Breedon appoint new chairman
Amit Bhatia succeeds Peter Tom who has decided to retire from the board with immediate effect
AMIT Bhatia has been appointed as non-executive chairman of Breedon Group plc having previously served as deputy chairman since April 2018. He succeeds current executive chairman Peter Tom who has decided to retire from the board with immediate effect.
Mr Bhatia (pictured) brings with him significant financial expertise and has valuable experience in the heavy building materials industry having created Hope Construction Materials and served as their executive chairman for more than three years until they were acquired by Breedon in August 2016, at which point he joined Breedon’s board.
Peter Tom commented: ‘I am delighted that the board has chosen Amit as my successor. With many years of relevant commercial and board experience, I am confident that he will successfully lead Breedon’s board to deliver further sustainable value for our stakeholders as the Group continues to develop and grow.
‘I leave Breedon in great shape and am incredibly proud of what we have achieved since we created the company in 2010. I have the highest regard for Pat Ward and the senior management team and would also like to express my deep gratitude to all of my colleagues who have contributed so much to Breedon’s success.’
Commenting on his appointment, Amit Bhatia said: ‘It is a huge privilege to be asked to lead the board of Breedon. I joined the company three years ago through its transformational acquisition of Hope and I am more excited than ever to be playing my part in the Group’s ongoing development.
‘Peter was one of the principal architects of the Group. He helped conceive a highly successful growth strategy and leaves behind a world-class management team under Pat Ward’s leadership. I would like to thank him on behalf of the business for his tremendous contribution during his time at Breedon and wish him the very best for the future.’
Group chief executive Pat Ward commented: ‘It has been an honour to work with Peter, who has done so much to shape the Breedon of today. I am delighted to welcome Amit as our new non-executive chairman and look forward to working with him as we continue to deliver our growth strategy.
‘In his role as deputy chairman, Amit has already been playing a key part in assisting the executive management team in its review and development of the next phase in the Group’s strategic evolution.’
Following Mr Bhatia’s appointment, Breedon’s board will comprise two executive directors, three non-executive directors and the non-executive chairman. The company says it intends to appoint two new independent non-executive directors by the 2020 AGM at the latest.
