SES strengthens Board and customer focus to support strategic ambitious growth
We’re pleased to announced a series of senior leadership appointments and planned retirements across our Governance Board, alongside the creation of a new national Customer Strategy function, as we accelerate toward our growth ambition.
Darren Wilson has been appointed as Commercial Director to SES’ Governance Board, following his successful leadership of SES’s Engineering South division.
With more than 30 years’ experience, his extensive commercial knowledge and industry insight position him well to lead SES’s commercial strategy as the business seeks to achieve its ambitions of becoming the number one engineering and technology partner to the UK construction industry.
He takes over from Darren Kehoe, who is retiring after 11 years at SES leading its commercial function, and more than 36 years with Wates Group overall. Darren has made a significant contribution to SES’s commercial performance and has played a central role on the Governance Board. He will continue to support the business in a consultancy capacity.
In the interim, SES’ Engineering South division will be led by Mark Tant as Interim Regional Managing Director. Mark brings extensive senior leadership experience having worked closely with SES through a consultancy role, his non-executive roles with SES’ technology partner Buildots, and previous position as MD of Wates Construction. He will provide continuity while SES progresses the permanent recruitment process later this year.
SES has also created a new senior leadership role to support the development of strategic customer relationships nationally. Phil Walker has been promoted to National Customer Strategy Director and will lead a new Customer Strategy senior leadership team.
With 20 years at SES and a strong track record of building effective customer partnerships on some of SES largest projects, Phil will shape SES’s national approach to customer engagement, supporting closer collaboration with clients across regions and specialist markets.
To support this new function, Chris Holmes, SES’ National Pre-construction Director has been appointed to its Governance Board, to better align work winning and longstanding customer partnerships with SES’ overarching strategic ambitions.
These changes all bolster SES’ remarkable growth trajectory, following a record year in 2025. The business continues to build momentum as it progresses toward its growth ambitions, including delivering a trio of major commercial projects for Mace in London, and recently launching its Technology business, targeted towards the high growth sectors of data centres and advanced manufacturing.
These changes mark an important moment for SES as we continue to grow, invest in our people, and strengthen our leadership for the future. We enter 2026 with confidence following a record year and strong momentum behind our strategic ambition.
“Each of these new appointments reflects the depth of talent within our business. Their leadership will play a critical role as we navigate the challenges ahead and continue our progress toward becoming the UK’s leading engineering and technology business.”
“Alongside congratulating our new appointments, I am grateful to Darren Kehoe for his exceptional service and pleased that he will continue to support SES in consultant capacities.”
Rob Clifford
Executive Managing Director
