Troubled builder beefs up its board

HOUSEBUILDER Persimmon is beefing up its board and pay committee after a row over bumper bonuses forced out its former chief executive last year.

Claire Thomas, a Glaxosmithkline human resources executive for a decade, joins as a non-executive director in August and will sit on remuneration and nomination committees.

Persimmon, Britain’s second-biggest housebuilder, raked in a £1bn profit last year but has been in the firing line for shoddy workmanship and fat cat pay. Former chief executive Jeff Fairburn was paid £85m in just two years and left to be replaced by Dave Jenkinson, who got £45m in two years under the same bonus scheme.

Persimmon has pledged to improve customer service after a warning that it could lose its place in the Help to Buy loan scheme.

In March it was dubbed the worst major housebuilder for the fourth year running.