CBI asks “future leaders” to improve construction

Business lobby group the CBI has asked a group of young construction professionals to come up with ideas about how to improve the construction industry.

The CBI Construction Council has asked a group of future leaders to develop recommendations focussed on improving collaboration and digitisation within the sector. The work of the group will complement existing work, such as Construction 2025, by providing the view from within the industry.

The group, comprising representatives from across the supply chain, from design to sub-contractors, is expected to report to the CBI’s Construction Council, a 35-strong forum of chief executives, in November.

According to the CBI, the construction sector faces a number of significant challenges - fragmentation of the industry, low margins, limited scope to invest in innovation and challenges recruiting the right mix of skills. “All of this is taking place at a time when construction has never been more important to our future, given our ambitious plans for the UK’s infrastructure and housing”, says the CBI.

The Future Leaders’ Group consists of 18 rising stars under the age of 35, drawn from companies spanning the supply chain, from major construction firms to small and medium sized businesses. The group represent a wide spectrum of jobs from across the construction industry, including construction products, contractors and services.

The group will organise its work around four key work streams:

• Procurement and Contract Structures
• Data
• Skills
• Research and Innovation

The 18 rising stars in the CBI’s future leaders group are as follows:

Matthew James, Sharpe Aggregate Industries 

Michael Spurry, Balfour Beatty 

Isla Hill, BAM Nuttall 

Graham Kelly, BIM Academy 

David Hollywood, Carillion 

Andrew Cope, Henry Boot 

Eleanor Kentish, Kier Group 

Christopher Hughes, Morgan Sindall 

Oliver Hawes, Mott MacDonald 

Chris Bennett, Murphy & Sons 

Lee Trabis, NG Bailey 

Danielle Griffiths, Pinsent Masons 

Craig Badger, Rider Levett Bucknall 

Steve Ford, Ryder Architecture 

Daniel Harris, Saint Gobain 

Katie Fowler, SIG plc 

Rhys Thomas, United Living 

Chris Wright, Wates