All articles by Richard Steer – Page 7
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CommentEC Harris: Bigger is not always better
Richard Steer, chairman of EC Harris rival Gleeds, says why the latest takeover is bad news for clients and the industry
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CommentEconomic crisis: The battle for Britain
The business secretary reckons we face a crisis that is the economic equivalent of war. Shame then that politicians have all but surrendered our future to the pluck of bankers
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CommentIt's all pants: Unreliable economic indicators
We keep being fed confusing, contradictory, even wrong industry figures - often based on something as haphazard as the sale of underwear. You may as well ask Mystic Meg
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CommentQS mergers: Wedding's off
Up-against-it QS firms are hooking up with other companies, looking for global reach and diversification. But now really isn’t the right time to get hitched
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CommentWe’re not a bunch of incompetents
UK managers have been in the firing line of late, but the Olympics will be a great opportunity to show off our skills - and building information modelling could help us do that
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CommentSteady as she goes
Things might - just might - be getting better for construction. But don’t get carried away - anything from raw materials inflation to spending cuts could knock us off course
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CommentWinning at Building Awards
The Gleeds chair says the firm has survived and strengthened through the recession
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CommentBusiness planning: home and away
How do you plan ahead and formulate business strategies amid all the uncertainty of political uprisings - and the upcoming Budget?
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CommentHold your nerve
When appearance is everything, taking work at any price becomes a tempting but risky solution. But signs of recovery suggest there’s no need to panic, says Richard Steer
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CommentGuess who came for dinner?
Richard Steer was tired of shouting at the business secretary every time he appeared on his TV screen, so instead he invited him over for a bit of a chat …
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CommentWhat’s going on?
The ’resurgence in construction activity’ is proving difficult to detect in the real world. And even if growth does take off, it’ll be a long time before we feel the benefit
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CommentNot with a bang but a whimper
We’re fighting our corner with all the eloquence and ferocity of a strangled budgie, and as yet more thousands are laid off, no one is there to so much as protest at our fate, says Richard Steer
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CommentBSF collapse: Acrimony, angst and anger
The collapse of Building Schools for the Future has left a lot of bad feeling, but in some ways the programme deserved to die - and we now have the chance to do it better
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CommentRichard Steer on Aecom's takeover of Davis Langdon
What does the takeover mean for the UK cost consultants who value their independence?
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CommentBudget could have been worse
At least there are people within the coalition who realise how vital our industry is to the UK economy
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CommentWe don’t want a wossy
The RICS’ new chief executive will take home £33,000 a month, thanks in part to the institution’s QS members. Here, Richard Steer spells out what he needs to do to earn it
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CommentWonders & blunders
Richard Steer is staggered by an extraordinary structure built for the last Olympics, but is worried that London’s efforts will be blighted by its industrial past
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CommentRichard Steer: Where in the world are consultants going?
Spare a thought for Britain’s poor consultants as they fall victim to rich Americans. And spare a thought for the Americans as they tremble at the rise of Chinese power …
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CommentA wiser course for busy fools
When times are desperate, there’s a temptation to grab anything that might boost our turnover. The game now should be to prepare for the upturn and increase margins
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CommentEnd this crisis by Christmas: Richard Steer on the RICS
The RICS has to sort out the mess it’s made, or rumours of a breakaway group are bound to resurface