Sir James Wates CBE
Chairman
Sir James Wates has worked for the company since 1983 and has been Chairman since 2013. He was first appointed to the Wates Group Board in 1997. He is chairman of the Nominations Committee.
Outside of the company, James is Chairman of the BRE (Building Research Establishment) Trust, Chairman-designate of the Institute for Family Business, and a Non-executive Director of Argent Services LLP. In 2018 he was appointed by the government to chair the coalition group developing corporate governance principles for large private companies (the so-called ‘Wates Principles’).
He has also served in the past as Chairman of the CBI Construction Council, Co-chair of Infrastructure Exports: UK, President of the Chartered Institute of Building, Chairman of the Construction Industry Training Board, and Co-chair of Build UK.
Sir James feels passionately that good business, well done, is a force for good for society. In 2012 he was awarded the CBE and in 2019 was knighted for services to business and to charity.