The consultancy director on starting as an apprentice and working his way up, the importance of listening and collaborating more – and his passion for sailing
Why did you choose construction as a career?
I never wanted to take a desk-bound job and had desires to get out and about. Choosing the property and construction sector, and specifically quantity surveying as my first role, I studied via a day-release degree (now referred to as an apprenticeship) to give me that mixture of theoretical and hands-on experience in a working environment that is vital for building early career experience.
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
I started as an apprentice and worked my way up to director level. As doors opened along the way, I had to be willing to take opportunities, expand my network and work hard. I look back with real fondness on the relationships that have now turned into genuine lifelong friendships with colleagues and industry partners.
The work is also incredibly rewarding and I take pride in many of our projects as they involve a placemaking focus and leave a lasting legacy on communities. Being actively involved in projects that transform cities into a better place to live and work is what the job is about.
The past five years have been particularly challenging with Brexit changes, covid, the devastating war in Ukraine, high inflation and a stagnating economy, with a general election to come. This has been an unprecedented and difficult period as a cost manager, but I’m proud of how I have navigated the challenges and assisted clients during this period.
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
I do wonder if the industry needs to reconsider its approach to collaboration. It seems to me that we could do with having one organisation that works as a singular voice for the property and construction sector.
The wide range of different groups we currently have might be a little counterproductive when it comes to acting as a unified industry voice. This would be a good start to reevaluating whether we are truly collaborative and how we can improve.
What is the most helpful advice that you have been given?
Whatever has happened during a project – be it a success or with disagreements along the way – always shake hands and smile with the client, design team, contractor and subcontractors. You never know when you may be working together again, so establishing a positive and respectful working relationship can go a long way towards hitting the ground running the next time.
Name your favourite building in the world?
The Barbican. It is brutal in nature and has stood the test of time. It is a living environment that has endured due to how it has adapted, with recent greening and an abundance of water creating a fantastic community landmark in London.
Which famous building do you most dislike?
There are a few, but I would have to say the RAC control centre on the M6. It is both an eyesore and a place where I always seem to be stuck in traffic.
Which famous building do you wish you had worked on?
The Sydney Opera House would have been great to work on. Its design and construction is unparalleled in terms of technological innovation and engineering achievements.
Its use of a series of gleaming white, sail-shaped shells as its roof structure appeal to me due to my passion for sailing and the ocean. It is equally exceptional in function too with the acoustics being amazing to match. I have worked overseas, but never in Australia, and I imagine Sydney would have been a great place to work.
What single piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your profession?
Always take time to listen. Often people can say too much before they give themselves the best chance to learn – an extremely important skill particularly for someone new to consulting. Truly listening and providing a concise response can often have far more impact in a meeting than dominating the conversation.
Who do you most admire in the construction industry?
The late Benny Kelly, former head of Sir Robert McAlpine in London. He was a great mentor to me and I have him to thank for the many introductions he made.
He had a great ability to communicate upstream and downstream in equal measure to clients and subcontractors, and I feel lucky to have learnt from his approach.
What is it like being you (and doing your job)?
I genuinely enjoy both the project and social side of the industry and the fluidity that comes from my position. Within the consulting space I have had the pleasure of working with lots of fantastic construction professionals and lending my expertise to projects in a variety of sectors on a global basis.
Do you have a life philosophy?
You truly do get out of life what you put in to it, be that in work, social environments or leisure endeavours.
What do you think your best quality is?
I like to think I have a can-do attitude to take on new challenges. I’m also good at forming relationships, which in turn helps me to collaborate with clients to the best of my abilities.
What trait do you most dislike in yourself? And in other people?
In myself, I dislike it when I become impatient. Impatience creates more issues than it fixes and everyone needs to be given time and be trusted to do the job to best of their ability.
As for other people, the construction industry all too often sets unrealistic timescales and false deadlines that jeopardise client relationships and expectations. I never think it wise to set ourselves up for failure!
Name three things that you like
Sailing and rugby are two passions of mine that celebrate teamwork. In both sports, cooperating towards common goals and having a positive outlook is important on a micro level from task to task, as well as understanding your role in the overall team.
I also enjoy giving back to the community and, as a committee member of the Little Britain Challenge Cup – the property and construction industry’s popular sailing regatta – I am proud to have helped to raised more than £1m for fantastic causes.
Tell us about a secret skill that we don’t know you have
As a passionate sailor, I have had the amazing opportunity to race across the Atlantic Ocean from Gran Canaria to St Lucia. It was a life-changing experience that I had lots of fun completing, including spending time afterwards in the Caribbean.
What is your most prized possession?
Watches have a great pull of sentimentally to me. I always aspired to have the same watch as my uncle, who I dearly look up to. He had a lovely watch from his time in the Army and I always said to him that, when I grew up, I was going to get one too. Thanks to a long and successful career, I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase one for myself, so looking down at my wrist now reminds me of my hard work and well as my family.
On a similar note, I also treasure our family pocket watch, which was passed onto me as the eldest child after my father passed away.
Early bird or night owl?
I am very much a night owl with work and how I spend my time – it’s how my mind and body functions best.
What is your favourite food?
I am particularly fond of anything pescatarian. There is a fantastic restaurant called The Hut in Colwell Bay on The Isle of Wight that is a firm favourite of mine.
What would your superpower be?
To be invisible in a room. There are always incidences when as a consultant you, for whatever reason, may not be a part of discussions. Greater visibility is paramount to successful collaboration so being able to hear a client’s honest thoughts will always be beneficial in the long term.
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