Wates Group announces the appointment of a new Chief Commercial Officer
Wates Group announces the appointment of a new Chief Commercial Officer
Pat Fitzgerald will join Wates Group on 1 September 2025 as Chief Commercial Officer, following the retirement of Simon Potter earlier in the year.
Pat is a chartered quantity surveyor with over 30 years of commercial and operational management experience in the construction industry.
He joins Wates from Mace, where his most recent role was as Commercial Director for the Private Sector, leading a £800m annual turnover business. Before that, he was with Lendlease. Pat has significant experience in the residential, commercial and retail sectors, having worked on projects as varied as the London 2012 Olympic Games programme, the Grand Arcade Shopping Centre in Cambridge and the iconic Battersea Power Station redevelopment.
As Chief Commercial Officer, Pat will lead the commercial strategy for Wates across its national portfolio, supporting the Group’s continued focus on delivering high-quality, sustainable developments and long-term value for customers and communities. He will oversee commercial, legal and building safety teams across the Wates business divisions, driving growth through collaboration and shaping strategies that align with the Group’s long-term goals and purpose.
This is a very exciting time to be joining Wates, as it continues its exciting growth trajectory, delivering more and bigger projects up and down the country. I’m thrilled to be part of this journey and to support the company in its commitment to delivering excellence as a purpose-led business.”
Pat Fitzgerald
Chief Commercial Officer
Pat brings a wealth of experience delivering major projects across the UK, with deep domain knowledge and a proven ability to shape commercial operating models in businesses with multiple divisions. His track record of driving high-performing teams and fostering excellence aligns perfectly with our ambitions at Wates.
“I look forward to welcoming him to the team later this year and seeing the impact his leadership will have on our continued growth and innovation.”
Eoghan O’Lionaird
Chief Executive Officer
Pat succeeds Simon Potter, Wates’ Group Commercial Director, who retired at the end of April 2025. Simon joined Wates in 1989 and held a number of key roles at the business, ultimately being appointed Group Commercial Director in 2018. Chris Symeonides is covering the role as an interim until Pat formally begins the role on 1 September.
