Own The Build

In this episode of Own the Build Question Time , Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber , COO and Co-Founder of C-Link , to tackle five real-world commercial dilemmas submitted by Quantity Surveyors working across the construction industry. First up, a particularly uncomfortable question: A subcontractor has completed a significant variation. Everyone agrees the work was done, and the main cont...

In the tenth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series , Paul is joined by Mark Cahill , Commercial Director at Rowland Homes , a family-owned housebuilder delivering over 400 homes annually across the North West, with a turnover exceeding £120m. Mark's journey into construction began with a simple email. As a student, inspired by his father who worked in commercial management, Mark cont...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Martin Balaam, CEO and Founder of Pimberly , to explore a problem almost every Quantity Surveyor has encountered: You've been asked to value engineer a package and find an equivalent product. Where do you actually start? Paul takes the conversation back to his time working on Battersea Power Station, where finding an alternative to a specified product eventu...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Len Foster , construction professional turned communication coach and founder of The Referral Edge , to explore one of the most important — yet rarely taught — skills in commercial management: how to communicate effectively and read the room. Len started his career on the tools as an apprentice joiner before progressing through site management, contracts manageme...

In this Own the Build Question Time episode, Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber , COO and Co-Founder of C-Link , to tackle four real-world commercial dilemmas faced by Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Managers. First up: would you pay £100,000 more for a subcontractor you already know and trust? Paul and Chris debate the value of certainty, relationships and proven performance against the...

In the ninth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by Jonathan Solly , Cost Management Partner at Ridge, to explore the consultancy-side journey from Assistant QS to Partner — and what it takes to make the transition from being a technically strong QS to becoming a business leader.  Jon started his career in accountancy before moving into construction as an M&E subcont...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Matt Mackey , Director at Contollo , who has recently returned to UK construction after spending 16 years working in Australia. Having left the UK during the aftermath of the financial crisis, Matt went on to build and lead cost and commercial management teams in Australia before returning to Manchester in 2026. So, after 16 years away, what does someone coming b...

In this episode, Paul is joined by James Pearson , a freelance Quantity Surveyor with nearly 20 years' experience across UK construction, to explore the commercial habits that keep projects under control — and how AI is beginning to change the way QSs work. James shares his approach to managing projects through a structured commercial calendar , explaining why reporting what happened last mon...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Kevin Horner , Procurement Operations Leader at Laing O'Rourke , Board Director at SSIP , and a member of several Build UK working groups, for an in-depth look at what procurement really looks like inside one of the UK's largest contractors.  While procurement is often viewed as simply "buying subcontractors", Kevin reveals that modern Tier 1...

In this Own the Build Question Time episode, Paul is joined by Chris Barber , COO and Co-Founder of C-Link , to answer listener questions on the realities of working commercially in construction — including the mistakes, difficult meetings and relationships that shape you as a QS.  This episode gets particularly candid, with Paul and Chris looking back on their own careers and sharing some of the...

In the eighth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series , Paul is joined by David Taylor , former Group Commercial Director at Costain , where he spent over a decade on the Executive Board helping lead one of the UK's largest infrastructure contractors.  From starting his career as a trainee estimator at Taylor Woodrow to leading complex PFI programmes, resolving some of the industry&apo...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Marc Preston —Quantity Surveyor, dispute resolution specialist, registered counsellor and CEO of New Foundation Counselling—to discuss one of the construction industry's biggest challenges: Why are we still losing so many people to poor mental health? Drawing on decades of experience across Tier 1 contracting, development, dispute resolution and counselling,...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Nitesh Rupalia , Technical Project Manager at Taylor Wimpey South Wales , for a fascinating discussion on one of the most overlooked relationships in construction: The link between commercial, technical and operational teams. Drawing on experience across developers, architects, Tier 1 contractors and national housebuilders, Nitesh shares why projects perform best...

In this special Leadership Series Question Time episode, Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber , Co-Founder and COO of C-Link, to answer questions submitted by listeners following recent Leadership Series interviews.  Drawing on themes from conversations with Prabhat Shikotra, Genna Rourke, Anil Rai and other senior commercial leaders, Paul and Chris explore how commercial professionals can ap...

In the seventh episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series , Paul is joined by Genna Rourke , former Commercial Director at Costain and now Industry Engagement Director at Built Intelligence , to explore an unconventional route into commercial leadership and the lessons she learned along the way. After falling into quantity surveying by chance, Jenna built her career through curiosity, continuo...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Mark Holden-Smith , Chartered Quantity Surveyor, Registered Adjudicator, Registered Arbitrator and Director of Holden Smith Consultancy, for a deep dive into one of construction's most misunderstood topics: Why do so many final accounts end in dispute? Having progressed from labourer and plasterer to Managing Director before specialising in claims, dispute r...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Bernie Keens , freelance Commercial Manager and Managing QS, to explore a growing trend in the construction industry: Why are experienced QSs choosing freelance over the traditional climb to Commercial Director? Having spent 13 years progressing from Junior QS to Commercial Manager within the same contractor, Bernie recently made the move into freelance commercia...

In this Own the Build Question Time episode, Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber , COO and Co-Founder of C-Link , to tackle two candid listener questions about career progression, mentorship and the realities of building a successful quantity surveying career.  The first question comes from a construction professional with over 15 years of site experience who is struggling to transition into...

In the sixth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series , Paul is joined by Prabhat Shikotra , Strategy Lead at BAM UK & Ireland , to explore a very different path into senior leadership — and why the future of construction will belong to businesses that think long term.  Starting his career in architecture before moving into construction through digital planning and innovation, Prabhat sh...

In this episode, Paul is joined once again by Dave Stitt , leadership coach and former construction director, for a deep and thought-provoking conversation about one of the most misunderstood skills in construction leadership: Influence. Drawing on 50 years in the industry and decades coaching senior leaders across major contractors and infrastructure projects, Dave introduces the core ideas behin...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Matthew Williams , Senior Consultant at Clear North , for a practical and timely discussion about one of the construction industry’s biggest hidden challenges: How do contractors attract and retain commercial talent when the QS shortage is getting worse — and freelance working is rapidly evolving? Matt works exclusively with quantity surveyors across the freelanc...

In this Own the Build Question Time episode, Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber , COO and Co-Founder of C-Link , to answer listener questions sparked by the recent Leadership Series featuring some of the UK construction industry’s leading Commercial Directors.  The conversation explores the consistent themes emerging from those leadership interviews — and what they reveal about how strong c...

In this episode, Paul is joined by Alex Kozikowska , solicitor at Vinci, to explore a fast-growing but often misunderstood area of construction: Why data centre projects break traditional contract thinking. With experience across contractors, consultants and in-house legal teams, Alex brings a practical perspective on how these highly complex, MEP-driven projects are exposing the limitations of st...

In the fifth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series , Paul is joined by Justin Fahy , Managing Director at Structure Tone UK , to explore the journey from QS to leading a £400m+ fit-out business.  Justin’s career is a strong example of steady progression built on experience, longevity and advocacy — rising through the ranks from trainee surveyor to Commercial Director, before stepping into...

In this episode, Paul is joined by David Bebb , Partner at Fenwick Elliott, a construction lawyer with over 20 years’ experience working across the entire supply chain — from Canary Wharf and Network Rail to private practice.  Together, they unpack one of the most frustrating — and costly — realities in construction: Why do contract negotiations take so long, feel so combative, and often start in...