Own The Build

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 subcontractor QS. After joining Ridge as an Assistant QS, he progressed through the business over the following decade, ultimately becoming Partner and taking responsibility for a 13-person cost management team with a turnover of circa £2m.
The conversation explores:
 why being a technically excellent QS will only take your career so far; 
 the point at which ambitious QSs need to start thinking about the business, not just their projects; 
 why learning to delegate client relationships was one of Jon's biggest leadership breakthroughs; 
 the challenge of stepping into leadership as a relatively young Partner and learning to give respectful challenge; 
 how Jon approaches recruitment, culture and developing the next generation of QSs; 
 why good succession planning ultimately means making yourself less essential; and 
 the career opportunities available in consultancy for contractor QSs looking for greater variety and a different work-life balance. 
Jon also explains why aspiring leaders should stop asking only, "What should I be doing?" and start asking, "What could I be doing?"
It captures one of the strongest themes to emerge throughout the Leadership Series: progressing into senior leadership requires more than being brilliant at your day job. At some point, you have to shift from being a great technician to creating value for the wider business.
A practical conversation for Quantity Surveyors, Associates and aspiring Partners — as well as contractor QSs curious about what a career on the consultancy side could look like.
---------------------------------
📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:
Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success
Send us Fan Mail

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com or through, C-Link. 
C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.
Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here.

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 back into UK construction notice?
The conversation explores:
why many of the problems Matt remembers from 2010 are still being discussed today;
the major differences between the role of a QS in the UK and Australia;
why procurement continues to drive a race to the bottom despite decades of conversations about collaboration and value;
whether QSs and client-side advisors have inadvertently contributed to the industry's obsession with lowest price;
why main contractors can't genuinely change their relationship with the supply chain until risk and behaviours change at client level;
how heavily amended contracts can undermine collaborative behaviours before a project has even started;
why early contractor involvement only works when collaboration continues beyond the preconstruction stage;
what the industry could learn from the way projects operated during COVID, when clients and contractors were forced to solve problems together; and
why construction's short-term, project-by-project mentality continues to hold back MMC, innovation and genuine industry improvement.
Matt also compares the two markets directly: Australia's greater speed and use of less-amended standard contracts versus the UK's stronger structure, processes and definition of roles.
Ultimately, the conversation asks a bigger question.
After Latham, Egan and decades of discussion about collaboration, procurement and productivity, why are we still trying to solve so many of the same problems?
A thought-provoking conversation for Quantity Surveyors, Commercial Directors, contractors and client-side professionals interested in how we create a more sustainable construction industry.
---------------------------------
📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:
Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success
Send us Fan Mail

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com or through, C-Link. 
C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.
Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here.

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 month isn't the same as actively managing what happens next.
The conversation explores:
why projects rarely lose commercial control overnight — and the small disciplines that begin to disappear first;
how James structures his month around valuations, forecasting, CVRs, variations and commercial administration;
why programme delays and constant firefighting quickly destroy good commercial management;
how regular progress meetings and strong relationships help identify risk before it becomes a commercial problem;
how James is already using AI to interrogate contracts, test claims and strengthen commercial arguments; and
why QSs should use AI as an experienced colleague or consultant — rather than asking it to do their job for them.
James also shares how AI helped him develop the contractual argument behind a multimillion-pound dispute, before offering a warning to QSs simply outsourcing their thinking to the technology.
His view is simple:
use AI to make yourself a better QS — don't use it to replace the skills that make you valuable in the first place.
A practical conversation for Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Managers looking to improve their commercial discipline while understanding how AI can become part of their everyday toolkit.
---------------------------------
📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:
Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success
Send us Fan Mail

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com or through, C-Link. 
C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.
Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here.

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 procurement is far more strategic—balancing supply chain capability, governance, compliance, commercial risk and long-term relationships to deliver better project outcomes.
The conversation explores:
 why procurement and quantity surveying play different—but equally critical—roles in project delivery; 
 how early contractor and early supply chain involvement through PCSAs reduces risk and improves design certainty; 
 why quality, compliance and capability should take priority over lowest price; 
 the hidden complexity of managing procurement across hundreds of suppliers, multiple regions and major infrastructure projects; and 
 how digitisation, AI and better data could transform procurement over the next decade. 
Paul and Kevin also discuss Laing O'Rourke's work on contract simplification, the importance of building long-term strategic relationships with the supply chain, and why the industry must stop passing down unmanaged risk if it wants to improve productivity and reduce insolvencies.
The episode closes with a powerful message:
great procurement isn't about buying cheaper—it's about building stronger supply chains, better projects and a more sustainable construction industry.
A fascinating conversation for Quantity Surveyors, Procurement Professionals, Commercial Directors and anyone looking to understand how leading contractors are rethinking procurement in 2026.
---------------------------------
📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:
Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success
Send us Fan Mail

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com or through, C-Link. 
C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.
Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here.

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 lessons they learned the hard way.
The conversation explores:
 the toughest meetings they experienced as young QSs and why preparation matters; 
 their biggest commercial mistakes and what they changed as a result; 
 when new technology and ERP systems can actually make commercial teams less efficient rather than more efficient; 
 why understanding the workflow before implementing technology is critical; 
 the importance of keeping your emotions — and your poker face — under control during negotiations; and 
 what separates the best commercial counterparts from the people you never want to work with again. 
Paul and Chris also discuss why fairness and pragmatism in variation management can completely change the dynamic between main contractors, subcontractors and consultants.
The underlying message is simple:
some of the most valuable lessons in commercial management come from getting things wrong, learning quickly and making sure you don't make the same mistake twice.
A candid and practical Question Time episode for QSs and commercial professionals at every stage of their careers.
---------------------------------
📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:
Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success
Send us Fan Mail

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com or through, C-Link. 
C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.
Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here.