One of the consequences of the shock collapse of contractor Carillion at the start of the year has been the harsh light shone on the leaders of what was the second-biggest firm in the sector. MPs branded the directors – previously among the most respected in the industry – as “delusional” and “colossal failures”. 

Beyond the company itself, these events raise questions about the quality of senior executives across the industry. They have also reinforced the description by Mark Farmer in his 2016 government-commissioned report, Modernise or Die, of the construction industry as financially precarious and confrontational. So far, Farmer’s recommendation of boosting modern methods of construction is more talked about than enacted, while little progress has been made on the wider aim of improving productivity, sustainability and exports outlined in the government and industry’s Construction 2025 strategy. 

So, do the sector’s contractors, consultants and housebuilders have chief executives of the quality required to run successful, stable businesses and drive forward the improvements needed for construction to thrive in the future?

“The big question, though, is how we’re led as an industry. Do you want to change the industry or have the industry change you?”

Ann Bentley, Rider Levett Bucknall

 

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