Leadership - BRE Group
Meet the BRE leadership team
BRE is governed by its executive board. The board is comprised of experienced senior business leaders who oversee the daily running of the company, as well as highly regarded industry experts and consultants.
To guide the organisation in its mission and ensure responsible, impartial business practice, BRE is governed by its executive board. The board is comprised of experienced senior business leaders who oversee the daily running of the company, as well as highly regarded industry experts and consultants.
BRE is a profit-for-purpose organisation owned by the BRE Trust, which is responsible for investing any profits from BRE’s work.
Meet our trusteesBRE board directors and senior leaders
Gillian Charlesworth: Chief Executive Officer, BRE Group
As BRE’s Chief Executive, Gillian is responsible for the organisation’s strategy and performance. She works closely with BRE Trustees and the Group Board to define our purpose, vision and long-term goals. Before joining BRE Group, Gillian was an Executive Director at RICS, where she held a number of roles covering assurance and enforcement of standards, global brand growth and thought leadership. She is passionate about the role the built environment plays in a sustainable, vibrant and productive future. In her earlier career, Gillian worked in the UK Civil service and with several professions and industries as a regulator and advocate. She promotes responsible leadership and one of her career highlights was being included in Women of the Future’s inaugural top 50 list of Kind Leaders in 2018.
Paul Hetherington: Non-Executive Director, BRE Group Board
Paul has over 30 years’ experience as a senior construction sector leader (BSS Group, Rugby Group, The Alumasc Group companies, Chief Executive of Marshall Tufflex). Paul has extensive non-executive experience on boards including the Builders’ Merchant Federation (BMF), the Department of Education’s Hasting Opportunity Area, Hastings & Rother Economic Task Force, Sussex branch of the Institute of Directors (IoD), where he is Manufacturing & Engineering ambassador and a Fellow of the Institute. He consults and provides leadership coaching as a Vistage Group Chair. Paul is also a Trustee on the BRE Trust Board.
Vin Wijeratne: Chief Financial Officer, BRE Group
Vin Wijeratne is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, with previous financial executive and board leadership experience. He has a strong professional background in profit-for-purpose and public interest organisations including The Royal Mint, the Gambling Commission and the University of South Wales, as well as public sector experience working for NHS Trusts earlier in his career. Vin also brings strategic and commercial experience gained during his time at EE, Orange and private equity owned businesses.
Phil Wilbraham: Interim Chairman, BRE Group Board
Phil has spent 40 years working in the construction industry (Carillion, DHV, Mott MacDonald) and is a Non-Executive Director of Keltbray, Wilson James and the Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust, and Chair of Trustees of the BAA Pension Scheme. Before this role, he worked as Expansion Programme Director at Heathrow, accountable for delivering the third runway and supporting infrastructure, previously accountable for the Terminal 2 Programme and the construction of Terminal 5. Phil is also Chairman of the BRE Trust Board.
BRE Group Executive Team
Dr Paul Conroy: Chief Policy and Governance Officer
Paul is a solicitor and strategic legal and public policy adviser, focused on policy analysis, organisational change, complex commercial projects, regulation and governance. Before BRE, Paul had a number of roles at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority including Deputy General Counsel. He was also a partner and consultant at international law firm Addleshaw Goddard LLP in the Government, Energy and Infrastructure group, using his expertise in infrastructure and regulation, PPP, joint venture arrangements, public procurement and complex contracts. Paul holds an MA in Public Policy and Management and a Doctorate in Public Policy.
Eloise Francis: Director of Innovation
Eloise has experience in leading change in diverse technical teams across engineering, real estate, property management, and construction projects. She has a considerable profile within the industry, and has played a key role leading the construction and property sector in its approach to health, safety and wellbeing, and more recently, enterprise risk and sustainability. Eloise has sat on a number of key industry forums and previously held roles at Capita, Mace, Royal Mail, and Legal & General. Her unique mix of hands-on and corporate experience will play a crucial role as BRE continues to lead the industry in science-led innovation.
Jane Goddard: Chief Marketing Officer and Deputy CEO
Jane looks after BRE’s brand, communication, corporate and public affairs activities to increase awareness and engagement. She oversees BRE’s communications strategy and works to build partnerships with key stakeholders. As a senior commercial leader, Jane has expertise in business development, PR and marketing gained in the UK and internationally. In her previous role at the Energy Saving Trust, she worked with government, industry and consumers to influence policy and increase uptake of energy efficiency measures, providing her with a wealth of knowledge in housing, energy and sustainability.