Wates Group Chairman joins Tomorrow's Company

by Muhammad Aldalou The chairman of Surrey-headquartered construction and property services company Wates Group has joined the board of independent non-profit think tank Tomorrow's Company. Tomorrow's Company, which was established to "inspire and enable business to be a force for good", has appointed James Wates as deputy chairman. It is intended that Wates will become chairman from January 2017, succeeding Barrie Collins who has served in the role since 2009. Wates has been chairman of the Wates Group since 2013. He joined Wates Construction in 1983, the Wates Construction board as marketing director in 1994, and was appointed to the Wates Group board in 1997. Tomorrow's Company said the appointment comes at a time of renewed global focus on corporate responsibility issues, following a G20 summit earlier this month at which Prime Minister Theresa May vowed to bring forward proposals later this year tackling poor corporate behaviour. James Wates said: "This is a great moment to be working with Tomorrow's Company. As the Prime Minister has said, we all face an important task in ‘civilising capitalism’ and I see Tomorrow’s Company, with its clear vision and business-led practical focus, as playing a central role in driving change. "I believe strongly that good business, well done, is a force for good for society, and I look forward to playing an active role in driving this important agenda forward." Tomorrow's Company founder and chief executive Mark Goyder added: "We have worked closely with the Wates Group and the Wates family over many years, and their example of stewardship in action has been an important influence on us. It is wonderful to work with a successful business leader who exemplifies strong values, enduring relationships and a long term focus. We look forward to working together in the future." Wates Group is headquartered in Leatherhead, and operates from regional offices throughout the UK. Read the original article here.