Wates Group has appointed Rod Holdsworth to be interim chief financial officer while David Allen stands in as chief executive.

Rod, whose most recent executive position was as group finance director for the international facilities management group OCS, replaces David Allen who has assumed the position of acting chief executive following the departure of former chief executive Andrew Davies to Carillion earlier this month.

Rod Holdsworth began his career as a civil engineer before training as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse. After qualifying, he moved to Smiths Group plc, where he held a number of senior financial positions. He then joined Alfred McAlpine plc as group financial controller, before becoming finance director at Whitby Bird (engineering consultants) and then finance director of Morrison (part of Anglian Water Group plc).

Rod is also a non-executive director and chair of the audit committee at Augean plc, a specialist waste management group.

Wates Group chairman, James Wates CBE, said: “We are delighted to welcome Rod to the Wates Group. As an experienced CFO who has worked in private and listed companies in several industries including construction, business services, manufacturing and healthcare, Rod is ideally qualified to help guide us through this current period of transition.

“Rod joins a business on a strong financial footing, which is performing well this year and looking ahead to 2018 with confidence. I look forward to working with him and the whole Executive Committee over the coming months as we continue to fulfil our long-term growth strategy.”