Esther English has been retained in a newly-created role to lead on strategic planning activities for Wates.
She joined Wates initially in August 2020 as maternity cover for chief of staff Emily Westcott. Before that, she worked at Crossrail for five years, most recently as head of reporting, and at KPMG and Reed Global. She is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, has a degree in psychology – she was treasurer of the Association for Business Psychology from 2015 to 2019.
Wates chief executive David Allen recognised that her background was not typical for construction companies but her 'fresh perspective' brought value.
He said: “The need for our sector to change has never been clearer. We are committed to transforming our business. To do so, we need to blend the deep expertise of our existing team with the new capabilities, varied experiences, and fresh perspectives that people from different academic and professional backgrounds can bring. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Esther as we find better ways to meet our customers’ needs and to fulfil the enormous potential of the group.”
Esther English said: “Wates is a fantastic business. I’m delighted to be joining the team and to have the opportunity to contribute to and shape the changes that will ensure that it continues to thrive and to provide leadership to the sector in the future.”
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