Pat Ward has more than 30 years' experience in the aggregates and construction industries in the UK, US and Middle East. Having held a variety of roles with ARC/Hanson, he joined Aggregate Industries (AI) in 1995 and became CEO in April 2014. He is expected to join Breedon early next year once the terms of his departure from AI have been agreed.
AI is a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim and prior to the recent merger of Lafarge and Holcim was part of Holcim.
Simon Vivian has led Breedon since its creation in 2010. He said: "I'm tremendously proud of what we have achieved at Breedon and would like to thank everyone who has helped to create the business we have today. The company has doubled in size since Breedon's formation in 2010 and we have a great team with a unique blend of experience and capability. While moving on is always difficult, I'm convinced that now is the right time for me to do so. I've known Pat for many years and am delighted that he is succeeding me at such an exciting time in Breedon's development."
Simon Vivian will remain a non-executive director of Breedon, as well as a substantial shareholder.
Peter Tom, Breedon's executive chairman and the other co-founder, said of his new chief executive: "We're fortunate to have persuaded one of the most successful and experienced executives in our industry to lead our business through the next phase of its growth.
"I've known Pat for more than 20 years and it's rare to find someone with his combination of deep industry knowledge and outstanding leadership skills. It's a measure of our achievement over the last five years that such a highly-respected figure within one of the world's biggest building materials groups should decide to join the Breedon team.
"In welcoming Pat, I would also like to pay tribute to Simon Vivian on behalf of the board, our shareholders and employees - all of whom have prospered under his stewardship. Simon has overseen Breedon's evolution into a leading player in the UK building materials sector and we have reason to be enormously grateful to him for his leadership. He and his management team have delivered an exceptional performance during a period of unprecedented economic and market challenges for our industry.”
Pat Ward said: "I'm delighted to be joining the UK's largest independent aggregates business, having watched with interest the great progress made by Breedon since 2010. It's clear to me that it has been able to flourish through a combination of the commitment and dedication of its employees and the strong leadership of Peter and Simon.”
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