A founding director of national surveying practice Trident Building Consultancy has been made Livery Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors.
Roger Watts has been appointed to the role after rising through the ranks of the Livery Company, starting as a Renter Warden in 2023, becoming Junior Warden in 2024, and Senior Warden in 2025.
During his time with the organisation, Roger has focused his efforts on encouraging and supporting the next generation of chartered surveyors. The livery provides mentoring, bursaries, and works with underprivileged schools in the capital.
He has also helped strengthen the Company’s relationships with charities and educational institutions, as well as maintaining strong ties with the City.
Roger said he was proud and humbled to be appointed Livery Master of the Worshipful Company, particularly as it coincided with the organisation’s 50th year.
He said: “I approach the role with a good deal of trepidation. The surveyors have enjoyed a long line of distinguished past Masters, and I just hope I can carry on that tradition.
“I like to think of this as a wonderful swansong to a long and extremely happy career. I have had the most enjoyable working life and to become Master as I work towards retirement is the icing on the cake.”
Roger added that during his tenure, he plans to build further on the Company’s bursary scheme and continue to improve its relationship with partner schools.
“The key purpose of livery work is our charitable endeavours,” he said.
“It is all about trying to give something back. We are especially proud of our bursary scheme which sees graduates following a path into property where that opportunity would not have existed before.
“In the last six years alone, we have raised funds of more than £1.85m and have put more than 60 students through or on degree courses. This is an astounding achievement. If I can help in any small way to promote this and take it forward, I will be immensely proud.”
There are a total of 114 livery companies in London, some stretching back as far as the 1200s, although the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors only dates back to 1977.
The organisation has around 350 members and is considered a nomad company because it doesn’t have its own hall, meaning members typically visit other company halls to dine.
As a liveryman, Roger is also an honorary Freeman of the City of London, enabling him to drive sheep over London Bridge as well as being exempt from paying certain tolls.
Roger is also a former chairman of RICS’s Building Surveying Faculty.
He founded Trident Building Consultancy along with Trevor Dowd and Matt Clare in London in 1998 and has grown the business to include seven further regional offices in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Over the course of his career, he has worked on some of the capital’s best-known landmarks including the NatWest Tower, the Treasury building and Dolphin Court, where he experienced some ghostly goings-on in the basement.
Prior to establishing Trident, Roger served as the Crown Estate Surveyor for Regent’s Park, including working on many buildings within Cambridge Gate.
To find out more, or get in touch with Roger, please email: roger.watts@tridentbc.com