David Allen becomes permanent chief executive immediately

David allen wates group april 2018

The man who took over from Carillion-bound Andrew Davies last autumn is taking on the top job at Wates permanently.

David Allen (pictured) has been named as the firm’s new chief executive with immediate effect.

Allen, who had been chief finance director with Wates since 2016, was appointed acting chief executive after Davies left last October to take up the top job at Carillion. The firm collapsed a week before he was due to start.

Last month, James Wates, Wates Group chairman, told Building: “David is doing an excellent job and I couldn’t have asked for more. The team didn’t miss a beat when Andrew Davies left.”

Wates said Allen’s appointment was “the outcome of a rigorous executive search process” and added: “Our aim was always to find the very best candidate, either from within our talented senior management team or from outside Wates. We are particularly pleased to be able to confirm David in this key leadership role, as it evidences our strength in depth at executive level.

“David has shown an acute understanding of what it means to lead this very special family-owned business and I look forward to continuing to work with him as we progress through the next phase of the company’s history.”

Allen joined Wates as chief financial officer and company secretary in January 2016 after almost seven years as Crossrail’s finance director.

He joined Crossrail in 2009 from Laing O’Rourke, where he was finance director of its European construction business.

Before entering the construction industry in 2004, Allen worked in Accenture’s strategy consulting practice and HSBC Investment Bank’s corporate finance and advisory division.