Photo - Claire Kramer

Gareth Stapleton OBE is an institutional leader with over twenty-five years’ experience operating at board, CEO and ministerial level, governing complex organisations and programmes across public, private and cultural domains in the UK and internationally.

His work centres on enterprise leadership, governance and delivery assurance in environments characterised by financial, political and reputational scrutiny. Trusted by boards, governments and institutional investors, Gareth has provided strategic oversight, ethical judgement and operational leadership across multi-billion-pound portfolios spanning infrastructure, innovation, education, culture and public service.

Alongside senior executive and governance roles, Gareth is the founder and CEO of Host, an international delivery and assurance platform supporting complex, high-risk programmes for governments, universities, cultural institutions and global organisations. Through Host, he has held full executive accountability for strategy, finance, risk, people and performance, overseeing a global portfolio in excess of $8bn and establishing international operations across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. The organisation was recognised as Construction Consultancy of the Year, reflecting a values-led approach to governance and delivery under complexity.

In parallel with this work, Gareth has held senior leadership roles within global professional services firms, including serving as Senior Vice President at Colliers, where he has provided governance and delivery assurance across nationally significant public and private sector programmes. His responsibilities have included advising federal and provincial governments, leading long-term national frameworks, strengthening governance systems, and operating at the intersection of public policy, capital investment and institutional accountability.

Earlier in his career, Gareth trained and practised as an architect, working with Stirling Prize-winning studios WilkinsonEyre and Hawkins\Brown, and leading major civic, cultural and institutional projects across the UK, USA, China, Thailand, Oman and Germany. This formative experience continues to inform his approach to leadership, governance and decision-making around place, culture and long-term public value, though his work today is defined by institutional stewardship rather than professional practice.

Gareth also serves in a range of non-executive, chair and advisory roles across education, culture and social impact. These include chairing a school governing body, serving on university committees, advising government and diplomatic institutions, and supporting national cultural and environmental initiatives. He is known for calm judgement in ambiguous environments, a strong governance instinct, and the ability to align strategy, people and capital over the long term.

Alongside leadership and governance roles, Gareth contributes to research, writing and public discourse on leadership and complexity. He is a contributor to the Elgar Encyclopedia of Leadership and the author of The Architect’s Edge: Innovation, Leadership and Practice, with further publications forthcoming. He is completing a Doctor of Business Administration at Henley Business School examining leadership, complexity and organisational decision-making.

In 2023, Gareth was named among the Top 100 Influential People in the UK. In 2025, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to architecture, project delivery and public service.