James Bland,
Director of HR
James joined Waterman in 2018 as Group HR Director and is responsible for the company’s people strategy. With over 25 years’ experience, he has held senior leadership roles across the engineering, consulting, financial services and media sectors. James has extensive experience in organisational change, employee relations, talent management, reward, executive remuneration and leadership development. Throughout his career, he has lead HR teams and business transformation programmes across the UK, EMEA and APAC, supporting organisations through periods of growth, acquisition and change. James holds a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management and is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD).
Stephanie George,
Director of Legal
Stephanie joined Waterman in 2010 and serves as Director of Legal Services, leading the company’s legal function across its UK and international operations. A qualified solicitor with more than 30 years’ experience in the construction, infrastructure and utilities sectors, Stephanie has held senior legal positions with Vivendi group companies and Balfour Beatty Facilities Management. Her experience spans major PFI, energy, waste-to-energy, utilities and facilities management projects across the UK and internationally, including in Pakistan, India and Egypt. A strong advocate of proactive risk management, Stephanie works closely with project and business teams to minimise risk, avoid disputes and support the successful delivery of projects.
Rob Chandler,
Director of Finance
Rob has held the position of Group Finance Director since 2018, covering Waterman’s UK and international operations. Before joining Waterman, he held increasingly senior financial positions across FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 businesses, and his industry experience spans UK-, US-, and Japanese-listed company environments. He has significant experience across M&A, restructuring, financial reporting, operational finance, controls, treasury, systems, and FP&A. Rob holds a first-class degree and PhD in Physics from the University of Manchester and trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte.
Susan Nilsson,
Director of Communications
Susan leads Waterman’s Group Communications team overseeing the company’s brand and strategic communications. She brings 25 years’ experience leading high-performing communications, marketing and operational teams. Beginning her career as a civil engineer at WSP, Susan moved into increasingly strategic roles over the following decade. Prior to joining Waterman in 2014, she held international leadership roles at EF Education First, leading customer experience operations across Shanghai, Johannesburg and London. As Director of Communications, she managed relationships with leading media outlets, including CNN, the FT, CNBC, Bloomberg and BBC, and led global brand and communications programmes associated with multiple Olympic Games. Susan holds an MSc in Civil Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, and an MSc in Business from Stockholm School of Economics.
