At Dowds, our C-suite is made up of visionary leaders who bring decades of experience, strategic insight, and a shared commitment to excellence. Together, they guide our growth, uphold our values, and ensure we deliver exceptional outcomes for people and clients.
With deep roots in the business and a forward-thinking approach, this team drives innovation, nurtures talent, and steers Dowds toward a sustainable and successful future
Louise McClelland, CEO
CEO for Dowds Group, Louise is responsible for setting the strategy and delivering growth of our exemplar delivery offering, overseeing all regions, markets and services and leading our talented teams across the UK and Ireland.
Alongside excellent leadership and commercial skills, she has a passion for delivering impactful outcomes and service excellence for our people and our clients. Bringing a forward-thinking agile approach, with over 20 years’ experience working on strategy, growth, performance and delivery capabilities across successful large-scale, growth focused privately owned and Private Equity owned business throughout Britain and Ireland.
James Dowds, Executive Chair
James Dowds is Executive Chair at Dowds Group, where he has helped evolve the business from a family firm into a leading national contractor. With over 20 years at Dowds and a background in finance and management, James previously served as Managing Director and played a central role in scaling the business, expanding into new markets, and driving innovation.
Now, as Executive Chair, he focuses on long-term strategy, people development, and upholding the values that remain at the heart of Dowds’ success.
David Porter, CCO
David Porter is Chief Commercial Officer at Dowds Group, leading on commercial strategy, business development, legal governance, and supply chain management. Having joined Dowds at 19, he has grown with the business over 25+ years and was part of the team that led its management buyout.
David played a key role in expanding Dowds into the healthcare sector and full Mechanical & Electrical delivery. Today, he focuses on identifying new markets, building strategic partnerships, and fostering a strong internal culture rooted in trust, collaboration, and purpose.
Julian McCamphill, COO
Julian McCamphill is Chief Operations Officer at Dowds Group, where he oversees operational performance, financial optimisation, and leads key health, safety, environmental, and quality programmes. With nearly 30 years at Dowds, Julian played a pivotal role in its management buyout and expansion into the UK.
His engineering mindset and hands-on approach continue to drive strategic growth. Passionate about doing things right, he thrives on working with proactive teams to deliver high-quality, on-time projects that reflect the strength and reputation of the Dowds brand.
