Board members

Jonny Wates, Chairman

Jonny is a fourth generation owner of the Wates family enterprise. He started his career at Grand Metropolitan (now Diageo) working in brand marketing on the UK drinks business. He joined Wates Developments in 1995 and was Sales and Marketing director from 1997. He completed an MBA at Cranfield in 2000, returning to Wates as Marketing Director for the Group with responsibility for strategy and communications. He set up Cape Verde Capital in 2007, is a member of the Wates Group Board and a Non-Executive Director of Gambado Limited, an indoor children’s play business. He is also a Governor of Cranleigh School. Jonny’s particular strengths lie in a personal appreciation of private business ownership, understanding markets and how to exploit them, branding and corporate communications and his knowledge of the construction and property development industries.

Steven Edmund, Finance Director

Steven is a Chartered Accountant with a diverse and entrepreneurial background in both start-ups and corporate environments. After qualifying and selling his first business to Scottish and Newcastle Breweries he joined BTR Dunlop in South Africa in a turnaround finance position before moving to the UK to assume a Finance Director role with AAF Industries Plc. Steven spent nine years in the offsite construction sector including leading a start-up, commercialising a new product for the health sector. He has a strong track record for identifying small business opportunities and the teams to best commercialise those opportunities.

Andrew Wates, Non-Executive Director

Until April 2006, Andrew was Chairman of Wates Group Limited, having originally joined the company in 1964. He was chairman of Wates Family Holdings, the ownership forum that oversees all family interests, until May 2008. In addition to these roles, he was Chairman of United Racecourses (1996-2003) and has been a Director of Jockey Club Racecourses since 1994. In 1973 Andrew founded Wates Leisure. The company built a chain of Health and Leisure clubs, under the "Pinnacle" brand and was sold to Cannons in 1998 for £85m. He is Chairman of Leisure & Media V.C.T. (2002 - to date) and Gambado Limited (2004 - to date), a Director of The Institute for Family Business (2004 - to date), Chairman since 2007, and a Director of the International Family Business Network (2004 - to date). He is also a Patron/Trustee of various Surrey charities.

Dermot Heffernan, Non-Executive Director

Dermot Heffernan is a Chartered Accountant with experience of a range of businesses. Until December 2007 Dermot was the Wates Family Finance Director and is currently Commercial Director of Crown Golf, a Non-Executive director of Gambado Ltd, and Teamorigin, a British America’s Cup team. Previously Dermot was Chief Financial Officer of Loyalty Management Group, the owner of the Nectar loyalty programme from September 2001 until September 2006 before taking a non-executive role up to the sale of the business in December 2007. Prior to Loyalty Management Group, Dermot was the Finance Director of Bentalls PLC, a quoted retailer and Pinnacle Health and Fitness Clubs.

Duncan Straughen, Non-Executive Director

Duncan is the Director of the Wates Family Office, having previously been Chief Operating Officer for South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). In this role he had responsibility for the Development and Infrastructure Division of the Agency as well as the Resources Division including Finance, HR, IT and Performance Development. Before joining SEEDA, he was Commercial Director on the NHS LIFT program for Carillion plc, and was involved in other PFI/PPP initiatives. Prior to that from 1997 to 2002 he was Managing Director of Hong Kong Land Infrastructure, where he built a new team and completed a number of investments in major transportation, power, water, telecoms and logistics projects.