First Site by Construction News

CN First Site talks to the Mace chief executive and chairman about governance changes at his company, his role at the Construction Leadership Council and what the construction industry needs from government.

In this month’s episode of the CN First Site podcast, sponsored by Speedy Hire, deputy editor Ben Vogel is joined by two legal experts dive into the new Joint Contracts Tribunal suite, in particular the Design and Build family. What’s new about it and how does it help contractors to navigate the various potential issues that can cause project costs to rise? Commenting on these and other aspects of JCT are Charles Pacey, senior associate in Mayer Brown’s construction team and Sasha Pirbhai, partner in the construction team at Devonshires.

AI is set to revolutionise the way businesses operate across every global sector - and construction is no exception. But how should the construction sector harness AI? What are the best use cases? To explore these and other aspects of the topic, CN deputy editor Ben Vogel sat down with Lee Daggatt, group IT director Speedy Hire and Richard Potter, chief executive of Peak AI, at the Speedy Expo 2024 in Liverpool.

Has MIPIM shed its testosterone-fuelled image to become more welcoming to women? And has the long-running built environment jamboree successfully recovered after Covid? Venturing to Cannes, First Site discusses these issues with Rachel Bell, director of Women in Property and gets to know Caroline Compton-James, the recently-appointed deputy chief executive of framework provider SCAPE.

In recent years, two-stage tenders have become an increasingly popular choice for contractors and clients in the construction sector. But what are the pros and cons of two-stage tendering, and will it remain popular in the current market environment? CN deputy editor Ben Vogel explores these and other questions with Rob Bradley, a consultant and ex-CEO of Bouygues UK, and Edd Burton, head of advisory services – infrastructure at Aecom

Construction News editor Colin Marrs delves into the skills challenge posed by the decarbonisation agenda with Derek Horrocks, chair of the National Home Decarbonisation Group, Keith Bottomley, chair of London’s Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce and Speedy Hire’s ESG director Amelia Woodley.

In a special end-of-year episode of First Site, deputy editor Ben Vogel is joined by CN news editor Will Ing and reporter Charlotte Banks to look back at the big topics of 2023. Kelly Boorman, national head of construction at RSM UK, then shares her thoughts on the year ahead. 

Deputy editor Ben Vogel is joined by Rob Driscoll, director of legal and business at the Electrical Contractors' Association, Iain McIlwee, chief executive of Finishes & Interiors Sector and Roni Savage, managing director at Jomas Associates.

his episode of First Site explores how the plant hire sector is helping the construction industry adapt to the decarbonisation and net zero agenda. Joining CN deputy editor Ben Vogel are Speedy Hire’s ESG director Amelia Woodley and the firm’s business development director for HS2, Matt Seaman.

Coinciding with our latest annual CN100 index of top-performing UK contractors, the latest episode of First Site focuses on financial and economic issues facing small, medium and large firms. Construction News deputy editor Ben Vogel is joined by Max Jones, a director in Lloyds Bank’s infrastructure and construction team, and Leighton More, chief financial officer at Sir Robert McAlpine.

On the first episode of the brand new First Site podcast by Construction News, we dive into one of the biggest challenges facing the sector – decarbonising steel and concrete. Together, these materials account for 14% of global carbon emissions, a huge contributor to such a huge challenge for the construction industry. Joining editor of Construction News Colin Marrs for this inaugural episode are Ian Riley, chief executive of the World Cement Association, and Dr. Michael Sansom, sustainability manager at the British Constructional Steel Work Association. First Site is a new podcast by Construction News, in partnership with Speedy Hire. Each month we talk to industry experts about the hot topics in construction. Find out more at constructionnews.co.uk/podcast. Construction News is the leading provider of UK construction industry news, opinion, analysis and events. We bring contractors, suppliers and clients together to share knowledge, best practice and other industry insight. We honour excellence in the industry through our awards events, which are judged by independent panels. Visit constructionnews.co.uk for more.

Introducing the brand new podcast, by Construction News, in Partnership with Speedy Hire. Each month on First Site we’ll bring you in-depth discussions with industry experts on the hot topics in construction Join editor of Construction News, Colin Marrs, and his editorial team as they explore the challenges, opportunities, and very best in case studies, standard setting, and innovation. Subscribe now to have each episode delivered straight to your device every month. Find out more at constructionnews.co.uk/podcast.