NewsTech News

Behind the Built Environment

BESA

Behind the Built Environment, a podcast from BESA where we delve into the latest industry news in the building engineering services sector.
Join us for insightful discussions and exclusive interviews with leading industry experts, as we explore the trends and innovations shaping the future of the built environment and what impact they will have on you and your business.

Find us at https://www.thebesa.com/

Play

Open in

26 episodes
monthly
Avg 33 min
English

Episodes 26

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

S1 · E29
Yesterday · 43 min
Inside the US Engineering Boom: Growth, Skills & Opportunity (LIVE)
The US is experiencing an extraordinary construction boom, driven by investment in data centres, advanced manufacturing and infrastructure. But as demand accelerates, contractors face growing pressure to secure the workforce, skills, and resources needed to deliver. In this special live episode of Behind The Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Tim Brink, Chief Executive of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), and Brian Hughes, MCAA Past President and President of Hughes Environmental Engineering. Tim and Brian explain how the rapid expansion of data centres is transforming the US construction market, shifting priorities from cost to speed and capacity. They explore the challenges of managing growth, maintaining profitability and developing a skilled workforce, and what UK contractors can learn from the American experience. This episode covers: The scale of US investment in data centres and the implications for construction Why delivery speed and workforce capacity are overtaking price as commercial priorities The impact of major projects on smaller contractors, labour availability and supply chains How US contractors and trade unions collaborate to develop skilled workforces The importance of project management training in delivering profitable projects How AI could transform contractor efficiency, pricing transparency and customer relationships The role of maintenance, commissioning and whole-life building performance Building safety, workforce wellbeing and the pressures created by accelerated construction programmes The discussion also considers community resistance to data centre developments, differences in UK and US regulation, and the importance of fair wages, working conditions and long-term respect for skilled trades.
S1 · E28
October 29 · 43 min
Safety First: Ethical Practice in the Built Environment (LIVE)
In this special episode of Behind The Built Environment, we share Dr Barbara Lane’s keynote, “Safety First: Ethical Practice in the Built Environment”, recorded at the BESA Annual Conference on 22 October 2026. Barbara is Chair of the Building Advisory Committee at the Building Safety Regulator and a Chartered Engineer with Engineers Ireland. Drawing on three decades of experience across design, construction and maintenance, including eight years as an expert to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, she examines the industry’s responsibility to protect people and rebuild public trust. Her keynote explores why building safety depends on ethical practice, practical competence and collaboration throughout a building’s life. She explains why the lessons from Grenfell extend far beyond cladding, and why design, installation, commissioning, maintenance and ongoing management must be understood as interconnected parts of delivering a safe building. This episode covers: • Why protecting people and acting in the public interest must underpin decisions across the built environment • What the Grenfell Tower Inquiry revealed about failures in design, construction, maintenance and information sharing • Why fire safety depends on the performance of the whole building and its interconnected systems • The importance of smoke ventilation, fire doors, dampers and effective maintenance • Why a fire strategy must be reflected in how a completed building actually performs • How clear records and communication help people understand, operate and maintain safety-critical systems • What ethical practice means, including honesty, integrity, accuracy, rigour and accountability • Why professionals must recognise the limits of their competence and challenge assumptions • How procurement decisions, limited budgets and unrealistic timescales can undermine safe outcomes • Why building safety responsibilities extend beyond new higher-risk buildings • The need to consider residents who cannot evacuate independently • How overheating, an ageing population and emerging risks are changing the demands placed on buildings • Why everyone involved in the building lifecycle has a role in raising standards and restoring trust. The keynote is followed by questions from BESA Chief Executive David Frise and conference delegates, covering leadership accountability, procurement practices, raising safety concerns and the practical barriers to industry change. Behind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA (Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, people and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and building engineering. https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment
S1 · E27
October 21 · 23 min
Building Standards And The Reality Of Construction
Building standards set out what good looks like. Delivering better buildings depends on how those standards are understood, applied and supported by practical competence. In this episode of Behind The Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Ant Burd, Director at BSI Standards. Ant explains how standards are developed, how they support building regulations and why contractors, residents and the wider supply chain should help shape them. The conversation explores the gap between good paperwork and sound judgement, the pressures created by cost-driven procurement, and the importance of collaboration in delivering safer, more sustainable buildings. This episode covers: * The status of standards and when regulations or contracts give them greater authority * How contractors and other stakeholders can contribute to standards development * Resolving conflicting standards before design and construction begin * Building safety responsibilities and the changes still needed following Grenfell * Practical competence, experience and the limits of qualifications * Making standards easier for smaller contractors to find and use * AI, human judgement and the future of machine-readable standards The discussion also considers how standards can support energy performance through design, commissioning and everyday operation. As technology changes how technical information is accessed, Ant highlights the continuing need for trusted sources, competent people and shared responsibility for the buildings the industry delivers.
S1 · E26
October 1 · 31 min
Designing for Failure, Safety and the Future
In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Dave Cooper MBE, President of CIBSE and a lift and escalator engineer with more than four decades of experience across engineering, safety, education, standards and expert witness work. Dave explains how an apprenticeship on the railway led him into the highly specialised world of lift engineering, and why collaboration between different engineering disciplines is essential to delivering better buildings. The conversation explores why lifts should be considered much earlier in the design process, how technology and AI could help predict failures, and why designing and maintaining buildings around whole-life value is so important. This episode covers: • Why lifts and escalators are critical to modern buildings and the growth of cities • How collaboration between engineers, consultants, architects and contractors can deliver better buildings • Why clients need to consider vertical transportation at the earliest stages of a project • How AI and machine learning could improve lift performance and predict failures before they happen • The difference between designing for failure and managing failure • Why maintenance should move from reactive repairs towards anticipating when components need replacing • How value engineering can become a false economy when capital cost takes priority over whole-life cost • Why product selection and installation quality both matter to long-term performance • The importance of designing buildings for resilience and future requirements • What competence really means beyond qualifications, including knowledge, skills and behaviours • Why the industry faces a skills shortage and needs to make building engineering careers more attractive to young people • The role of apprenticeships and combining practical experience with academic qualifications • Why engineers need both specialist expertise and a broader understanding of the built environment • The challenge of making technical standards accessible to the engineers working at the coalface Dave also discusses his research into escalator safety, including the role of human behaviour and the need to challenge assumptions about why accidents happen. He argues that better engineering decisions require a clearer understanding of how buildings and their systems are actually used. [00:00] - Introduction & Dave Cooper's Career [01:00] - Quick-Fire Questions [03:45] - Lift Engineering & Collaboration [07:30] - The History and Importance of Lifts [10:30] - Designing Lifts for Modern Buildings [13:30] - AI, Technology & Predictive Systems [17:30] - Safety, Accidents & Human Behaviour [21:00] - Failure, Maintenance & Reliability [24:00] - Value Engineering & Whole-Life Cost [28:00] - Future-Proofing Buildings [31:00] - Competence, Skills & Qualifications [35:00] - Attracting the Next Generation of Engineers [38:00] - Specialism vs the Bigger Picture [40:00] - Dave's Career Legacy & Standards [42:00] - "King for a Day" & Outro Behind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA (Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, people and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and building engineering.
S1 · E25
August 27 · 31 min
Construction Cannot Reform While Lowest Price Still Wins
Construction cannot improve quality, productivity, and building safety while commercial models continue to reward the lowest price, push risk down the supply chain, and encourage short-term decision-making. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Paul Beeston, Partner and Head of Industry and Service Insight at RLB, who has more than 25 years of experience across the built environment and has recently joined the Construction Leadership Council board to lead work on reforming construction’s business models. Paul argues that construction’s commercial model is not fundamentally broken, but that decades-old procurement practices are increasingly struggling in a market where clients expect more from their supply chains. At the same time, businesses face greater volatility, risk and pressure. The conversation explores how better governance, smarter procurement, and fairer risk allocation could build stronger businesses and deliver better project outcomes. This episode covers: Why good governance starts with strong client leadership, clear decision-making and transparency Why lowest-price procurement can undermine quality and create the wrong behaviours from the outset How risk is pushed down the supply chain and what sensible risk allocation should look like The case for earlier and more open engagement with contractors and specialist subcontractors Why retentions should be abolished and the potential unintended consequences of replacing them with bonds How the Building Safety Act is changing attitudes towards quality, competence and accountability Why right-first-time delivery can provide clients with better protection than relying on contractual or financial security The challenge of measuring construction productivity without losing sight of quality, social value and workforce outcomes Why whole-life value and building performance need to carry more weight in procurement decisions How data, AI, partnering and new commercial models could reshape construction over the next five years Paul also challenges one of construction’s most persistent habits: treating price as the easiest definition of value. With RLB research showing that 40% of procurement activity is still selected purely on price, meaningful reform will require clients and the wider industry to look beyond capital cost and understand the long-term outcomes they are actually buying. Ultimately, the episode asks whether construction can create a commercial environment where every part of the supply chain understands the value it contributes and how that contribution connects to better outcomes for clients, businesses and society.
S1 · E24
August 6 · 27 min
Installers Face New Rules as Self Certification Schemes Are Reformed
Self-certification schemes sit at the heart of millions of building projects. Still, proposed reforms could bring greater scrutiny to how installers demonstrate competence, notify work and comply with building regulations. In this episode of Behind The Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Mussa Awaleh, Head of Self-certification Schemes and Reform of Building Regulatory Guidance at the Building Safety Regulator. Mussa explains how the schemes, renamed from competent person schemes to self-certification schemes, support the building regulatory system and why their purpose, assessment and oversight are under review. The proposed reforms could affect installers, contractors and scheme operators as expectations around competence, accountability and consumer protection continue to rise. This episode covers: What prompted the change from competent person schemes to self-certification schemes How installer competence should be assessed, revalidated and maintained The responsibility to notify controlled building work The roles of the Building Safety Regulator, MHCLG and UKAS Enforcement action against non-compliant contractors How a single construction regulator could reshape industry oversight With more than 130,000 registered businesses operating across these schemes, reform could have significant consequences for the building services sector. The discussion also considers procurement risk, the Warm Homes Plan and the culture change needed alongside regulatory reform.
July 23 · 30 min
Thermal Insulation Can No Longer Mark Its Own Homework
The thermal insulation sector can no longer rely on self-certification to prove that work is safe, effective and properly installed. In this episode of Behind The Built Environment Extra, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Marion Marsland, Chief Executive of TICA, and Helen Anderson, Deputy Chief Executive of TICA, about proposals for a third-party accredited competence assessment standard for thermal insulation contractors. TICA is proposing an independently accredited standard combining a business review with a technical audit of completed work. It would verify that contractors select the right products, use competent people and follow correct installation methods. The discussion examines why paperwork alone cannot prove competence and how credible assessment can challenge poor performance while helping contractors improve. This episode explores: • Why competence must be demonstrated through evidence and technical assessment • How independent audits could assess thermal insulation workmanship on site • Why trade associations cannot credibly mark their own homework • How poor insulation workmanship creates energy, carbon and safety risks • What the Building Safety Act means for specialist contractor competence • How aligned assessment standards could strengthen the wider supply chain • Whether verified competence can help contractors secure better quality work With energy costs, net-zero targets, and safety placing greater scrutiny on insulation, the discussion considers how credible assessment could raise standards, reduce risk, and establish thermal insulation as a skilled discipline. Learn more about the BESA Competence Assessment Standard and independent audit process. https://www.thebesa.com/besa-membership/competence-assessment-standard-audit Behind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA (Building Engineering Services Association). We examine the regulations, challenges and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and building services engineering. https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment #ThermalInsulation #ConstructionCompetence #BuildingSafetyAct #EnergyEfficiency #BESA
S1 · E23
July 2 · 44 min
The Construction Skills Crisis Is A Capacity Problem
Construction’s skills crisis may be less about attracting new people and more about the industry’s inability to absorb, develop and make effective use of them. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Mark Farmer, founder of CAST Consultancy and author of the landmark Modernise or Die report. Almost ten years after the report was published, Mark reflects on how much construction has genuinely changed and why its traditional labour model continues to struggle. The conversation challenges the assumption that the industry simply has a shortage of people and argues that it has an absorption problem, a competence problem and, ultimately, a capacity problem. This episode covers: • Why does construction have an absorption issue rather than an attraction issue • The three Cs of capability, competency and capacity, and how they interact • Whether the Building Safety Act is driving genuine change or only a thin layer of compliance • Gateway 2 and the case for earlier collaboration between design and construction • Procurement, trust and the debate around cash retentions • Digital competency passporting and raising standards across the supply chain • Why doing the job properly should cost less, not more As the Building Safety Act continues to reshape expectations around competence and accountability, the industry faces a choice between genuine cultural change and box-ticking compliance. This episode explains why capacity, rather than headcount alone, is the measure that matters, and what needs to change across procurement, regulation, and training to close the gap.
S1 · E22
June 4 · 32 min
Modern Life Runs On An Industry Nobody Notices
Refrigeration and cooling underpin almost everything modern life depends on, yet the sector remains largely invisible to the public, policymakers and even many of the organisations that rely on it. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Stephen Gill, technical advisor to REFCOM, past president of the Institute of Refrigeration and founder of World Refrigeration Day. Stephen brings decades of experience across engineering, contracting, design consultancy, policy and international advisory work. The conversation explores why a sector central to food security, healthcare, data, communications, and comfort continues to undervalue itself, and what that means as major regulatory and technical changes approach. This episode covers: Why refrigeration and cooling remain hidden in plain sight despite underpinning daily life The case for treating cooling as critical national infrastructure The HFC phase-down and the risk of divergence between the UK and the EU The difference between competence and basic compliance, and why both matter How contractors should advise clients on ageing equipment and asset risk Conscious inclusion and making space for neurodiverse talent Dyslexia, disclosure and the gap between education and the workplace As the UK moves towards a steeper HFC phase-down, contractors and clients face complex decisions on equipment, refrigerants and long-term asset risk. Poor information, weak asset registers and outdated assumptions could leave many exposed to avoidable cost and disruption. The discussion sets out how the sector can move beyond minimum compliance towards genuine competence, trusted advice and greater confidence in the value it brings to society.
S1 · E21
May 14 · 38 min
Why Construction Keeps Solving The Wrong Problem
Construction is good at delivering projects. Too often, it starts before asking whether it is solving the right problem. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Mark Enzer, former Chief Technical Officer at Mott MacDonald and former head of the UK National Digital Twin Programme, about why construction needs to rethink value, data and outcomes. Mark argues that the built environment cannot achieve better outcomes by improving delivery alone. To create greater value, the industry needs to examine how decisions are made, how organisations work together, and how data is used throughout the full life of an asset. Rather than focusing solely on digital tools, this episode examines the thinking that needs to change before technology can make a meaningful difference. It explores why systems thinking, digital twins and AI are only useful when they support clearer outcomes, better decisions and more joined-up ways of working. This episode explores: • What systems thinking means in the built environment • Why cost control is different from value creation • How siloed organisations and disconnected data limit progress • The role of digital twins in making better decisions faster • Why collaboration needs stronger outcome-based incentives • How AI could support systems thinking, and where the risks sit From infrastructure delivery and net zero to procurement, resilience and digital transformation, this is a practical discussion about why the built environment needs to start with outcomes before it starts with delivery. If you work in construction, infrastructure, building services engineering or public sector procurement, this episode offers a direct and practical examination of how the industry can move beyond cost, packages and projects and start solving the right problems.
S1 · E20
April 2 · 35 min
Why UK Construction Projects Fail Before They Start
Most construction problems are created before a project even reaches site. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Beth West, founder and director of Navigate Advisory and former Chief Executive of East West Railway Company, about why construction projects fail at the earliest stages. Drawing on experience across HS2, Thames Tideway, Transport for London and East West Rail, Beth explains how poor client capability, weak project definition and misaligned incentives drive cost escalation and inefficiency across the UK built environment. Rather than focusing on delivery alone, this episode examines the decisions that shape outcomes long before construction begins. It challenges the assumption that building is always the answer, explores the risks of uncontrolled design development, and highlights how procurement models, culture and lack of trust continue to limit performance across the industry. This episode explores: Why construction projects fail due to poor early decision making The role of the client in defining scope, outcomes and value Why building is not always the right solution How procurement models limit innovation and productivity The impact of complexity and uncontrolled design development on cost How trust, culture and data transparency shape project outcomes From housing policy and infrastructure delivery to procurement reform and the Building Safety Act, this is a practical discussion about how early decisions shape outcomes across the UK built environment. It also raises fundamental questions about capacity, skills and whether the industry is solving the right problems in the first place. If you work in construction, infrastructure, building services engineering or public sector procurement, this episode is a direct and practical examination of why the industry keeps repeating the same mistakes and what it would take to stop. Behind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA (Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and HVAC. https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment #UKConstruction #ConstructionIndustry #ProjectManagement #Procurement #BuildingSafetyAct
March 24 · 35 min
Building Safety Act Competence And Why A Certificate Is Never Enough
Competence under the Building Safety Act is often misunderstood, with serious consequences for mistakes. In this episode of Behind the Built Environment Extra, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Kizzy Augustin, Partner at Mishcon de Reya, about what genuine competence looks like under the Act and why the industry's current approach to evidencing it falls short.Kizzy outlines the four pillars of competence under the Act: skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours, and explains why behaviours are the hardest yet most essential to evidence. She also addresses the uncomfortable reality of gaslighting in the competence market, where some training providers claim only their course makes you compliant, and sets out how clients and contractors should respond.This episode covers:• What competence really means under the Building Safety Act• Why a certificate alone is never sufficient evidence• The difference between individual competence and organisational capability• How to use PAS 8671 and PAS 8672 correctly and avoid common misuses• Gaslighting in the competence market and how to challenge it• The risks posed by proposed changes to apprenticeship end-point assessments• Three questions every client or main contractor should ask before appointing a specialist contractor.If you are appointing contractors or being appointed, this episode sets out exactly what the Building Safety Act expects and how to evidence it. Download BESA's practical Client's Guide to the Building Safety Act and get clear on your legal duties: https://www.thebesa.com/clients-guide-building-safety-actBehind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA (Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and HVAC.https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment
S1 · E19
March 4 · 32 min
Are Clients Ready For Their Responsibilities Under The Building Safety Act?
The Building Safety Act has transformed client responsibilities across construction, but is the industry truly ready? In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA ChiefExecutive David Frise speaks with Lilly Gallafent of CAST Consultancy about what the Building Safety Act means in practice for clients, contractors and consultants navigating Gateway 2 and Gateway 3. They examine how the Building Safety Act is reshaping procurement, early contractor engagement and design development, and why client accountability can no longer be passed down the supply chain. The discussion explores the role of the Building Safety Regulator, the risks emerging as Gateway 3 approvals approach, and whether the sector is confusing compliance paperwork with genuine quality. This episode covers: • Client responsibilities under the Building Safety Act • The impact of Gateway 2 on procurement and design • Gateway 3 risks and evidence requirements • Competence and compliance across the supply chain • Why culture change remains the biggest barrier to safer buildings The Building Safety Act is the most significant change tobuilding regulations in a generation. With Gateway 2 approvals increasing scrutiny and Gateway 3 set to test whether projects have truly been built as designed, this discussion highlights what client responsibility now looks like in practice and why culture change, not just compliance, will determine whether reform succeeds. If you are a client commissioning building work, downloadBESA’s practical Client’s Guide to the Building Safety Act and understand exactly what your legal duties are: https://www.thebesa.com/clients-guide-building-safety-act Behind The Built Environment is the official podcast of BESA(Building Engineering Services Association). We dive into the regulations, challenges, and innovations shaping the future of UK construction and HVAC. https://www.thebesa.com/behind-the-built-environment #BuildingSafetyAct #Gateway2 #Gateway3 #BuildingRegulator #ConstructionIndustry#BuildingRegulations
S1 · E18
January 28 · 27 min
Why Most Modular Construction Firms Fail — and How Reds10 Is Beating the System
In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Paul Ruddick, Chair of Reds10, about why industrialised construction must move from ambition to execution if the sector is to thrive. Paul reflects on Reds10’s journey from a bedroom start-up to a £200m, debt-free business and explains why many modular firms fail by scaling too fast without fixing process, design and culture. He shares his perspective on fragmentation in construction, the role of digital tools and AI, and why vertically integrated models are key to improving productivity and quality. From government procurement and planning delays to standardisation, diversification and decarbonisation, this episode offers a candid, experience-led view on what it will take for offsite construction — and the wider industry — to deliver sustainable growth and real transformation.
S1 · E17
January 13 · 31 min
Competent or Compliant? The Hard Truth the Industry Still Doesn’t Want to Hear
In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise is joined by Jon Vanstone, Chair of the Industry Competence Committee, to unpack what competence really means in a post-Grenfell world. John explains why compliance alone is no longer enough, highlighting gaps in behaviour, culture and client understanding that continue to undermine safety. The discussion explores the evolving role of the Building Safety Regulator, lessons from Gateway 2, and why proof of competence matters more than experience or assumptions. Listeners can also download BESA’s Building Safety Act Industry Report 2025, which reveals industry attitudes, competence gaps and practical insights to help businesses prepare for regulatory change.
S1 · E16
Dec 10, 2025 · 37 min
You Can’t Plead Ignorance: Why Every Contractor Needs to Understand the Law
In 2023, contractor Andrew Blunsdon was charged with two counts of bribery following Operation Truman, the investigation into how contracts were awarded on E On energy projects between 2011 and 2015. The case centred on favours to key E On figures: an air-conditioning unit for a flower shop run by Marc Baker, and payments routed through a subcontractor that ultimately benefited a consultancy linked to Matthew Hayward. This episode looks beyond the charges to the impact of a justice process that spanned 15 years: interviews in 2016, charges in 2023, sentencing in 2025, and a Proceeds of Crime hearing still ahead in 2026. In that time, Andrew’s business collapsed, his pension disappeared, and the emotional cost fell heavily on his family. This isn’t about re-running a trial. It’s about understanding how a contractor with no criminal intent can become entangled in a criminal case—and what every professional in the built environment needs to learn from it. If you’ve ever thought, “Just help the client out; I’ll ask questions later,” this is the episode you cannot afford to miss.
S1 · E15
Oct 30, 2025 · 47 min
Is Construction's Business Model Broken?
In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Professor Noble Francis, Economics Director at the Construction Products Association, about the forces shaping the future of UK construction. Noble shares insights from the CPA’s latest forecasts and explains why construction is facing a “capacity crisis” driven by skills shortages, market uncertainty, and fragmented business models. He discusses the growing influence of AI investment, the long-term outlook for infrastructure and retrofit, and the structural reforms needed to improve productivity across the sector. From bond markets and government policy to the realities of net zero and ESG, this episode offers a clear-eyed economic perspective on where the industry is heading and what it will take to build resilience and sustainable growth.
S1 · E14
Sep 25, 2025 · 29 min
Building the Future with Skanska
In this episode of Behind the Built Environment, BESA Chief Executive David Frise speaks with Dan Williams, Managing Director of Skanska UK’s building services division, SRW, about the shifting dynamics of the construction and facilities management market. Dan reflects on his journey from student engineer to MD and shares how agility, technical expertise, and long-term customer relationships are helping Skanska navigate uncertainty. He highlights the challenges of attracting new talent, the growing role of digital tools and modular construction, and why sustainability, delivery certainty, and whole-life value will define the industry’s next decade.
Sep 10, 2025 · 26 min
Will Inheritance Tax Changes Destroy Family Businesses? Fiona Graham on What Owners Must Do Now
BESA Chief Executive David Frise sits down with Fiona Graham, Chief Operating Officer at Family Business UK, to unpack what recent inheritance tax reforms mean for family-owned firms. From her journey in public affairs to leading the national body championing these enterprises, Fiona shares candid insights on succession, governance, and giving family businesses a stronger voice in policy debates. She explains why the government’s changes to business property relief could put long-standing firms at risk, why specialist advice is now essential, and how planning early can protect continuity. Despite her pessimism about policy shifts, Fiona remains optimistic about the resilience, creativity, and future growth of family businesses across the UK.
Aug 28, 2025 · 24 min
More Time, Same Pay: The Surprising Truth About the 4-Day Work Week
In this episode, host David Frise, Chief Executive of BESA, speaks with Ian McCall, Managing Director of Alba Facility Services, a Glasgow-based FM company pioneering a four-day working week with no loss of pay. The conversation explores how this bold shift has improved productivity, staff wellbeing, and retention, while also enhancing sustainability and client service. Ian shares how Alba partnered with Strathclyde University to turn what began as a pilot into a model for modern workplace culture. He discusses the challenges of change management, the importance of communication, and the surprising benefits—such as childcare savings—that have emerged along the way.

Showing 1–20 of 26 episodes