Mark Rolt
Former Audit Commission and Woking Borough Council officer who transitioned into the Thameswey Group, first as a non-executive director, then Chief Operating Officer (2015), and ultimately Chief Executive Officer. His career path — from council officer to head of the council-owned company group — epitomises the blurred boundaries between the council and its commercial entities.
Key Actions
- Transitioned from council officer to Thameswey director to COO to CEO
- Appointed to Thameswey Energy Ltd board in 2014, became COO in 2015
- Now leads the Thameswey Group as it undergoes restructuring under commissioners
- His career path exemplifies the blurred council/company boundaries identified by Grant Thornton
Details
Mark Rolt began his career at the Audit Commission before moving to Woking Borough Council. He was subsequently appointed as a non-executive director of most Thameswey Group companies.
In May 2014, Rolt was appointed to the Thameswey Energy Ltd board. He resigned as director in July 2015 to take up the role of Chief Operating Officer of the Thameswey Group, and has since become Chief Executive Officer.
His career trajectory — Audit Commission to Woking Borough Council to Thameswey director to Thameswey COO to Thameswey CEO — illustrates the revolving door between the council and its commercial subsidiaries that the Grant Thornton report found was a key governance failure.
The Thameswey Group grew to encompass 13 companies under the council's ownership, operating across energy, housing, property development, and other sectors. As CEO, Rolt now leads the group as it undergoes restructuring under the oversight of government commissioners.
In 2022, councillors were removed from Thameswey company boards, and over the following year, council officers were also removed and replaced with independent non-executive directors — a reform that addressed the very kind of dual role that characterised Rolt's earlier position.
Sources
- Grant Thornton Public Interest Report— Grant Thornton / Woking Borough Council
- Commissioners' Publications— Woking Borough Council / Government Commissioners