CLC names new leadership team

Eight senior figures have been appointed to tackle the sector’s biggest priorities as part of a major shake-up of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC).

Four industry “sponsors” will join a revamped CLC board with new governance structures designed to boost productivity and growth across the industry as well as strengthening resilience.

Karl Whiteman, divisional managing director of Berkeley Group, will take the lead on building safety, while Travis Perkins chief executive Nick Roberts will steer work on people and skills.

Net zero and biodiversity will be the focus of Matt Palmer, executive director of Lower Thames Crossing, National Highways.

The fourth industry leader, Isabel Coman, director of engineering and asset strategy at Transport for London, will take on the next-generation delivery brief.

Roberts said the CLC had set out a sector-wide skills plan with a series of clear actions and commitments for industry and government.

“Construction plays a huge role in the UK economy and our improvement of the built environment and skills presents an enormous opportunity for all of us; from independent trades to developers and contractors, and all of us who serve them,” he added.

Joining the four sponsors will be four new industry “leads” tasked with acting as advocates for the CLC, overseeing delivery of workstreams for key industry sectors.

As exclusively revealed by Construction News earlier this month, the infrastructure chair will be HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston, while Helen Hare, director of projects at Great Portland Estates, will be buildings and places chair and Anna Scothern, chief executive of the National Home Improvement Council, chair for domestic repair, maintenance and improvement.

Vistry’s Mike Woolliscroft will also join the group as housing chair.

Five young ambassadors have also been selected to work with the sponsors on delivering each priority and to make sure the voice of young professionals is heard.

For building safety, the ambassador will be Madeleine Coman, strategy and transformation, Laing O’Rourke; for people and skills, Wates site manager Lydia McGuinness; for net zero and biodiversity, Arcadis engineer Micheala Chan; and for next-generation delivery, Stora Enso Wood Products business development manager Mila Duncheva and BSI Group construction products group manager Hollie Rowland.

Minister for business and trade and CLC co-chair Nusrat Ghani said the announcement was a “key step forward” in helping the council achieve its priorities.

“The Construction Leadership Council will continue to work in partnership with government and industry, intensifying its efforts as we drive change on the biggest challenges facing the sector,” she said.

CLC co-chair, Mace Group chairman and chief executive Mark Reynolds, and the council’s deputy co-chair, Atkins chief executive Richard Robinson, said the focus would now be on delivering visible action for the benefit of the sector as a whole.

“These appointments represent a significant milestone as we look to accelerate the change needed to address the building safety changes, help deliver a green economy, drive productivity, and enhance our skills to achieve growth across UK construction,” they said.