Les Thomas worked for two of the companies within Thames Water’s services division during my time as Divisional Finance Director (Jan 1996 to Jan 1998).
I found Les to be conscientious, disciplined and totally dependable. He is quick to assimilate new business environments and he makes careful diagnoses and practical solution proposals. Les is driven to deliver – he likes to get things done and to see others getting things done. He plans his work well and he takes the trouble to explain to others what he is doing, why he is doing it and how he expects to make progress. He is a straight talker and honest and straight forward in his assessments of his own and others’ progress.
Les has strong personal values and a sense of ethics that commands respect. He leads by example with his thoroughness, professional standards, clear values and integrity.
Les is an experienced manager of people and he invariably reads individuals well. He is an effective change manager. He sets a standard which is stretching and realistic. He is approachable, down-to-earth and well liked. He can also be compassionate and take the role of peacemaker if this is required to ensure that the right business result is achieved.
During my time at Thames, Les was involved in a number of troubleshooting roles where he was required to work independently. He showed determination, focus and strong commitment. He also took time to build good relationships with his peers and I would expect him to be a very effective team player. He has no time for office politics!
Summary of Key Strengths:
- Committed, hardworking and energetic
- Intelligent, broad thinker
- Open minded with solid business judgement
- Gets things done with good pace
- A strong set of values that he lives by – open, honest and unafraid to confront
- others if he believes they are behaving contrary to the corporate values
- Collaborative
- High Standards
Judith Hackett Divisional Finance Director, Thames Water
