Wates boss set to leave this spring

Wates’ executive board member Steve Beechey is leaving the firm later this year, Building can reveal.

Beechey, who is the firm’s group public sector director, is set to go this May after 16 years at the firm. He is understood to be setting up his own consultancy business.

In a statement, he said: “I will remain a member of the Wates group executive committee until the end of May and will work closely with the executive team at Wates to ensure a smooth and orderly handover for our valued customers and partners.”

He added: “Over the past 15 and a half years, I have shaped our public-sector strategy, building strong partnerships across government and championing inclusion through initiatives such as our LGBTQ+ network, Build Out Together.”

Beechey joined Wates from Laing O’Rourke where he was the director of its education sector business, having started out at Tarmac as a site engineer in his native Liverpool in the late 1980s.

He also worked at Tarmac-owned Schal, the construction management specialist that worked on the Tate Modern, before leaving in 2000, later working at Jarvis before joing O’Rourke in 2004.

Paying tribute, Wates chief executive, Eoghan O’Lionaird said: “Steve’s leadership has strengthened Wates’ position in the market, fostered a culture of collaboration and inclusion and we are grateful for his significant contribution.

“On behalf of the entire Wates Group, I would like to thank Steve for his exceptional service and wish him every success for the future.”