Andrew Davies (businessman)

Educated at the University of Sheffield, Davies joined BAE Systems in 1985.[2] At the company he became Managing Director Land Systems in 2004, Group Strategy Director in 2008 and Managing Director Maritime in 2011.[3]

He went on to be CEO of Wates Group in 2014[4] and was appointed CEO designate of Carillion in October 2017.[5] Originally scheduled to join the financially troubled business in April 2018, Carillion announced in December 2017 that it had brought forward his start date to 22 January 2018.[6] However, Carillion went into liquidation one week before he was due to take up his post.[7]

A year later, in January 2019, Davies was linked with the vacant CEO post at the similarly financially troubled Kier Group,[8] officially confirmed on 19 March 2019,[9] with Davies taking up the post on 15 April 2019,[10] when he announced a strategic review of the group's structure.[11]

Less than two months later, on 3 June 2019, Kier issued a profit warning[12] causing its share price to fall over 40%,[13] and the fall continued on 14 June after reports that Kier would sell its housebuilding division.[14] On 17 June, Davies confirmed the housing division sale, plans to exit other markets, and 1,200 job cuts.[15] Kier's share price fell 17% to 108p, a level not seen since the company's 1996 flotation,[16] and its shares were subject to renewed 'shorting' with one analyst saying "every time Andrew Davies opens his mouth [Kier’s] shares seem to dive by 18% and the consensus in the market is that Kier will go bust."[17]

At the group's AGM in November 2019, shareholders objected to Davies's £2.6m annual remuneration package and an associated long-term incentive scheme.[18]