Interviews

Alex Vaughan has navigated significant transformations since becoming Costain’s CEO five years ago When Alex Vaughan first walked through Costain’s doors 34 years ago as a trainee quantity surveyor, he had no idea he would eventually be leading the organisation. “It’s been a series of adventures,” he recalls while visiting…

Clancy chief executive Matt Cannon has credited his firm’s focus on client and supplier relationships for its record revenue and profit. “As a private, family-owned business we’re absolutely not focused on top-line revenue growth,” he told Construction News. “We’re focused on delivering for our clients and making sure we work…

It is not the first and it will not be the last. But some good can come from ISG’s collapse last month, Caddick Construction managing director Paul Dodsworth tells Construction News. When ISG went under, taking retentions, jobs and any semblance of certainty for many with it, Dodsworth took to…

He may have spent 13 years running Laing O’Rourke’s operations in Australia, but Cathal O’Rourke’s accent does not have an Aussie twang. He has been at the helm of the UK’s biggest private contractor since July, when he took over from his father, Ray O'Rourke, who founded the firm back…

Chief executive Graham Sturge explains the strategy behind his firm’s steady success The Covid pandemic has left indelible scars on construction. For many companies, it was a fight for survival – and some lost. But for Red Construction the pandemic was not just a challenge, it proved a turning point…

Focusing on regional work has paid off for Esh Group, according to its chief executive. In an exclusive interview with Construction News, group chief executive Andy Radcliffe said that targeting contracts in the North East had delivered strong financial results and secured future business. Radcliffe spoke after announcing the firm’s results…

The tier one firm isn’t getting distracted by the bright lights of London These are busy times for contractor McLaren. The firm is engaged in a host of projects throughout the country, staying true to its roots in the logistics and warehousing sectors. At the same time, it is working…

The head of Lendlease Europe’s construction operations says he wants to find a buyer for the business “at pace” Simon Gorski is a man in a hurry. As the boss of Lendlease Europe’s construction operations, he is looking to line up a buyer for the UK business by the end…

Construction News talks to a client and a contractor who have used the Conflict Avoidance Process (CAP) to resolve issues which have cropped up on contracts. The CAP was established six years ago to help parties avoid expensive legal proceedings to resolve disputes. Read CN's full article about how the…

Construction deserves a bigger focus in government and is too often viewed as an “afterthought”, the outgoing boss of Wates Construction Group has said. “For too long, for an industry that employs so many people and that adds so much to the economy, construction is seen as an afterthought by…