Construction manager Magazine February 2021

Page 14

PROFILE

constructionmanagermagazine.com

Profile

‘COVID PROVED THIS INDUSTRY CAN CHANGE QUICKLY’ CLC CHAIR ANDY MITCHELL HAS HELPED LEAD CONSTRUCTION THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, AND DESPITE THE CURRENT LOCKDOWN, HE SEES LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. WILL MANN CATCHES UP WITH HIM

PHOTOGRAPHS: TIDEWAY

“Never has there been a time when this industry is so important to the country’s future.” If Andy Mitchell sounds Churchillian, it may be because the chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has just come from an event hosted by Boris Johnson, a known admirer of Britain’s wartime prime minister. “I believe we have a government that recognises our sector can be a motor for the economy,” the Tideway CEO says. “We have shown we can continue operating safely even with the pandemic’s restrictions. And everyone in construction now realises that we can adapt and change quickly if we have to. “So let’s bring that mentality to other key industry priorities. Let’s turbo-charge the change that’s necessary in building safety, net zero, digital adoption. “There is a responsibility on all of us to step up.” Since the UK’s first lockdown was announced nearly 10 months ago, Mitchell has gone into bat for the industry across a range of issues, gaining respect both within construction and government. He set up the CLC’s coronavirus task force, which created the site operating procedures (SOPs), giving the industry a licence to continue working during those uncertain days last spring. The recent surge in covid-19 cases, and the spread of its more virulent strain, was still a major worry as CM went to press, and the SOPs have been 14 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER FEBRUARY 2021

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Training & Recruitment Quality control with Persimmon Life following a career change EDI at Colas Inclusion in the workplace

4min
pages 58-60

A listed Mayfair refurb project

2min
page 57

Diary dates

7min
pages 55-56

Inside Birmingham’s Exchange

1min
page 54

Constructing 22 Bishopsgate

3min
pages 51-53

Benefiting from R&D tax relief

3min
page 49

Expert insights into MMC

1min
page 50

Community Virtual visit to Alexander Stadium

2min
page 48

Digital working and productivity Training enters the digital age Sopra Steria’s competency portal

4min
pages 44-45

The technology behind building high Folkestone’s curvy skatepark F51’s suspended skate bowls

7min
pages 32-35

CPD Understanding asphalt paving How technology is updating practice

9min
pages 36-41

Managing projects online

5min
pages 42-43

Helmets and head injuries

14min
pages 20-25

Offsite adapts to the lockdown Super-skinny skyscrapers

8min
pages 28-31

Precast delivers in a pandemic

4min
pages 26-27

Renovations at the British Museum Curo’s temporary roof construction

4min
pages 18-19

Contractors’ vaccination policies

2min
page 10

Mace’s journey to net zero

4min
page 11

Profile CLC co-chair Andy Mitchell Construction is critical to recovery

8min
pages 14-17

News in pictures

1min
page 4

Caroline Gumble on quality

4min
page 12

Covid-related contract disputes

3min
page 7

CIOB Quality Guide sets standards

3min
page 6

6 Meet a member: Sam Fowkes

1min
page 5
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