The full Nelson

Nelson Ogunshakin is on a mission. When the Association of Consulting Engineers set out to find the person to pilot it through a programme of change, Ogunshakin stepped into the breech.

“I came to an organisation that felt it needed to re-engineer the focus of what it stood for. It needed to engage key stakeholders in the industry and various government departments that impact on the consultancy business,” says the organisation’s new chief executive. “We concluded, after consultation, that the stakeholders wanted a more cohesive, less fragmented industry which needed a representative body, not just for consulting engineers but for consultancy and engineering,” he explains somewhat cryptically.

This respositioning of the organisation is encapsulated in its name change: rather than the Association of Consulting Engineers, from now on the acronym ACE stands for the Association for Consultancy and Engineering.

But why all the upheaval for what seems on the surface a subtle name change? “It is a subtle change, but the meaning and the substance is critical,” he says, by way of an explanation.

According to Ogunshakin the change reflects what the clients are looking for – an integrated approach to projects that will bring every discipline from both consulting and engineering together. "Whether you are an architectural practice, a qs practice, a consultancy or an engineer, clients are asking that all those sectors work together as an integrated body. The ACE is the organisation to represent all of them, to provide a holistic approach,” he says. “When you define what those professions do, it boils down to consultancy advice or engineering advice and changing the meaning of the ACE from consulting engineers to consultancy and engineering addresses that,” he continues.

As well as a name change, Ogunshakin says the organisation has undergone a “root and branch review of its structure” and is now set to change the way it operates. The next 12 months will see the implementation of this new strategy. “We will be better connected with our members and have a better understanding of what they are capable of,” he says.

”We also need to have a better knowledge of the industry and be able to advise our members as to how it is changing. Ultimately, it’s important that our members see us as adding value to their business and the projects that they are delivering.”

The main thrust of the ACE’s new approach is an improved relationship with clients. Under the new structure it has formed an advisory group that will meet twice a year comprising the key players from clients such as Network Rail and industry bodies like the Construction Industry Council and the Engineering Technology Board to pool information and improve knowledge of the clients’ markets.

“The purpose of the advisory group is to bring client organisations closer to us, giving more dialogue to the approach and finding constructive ways to help our businesses,” Ogunshakin says. “Whether you are a building services, civil, or structural engineer, if you pontificate issues amongst yourselves without sharing them with the people who are paying your bills, and getting their buy-in, it’s a waste of time,” he adds.

As well as having better communication with the industry, Ogunshakin passionately believes that the ACE has a role to play in recruitment. “When we relaunched the ACE, I put strong emphasis on the acquisition and retention of tomorrow’s people. We want to make sure that university departments are not shutting down and we’re also encouraging employers to take people on from HNC and HND courses.

“We have set up one initiative with the CITB and there is also the ACE Progress network whereby we have a link with Tanaka Business School, helping engineers to share knowledge and learn about the management side of running a company.”

The changes made to the ACE are a bold move, and one that Ogunshakin says the industry was ready for. “The clients that we support wanted these changes and they have embraced them. We’ve spent the last twelve months going through the whole review process and the next twelve will be even more critical as we put all that philosophy into practice.”

Ogunshakin hopes that as the result of the reorganisation and rebranding of the ACE the image of the industry will be improved. “I think we need to raise the profile of the consultancy and engineering industry and start to stand up and be counted. The future lies in being able to offer value for money and more than basic design and consultancy advice,” says Ogunshakin. “That means we need to raise the game if we are going to convince clients to pay for that additional value”.