Wates says that the appointment has been made specifically to grow its business in the fit-out and refurbishment market.
Lee Phillips has joined Wates as a managing director and is building a specialist team to deliver Category A and B fit-outs.
In his previous role as managing director for UK Fit Out at ISG, he led eight divisions delivering commercial projects up to £250m in value. ISG fell into administration in September.
Prior to joining ISG, Phillips spent 16 years leading London-based projects at Morgan Sindall’s fit-out subsidiary, Overbury.
The new service line will sit within Wates’ Construction business, operating separately from its existing Smartspace business.
With Smartspace providing a nationwide service focused on frameworks in both private and public sectors, this new capability tailored to the London commercial market will help Wates offer a broader range of specialist refurbishment services to clients across all sectors, the company said.
Steffan Battle, executive managing director of Construction at Wates, said: “Fit out and refurbishment is a growth driver for our business, especially as we look to expand our service offer to clients. Our focus on London’s commercial sector continues to increase and creating a dedicated fit out operation for this unique market complements our existing expertise, while offering a point of difference to customers.
“Lee Phillips has a strong track record history of leading strategic growth for fit out businesses and knows the London market inside out. This is a fantastic appointment that furthers our services considerably, and we welcome him to Wates.”
Lee Phillips said: “Wates has a long and trusted history in the built environment and is delivering exceptional projects in fit out and refurbishment across the country. Working within the London commercial market for decades, I absolutely understand the unique complexities that customers are looking to solve here – I’m proud to bring this expertise to Wates and help expand its fit out services to challenge the current market.”
