Before undertaking the review into housebuilding delivery, John had been Chief Executive of English Partnerships, the Government's national regeneration agency. He chaired a working group for the Housing Forum on meeting customer needs in construction.
Having qualified as a solicitor, John spent much of his working career with Crest Nicholson plc, where he was Chief Executive between 1991 and November 2005. He subsequently became Deputy Chairman responsible for developing and promoting Crest's sustainable development strategy.
John guided Crest Nicholson through a successful transformation from a regional housebuilder to a company leading the way in urban regeneration and sustainability. He led the company from an organisation with a £60m loss to an outstandingly successful operation with a £80m profit. John Callcutt also worked to make Crest Nicholson a company with an outstanding reputation for architecture, quality and customer care. John is currently chairing an NHBC task group on Customer Satisfaction
He is a director of the BRE Trust, a member of the Law Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He was awarded a CBE in the Queen's 2006 Birthday Honours list for services to social housing and urban regeneration.
