Our director in Yorkshire and former Army engineer Chris Yates was named Business Leader of the Year at the Forces in Business Awards. These awards are the world’s largest celebration of ex-military professionals in second careers. They recognise the exceptional contribution veterans and reservists make to businesses across the UK.
Chris takes home one of the night’s top honours
As director overseeing our Yorkshire region in the North, Chris has been part of three years of growth in the county since he took on the role following a switch from the South in 2022.
Working with the LCO board, Chris threw himself into the new challenge, bringing a clear vision and disciplined delivery to the region and steering the team to achieve excellent results that include:
- Growing turnover from £35m in 2023 to £75m in 2025, with a strong pipeline secured through to 2028
- Securing the region’s largest-ever project, Woodkirk Academy (£71m)
- Increasing average project size from £12m to £25m
- Delivering every project on time while achieving outstanding customer satisfaction
Ex-forces experience helps drive excellence
Before joining us, Chris was an Army engineer and reservist trainer, experience that supported a leadership approach built on clarity, teamwork and disciplined planning. Innovations such as “Build it in a Day” workshops have brought teams and partners together to solve complex project challenges collaboratively, improving delivery, safety and efficiency across projects.
Just as importantly, Chris has focused on creating a strong, inclusive culture - investing in leadership development, promoting from within, and building a united “one team” environment. The impact is reflected in exceptional employee engagement scores.
Celebrating our finalists
Chris’ win was part of a strong showing for Willmott Dixon, with five shortlists overall. Please congratulate our other finalists who we are equally proud of:
- Iain Charnley – Reservist of the Year
- Matthew Mullins – Military Values in Business
- Steve Witty – Team Leader of the Year
Willmott Dixon was also short listed in the Advocate of the Year category. Each represents the very best of how military experience translates into leadership.