He trained as an accountant with
PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1976 to 1980, where he was seconded to the City merchant bank
Kleinwort Benson, and then worked for the electronics company
Plessey from 1980 to 1989. He was finance director of
Costain from 1992 to 1995, and its CEO from 1995 to 1997, Carillion went into liquidation in January 2018. In July 2019, Lovell was appointed chairman of the financially troubled
Interserve group. Lovell has been chairman of
Safestyle UK and of the Association of
Lloyd's Members. In 2022, he became chairman of the
Environment Agency. Lovell was
High Sheriff of
Hampshire 2010–11. He is a
deputy lieutenant of Hampshire, former chairman of the
Mary Rose Trust and former chairman of the board of governors of
Winchester University. ==Personal life==