Wates has appointed Lee Phillips as the new Managing Director (MD) to head up a new team for the company, focusing on commercial fit out in London.

The appointment expands Wates' service offer in fit out and refurbishment and positions the company for growth in this market.

Lee is building a specialist team with the expertise to deliver high-quality Category A and B fit outs that meet the diverse needs of customers and end users.

Lee brings with him more than 30 years' experience within the fit out sector. In his previous role as Managing Director for UK Fit Out at ISG, he led eight divisions delivering major commercial projects up to £250m in value, and focused on building long-term strategic partnerships with customers across all sectors.


Prior to joining ISG, he spent 16 years leading multiple London-based projects at Overbury, as well as being part of its senior leadership team for the major projects division.

The new service line will sit within Wates' Construction business, strengthening its offering in the fit out and refurbishment market and operating separately from its existing Smartspace business. With Smartspace providing a nationwide service focussed 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