Wates Social Value and Sustainability Leadership

Wates Construction has strengthened its social and environmental sustainability team with two senior appointments: Sasha Simmonds as Head of Social Value and Josh Steiner as Head of Sustainability. 

The moves reflect a broader shift across the built environment sector, where clients increasingly expect measurable community and environmental outcomes alongside the physical buildings they commission. 

For Wates, part of the family-owned Wates Group, the appointments reinforce a strategy built around embedding social value and carbon reduction into every stage of project delivery, from design and procurement through to completion.

 They also strengthen the firm's ability to turn ambition into outcomes that clients, partners and communities can measure and trust.

New leadership, clearer direction

Sasha Simmonds joined Wates Construction having worked alongside the business through its supply chain since 2017, including a role as Head of Social Value at O'Neill & Brennan. 

Her background includes developing employment programmes for underrepresented groups, among them supporting people serving prison sentences into work through the Release on Temporary Licence scheme. 

In her new role, she will lead the next phase of the business's social value strategy, with a focus on strategic partnerships and community-specific programme design.

"The strongest social value comes from understanding what communities need, working with the right local partners and creating programmes that can deliver meaningful, long-term outcomes," Sasha explains. “Having worked with Wates through the supply chain and now from within the business, I’ve seen what we can achieve when that thinking is embedded from the outset. My focus will be on building on that approach, strengthening our partnerships and creating opportunities that make a lasting difference to the people and places connected to our projects.”

Practical action, lasting outcomes

Josh Steiner brings almost a decade of experience shaping Wates Construction's sustainability approach, having previously held sustainability leadership roles in the public and third sectors. 

As Head of Sustainability, he takes charge of delivering the firm's five-year sustainability roadmap, with responsibility for reducing carbon emissions and supporting the transition to net zero through more efficient use of resources.

Sasha's expanded remit centres on a number of priorities:

• Leading the next phase of Wates Construction's social value strategy
• Strengthening strategic partnerships with local and national organisations
• Devising specialist programmes tailored to individual community needs
• Building on employment initiatives, including routes into work for underrepresented groups
• Embedding social value thinking into projects from the outset

“The built environment has a significant role to play in the transition to net zero, driving resource efficiency and leading nature recovery. Achieving this requires us to turn ambition into practical action across the way projects are designed, planned, procured and delivered,”says Josh. “Wates has already made strong progress against its sustainability goals. The next phase is about building on those foundations through cross-functional ownership and collaboration with our customers, partners and supply chain to reduce carbon, use resources more efficiently and make sustainability an integral part of the decisions we all take throughout the project lifecycle.”

Building value beyond completion

Together, the appointments signal that Wates is increasingly treating social value and sustainability as core disciplines within construction delivery, rather than adjuncts to it.

"Our customers are increasingly looking at us to help them address some of their biggest long-term challenges, from decarbonising their projects and making better use of resources to creating jobs, skills and opportunities in the communities they serve," says Steff Battle, Executive Managing Director at Wates Construction.

“We believe the industry has an opportunity to go further than simply responding to those requirements. By bringing social value and sustainability thinking into projects from the outset, we can help our customers make better-informed decisions and deliver outcomes that create value well beyond the completion of a building.

Wates's business partners:

HLM Architects 

An architecture practice partnering with Wates on housing-led regeneration schemes, including a Guildford Borough Council project designed to put people first through high-quality homes and generous green space that encourages connection and sustainable living.

Constructionline 

Wates's external pre-qualification provider, used to validate supply chain partners against recognised industry standards, reducing duplication for suppliers while helping Wates manage risk and maintain a properly vetted supply chain.

Aster

 A housing partner referenced across Wates's residential and property maintenance activities, reflecting the firm's wider approach of working with public and private sector organisations to deliver homes and maintain the nation's built environment.