The Board of Watkin Jones plc is pleased to announce that following an active recruitment process it has appointed Alan Giddins as Chair-designate and Sarah Sergeant as CFO-designate. As part of the board's long-term succession planning, Grenville Turner gave notice in April 2021 of his intention to retire as Chair during 2021 and Phil Byrom, Chief Financial Officer, also gave notice of his intention to retire in 2022.
Appointment of non-executive director and Chair-designate
Alan Giddins is appointed as non-executive director and Chair-designate with immediate effect. It is intended that Grenville will step down from the Board in October 2021 and that Alan will take over as Chair, having allowed time for an orderly handover.
Alan is currently Chair of Hill & Smith Holdings PLC, the FTSE 250 international group creating sustainable infrastructure and safe transport solutions, having joined in October 2017 as the Senior Independent Director, before assuming the role of Chair in October 2019. Alan is also a non-executive director and investment committee member of Big Society Capital Limited, the UK’s largest social impact-led investor.
Alan brings a wealth of board, investment and ESG experience, having been Managing Partner and Global Head of Private Equity at 3i Group plc (‘3i’), and sat on the boards of a number of 3i’s largest private equity investments. Prior to joining 3i in 2005, Alan spent 13 years in investment banking advising a broad range of quoted companies. He qualified as a chartered accountant and has a degree in economics.
Appointment of Chief Financial Officer-designate
Sarah Sergeant is appointed to the Board as Chief Financial Officer-designate with effect from 6 October 2021. Phil Byrom will step down from the Board, and Sarah step up to CFO after a suitable handover period.
Sarah is currently the Chief Financial Officer of the UK & Ireland region at Compass Group PLC, the FTSE 30 food and support services company. She has held a number of senior finance and operational roles over her 13-year tenure at Compass, including Group Financial Controller, M&A Director, and CFO of the Asia Pacific region, based in Singapore. Sarah brings considerable financial, strategic and operational experience from across the commercial spectrum. She is a chartered accountant.
"We are delighted to welcome Alan and Sarah to the Board. Alan brings considerable expertise particularly in guiding companies through the execution of their growth strategies and Sarah brings significant financial and operational experience working in complex businesses. Their experience will be invaluable to Watkin Jones as we continue to grow the business."
Grenville Turner Chair