Mark Tant becomes MD for South region as part of wider rejig at M&E specialist
Wates’ former head of its construction business Mark Tant has been appointed interim boss of SES’s business in the south more than two years after leaving the M&E firm’s parent.
Tant left Wates in autumn 2023 after four years at the M&E contractor and set up his own consultancy business at the start of the following year. He was replaced as construction head by current boss Steff Battle.
But Tant has returned as interim regional managing director for SES’s business in the south after incumbent Darren Wilson was appointed commercial director at the wider SES business and promoted to its board.
SES said: “Mark brings extensive senior leadership experience having worked closely with SES through a consultancy role, his non-executive roles with SES’ technology partner Buildots and previous position as MD of Wates Construction. He will provide continuity while SES progresses the permanent recruitment process later this year.”
Wilson is taking over from Darren Kehoe, who is retiring after 11 years at SES leading its commercial function and more than 36 years with Wates overall.
And Phil Walker, who has been at the firm 20 years, has been promoted to a new role – national customer strategy director and will lead a new customer strategy senior leadership team.
SES’ s national pre-construction director Chris Holmes has been appointed to its governance board which the firm said will “better align work winning and longstanding customer partnerships with SES’ overarching strategic ambitions”.
Rob Clifford, executive managing director at SES, said: “These changes mark an important moment for SES as we continue to grow, invest in our people, and strengthen our leadership for the future. We enter 2026 with confidence following a record year and strong momentum behind our strategic ambition.”
SES, which is understood to be close to moving into a standalone office in the City and has more than 1,000 staff, is due to release its 2025 accounts by the end of June. The firm saw income jump 55% in 2024, its last set of numbers, to a record £464m with this year’s figure expected to be another £100m more. Pre-tax profit in 2024 was £9.3m.
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