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]

During 2018, Davies continued as a non-executive director of aerospace and defence contractor Chemring, and also walked several long-distance paths including the 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path.^[8]

In January 2019, after turning down job offers elsewhere,^[8] Davies was linked with the vacant CEO post at the similarly financially troubled Kier Group,^[9] officially confirmed on 19 March 2019,^[10] with Davies taking up the post on 15 April 2019,^[11] when he announced a strategic review of the group's structure.^[12] He later said Kier "was fundamentally a very strong operational company but had lost their way strategically and had taken a number of missteps which had proved, frankly, catastrophic."^[8]

Less than two months later, on 3 June 2019, Kier issued a profit warning^[13] causing its share price to fall over 40%,^[14] and the fall continued on 14 June after reports that Kier would sell its housebuilding division.^[15] On 17 June, Davies confirmed the housing division sale, plans to exit other markets, and 1,200 job cuts.^[16] Kier's share price fell 17% to 108p, a level not seen since the company's 1996 flotation,^[17] 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."^[18]

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.^[19]

In July 2025, Kier announced Davies would retire in October 2025 and be replaced by Stuart Togwell,^[20] leaving the business with record orders, rising profits and revenue above £4bn for the first time since 2018.^[21]