Dave Smith; MD Construction

Dave Smith joined Wates in 1985 and drove the geographical expansion programme that resulted in the opening of the Leeds and Manchester offices.

Back in London he became divisional manager of Special Works, followed by joint managing director of Wates in London, before becoming Managing Director of Construction and Chief Operating Officer on Wates’ Executive Committee.

Andy Wall; Managing Director - London and Kent

Andy joined Wates in 1988, working on landmark projects such as the refurbishment of the Foreign Office in London. Focusing mainly on private sector work, Andy became commercial manager for the new build division and in 2005 was appointed commercial director for Wates Construction. In October 2007 Andy was promoted to Business Unit Director with responsibilities for Wates Construction’s £135m London construction business.

Ian Vickers; Managing Director - Home Counties

In a career spanning 30 years Ian has delivered several prestigious projects in both the public and private sectors, working with blue chip customers including GlaxoSmithKline, Land Securities and Cambridge and Oxford Universities.

Ian has been involved with the Whitehall and Industry Group (an initiative designed to share best practice and faster understanding between the public and private sectors) and has served as a member of the Construction Research and Innovation Strategic Panel (CRISP).

Phil Harrison; Managing Director - Midlands and North

Phil Harrison is the Managing Director of Wates Construction’s Midlands and North business.  With a turnover of around £160 million and over 180 regional based staff, Phil brings over 20 years experience to Wates and has a remit to develop the northern business via growth in frameworks and existing customer relationships. He spends his time between the region's three offices in Stockport; Leeds and Birmingham. Phil has a combination of both practical, hands on and academic experience, and brings a wealth of technical knowledge and experience to clients – which include the Bridlington Spa and the Headrow in Leeds.

Simon Potter; Commercial Director

Simon Potter is the Commercial Director for Wates Construction.  His remit extends to overall commercial responsibility for all construction projects – both pre and post contract, across the UK overseeing a team of 400 surveyors.

Simon works closely with our clients to overcome problems and define commercially viable solutions for their businesses, bringing extensive knowledge of all contractual forms, construction techniques and procurement types.

He joined Wates in 1989 and has held a number of key roles within the business including most recently as Regional Commercial Director for the Home Counties working in particular in the Commercial, Education and Government sectors, including many local and national frameworks.

Stephen Beechey; Group Investment Director and Head of Education

Steve began his career as an Engineer with Tarmac in 1987.  He then moved into a number of commercial roles before advancing into a development and programme management role with Schal.

Steve subsequently worked for Jarvis and Laing O’Rourke with responsibility for PPP investment projects in social infrastructure.

He has a passion for education and believes it is fundamental to the long term success of UK plc.