Sir James Wates CBE Chairman-elect, Institute for Family Business

Sir James feels passionate that business, done well, is a force for good in society. This commitment to the alignment of business and social benefit is part of the ethos of the Wates Group, a fourth-generation family business of which James is Chairman. In 2018 he was appointed by the Government to be Chairman of the coalition group that developed the ‘Wates Principles’, which are used by many family businesses to meet their corporate governance reporting obligations.

He has worked in construction all his life and seeks to drive change in the sector to ensure that it meets the UK’s needs for a high-quality built environment. Within the sector, he has held numerous positions through which he has championed change, including Chairman of the CBI Construction Council, Co-chair of Build UK, Chairman of the Construction Industry Training Board, and Co-chair of the government-sponsored Infrastructure Exports: UK. He is currently Chairman of the BRE Trust and a Non-executive Director of Argent Services LLP. 

In 2012 he was awarded the CBE and in 2019 was knighted for services to business and to charity.