Our leadership team

To guide the organisation and ensure responsible, impartial business practice, BRE is governed by its executive board. The board is made up of experienced senior business leaders, who oversee the daily running of the company, as well as our highly regarded industry experts and consultants. BRE is owned by the BRE Trust. Meet our trustees.

Jane Goddard

Position: Chief Marketing Officer and Deputy CEO
Categories: BRE Group Executive Team

As Chief Marketing Officer and Deputy CEO, Jane works across BRE to bring together our brand, communication, corporate and public affairs activities to increase awareness and engagement with BRE. She is also working to increase the value of the partnerships that BRE has with our key stakeholders and to develop and implement an effective communications strategy and plan. As a senior commercial leader, Jane has a range of skills and expertise in business development, PR, public affairs and marketing gained in the UK and internationally.

Jane’s experience, over 30 years in marketing and communications, have covered IT, transport and latterly sustainability. Her previous role as Director of Marketing and Business Development at the Energy Saving Trust encompassed working with government, businesses and consumers to influence policy and increase the uptake of energy efficiency measures,  providing her with a wealth of knowledge of both the housing, energy and sustainability.

Jane Goddard

Chief Marketing Officer and Deputy CEO

As Chief Marketing Officer and Deputy CEO, Jane works across...

Eloise Francis

Position: Director of Innovation
Categories: BRE Group Executive Team

Eloise has extensive experience in leading change in diverse technical teams across engineering, real estate, property management, and construction projects. Alongside her considerable profile within the industry, Eloise 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 also has extensive board experience having sat on a number of key industry forums and previously held roles at Capita, Mace, Royal Mail, and Legal & General.

Eloise’s unique mix of hands-on and corporate experience will play a crucial role as BRE continues to lead the industry in developing innovative science-led solutions to built environment challenges.

Eloise Francis

Director of Innovation

Eloise has extensive experience in leading change in diverse technical...

Phil Wilbraham

Position: Interim Chairman, BRE Group Board
Categories: BRE Group Board Directors

Phil is Chairman of the BRE Trust Board and interim Chairman of the BRE Group Board.  Phil has spent 40 years working in the construction industry and is currently 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.

Previously he worked at Heathrow and became Expansion Programme Director in 2017, accountable for delivering Heathrow’s third runway along with the infrastructure to support it.  Before Expansion he was accountable for all the capital works at Heathrow, the Terminal 2 Programme and the completion of the construction of Terminal 5.  Prior to this he worked at Carillion, DHV and Mott MacDonald.

Phil Wilbraham

Interim Chairman, BRE Group Board

Phil is Chairman of the BRE Trust Board and interim...

Dr. Paul Conroy

Position: General Counsel & Company Secretary
Categories: BRE Group Executive Team

Paul is a solicitor and strategic legal and public policy adviser, focused on policy analysis, organisational change, complex commercial projects, regulation and governance. Prior to joining BRE, where he provides strategic legal counsel, Paul had a number of roles at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority including Deputy General Counsel. Paul was also a partner and consultant at international law firm Addleshaw Goddard LLP. Working in the Government, Energy and Infrastructure group, Paul focused on the rail, health, regeneration, waste and local government sectors, 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.

Dr. Paul Conroy

General Counsel & Company Secretary

Paul is a solicitor and strategic legal and public policy...

Paul Hetherington

Position: Non-Executive Director, BRE Group Board
Categories: BRE Group Board Directors

Paul has worked in the construction industry for the last three decades in MD and CEO roles with building materials manufacturers, Alumasc and Marshall Tufflex. He also spent six years as Non-Executive Director for the Builders Merchant Federal Board. Paul now enjoys a portfolio career as Non-Executive Director, Trustee, Advisor, Investor and Vistage Peer Group Chair. He is a Fellow at the Institute of Directors, Sussex Vice Chair and Manufacturing and Engineering Ambassador, and is on the UK Government’s Industrial Development Advisory Board. He is a keynote speaker and social media influencer, with nearly 12,000 followers on LinkedIn. Paul was ahead of his time when, in 2000, he wrote about the impact of the internet on housebuilding as part of his MBA, well before broadband was commonplace. Paul already has a significant understanding of BRE, having been a BRE Trustee for the last four years.

Paul Hetherington

Non-Executive Director, BRE Group Board

Paul has worked in the construction industry for the last...

Gillian Charlesworth

Position: Chief Executive Officer, BRE Group
Categories: BRE Group Board Directors, BRE Group Executive Team

As BRE Group’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 importance and potential of the built environment in creating sustainable, vibrant and productive life on the planet.

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.

Gillian Charlesworth

Chief Executive Officer, BRE Group

As BRE Group’s Chief Executive, Gillian is responsible for the...

Vin Wijeratne

Position: Chief Financial Officer
Categories: BRE Group Board Directors, BRE Group Executive Team

Vin Wijeratne is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, with previous finance 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 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 business.

Vin Wijeratne

Chief Financial Officer

Vin Wijeratne is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered...