David James quits WS Atkins board

WS Atkins has parted company with its deputy chief executive David James. In a statement to the Stock Exchange last week, Atkins said that James had stood down from the board with immediate effect.

Aged 54, James was on a one-year contract and was earning a basic salary of £150,000. Last year, bonuses brought him a total package of £174,000. Mike Jeffries, chief executive, has written to Atkins staff saying that James had left "to pursue other interests".

Jeffries' message continued: "David has made a huge contribution to the success of the group over several years. In particular he has been responsible for the development of our market-leading business in both road and rail."

Asked about boardroom clashes between James and Jeffries, finance director Ric Piper said: "We're all quite robust people and there are strong discussions about all sorts of things. That's typical of any company board, it's the cut and thrust of business life."