart has encountered most procurement routes from PFI to long term partnering contracts and most construction products ranging from £2m to over £100m in size across the UK and more recently the Middle East.  Stuart is responsible for all commerical activities in the Group, including surveying, risk management, legal, supply chain management and tendering   

Andy Hobart
Managing Director, Wates Living Space 

Andy was previously Managing Director at Balfour Beatty Workplace, a £600m turnover support services business employing over 8,500 people. In this role and his previous role as Divisional Managing Director of Rentokil, he has extensive experience of dealing with Public Sector Clients.

Andy has an excellent track record of strategic development, organic and acquisitive growth, operational excellence and client satisfaction.

Andy joined Wates in December 2012.

John Howell
Group Production Director 

John spent over 30 years with Bovis Lend Lease, rising through the ranks to become Operations Director and subsequently MD of Bovis Lend Lease (South).  In 2007 John joined Developers Candy & Candy as its Group Construction Director where he oversaw a number of industry-leading developments, including the prestigious One Hyde Park scheme.

He has most recently been with Galliford Try to deliver its Athletes Village project and more recently on pre-construction activity.

John joined Wates in January 2013.