Peter Tom CBE has announced that he is retiring from the Breedon Group plc board.

A former Leicester Tigers player and Chairman of the club for more than 20 years, Tom was a founder of the Breedon Group in 2010 but has decided to retire from his position as Chairman of the construction materials group with immediate effect.

His position as Chairman of Leicester Tigers is unaffected.

Breedon has announced that Amit Bhatia has now been appointed Non-Executive Chairman, having served as Deputy Chairman since April 2018.

“I leave Breedon in great shape and am incredibly proud of what we have achieved since we created the company in 2010,” Tom said in a statement to the stock exchange. 

“I have the highest regard for Pat Ward and the senior management team and I would also like to express my deep gratitude to all of my colleagues who have contributed so much to Breedon’s success.

“I am delighted that the Board has chosen Amit as my successor. With many years of relevant commercial and Board experience, I am confident that he will successfully lead Breedon’s Board to deliver further sustainable value for our stakeholders as the group continues to develop and grow.”

Breedon Group plc operates two cement plants and an extensive network of quarries, asphalt plants and ready-mixed concrete plants, together with slate production, concrete and clay products manufacturing, contract surfacing and highway maintenance operations. The group employs nearly 3,000 people and has nearly 900 million tonnes of mineral reserves and resources.

Amit Bhatia commented: “It is a huge privilege to be asked to lead the Board of Breedon. Peter was one of the principal architects of the group. He helped conceive a highly successful growth strategy and leaves behind a world-class management team under Pat Ward’s leadership.

“I would like to thank him on behalf of the business for his tremendous contribution during his time at Breedon and we wish him the very best for the future.”