In the second episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by Chris Hartley, former Commercial Director at McLaren Construction, a £1bn+ main contractor, and now a business change consultant and quantum expert.

Chris shares a deeply reflective account of his journey from early career QS to leading commercial teams of more than 50 people — and what that experience taught him about trust, detail, leadership and decision-making at scale.

Rather than a linear career story, this conversation focuses on the realities of commercial leadership: earning trust through technical credibility, knowing when to empower people to make mistakes, and why the best Commercial Directors never lose touch with the fundamentals of construction.

The discussion explores:

• why mastery of detail is the foundation of commercial authority;
• the transition from “doing” to leading — and why people skills become decisive;
• building high-performing commercial teams in large, complex organisations;
• how trust is given, earned and sometimes rebalanced;
• the role of information quality in better commercial decisions;
• freeing up QS time from administration to focus on commercial judgement; and
• what world-class commercial leadership looks like in 2026 and beyond.

Chris also reflects on succession planning, developing future leaders, and why rushing progression without grounding ultimately limits long-term impact.

This episode is a thoughtful, experience-led perspective on Commercial Directorship — essential listening for QSs with leadership ambitions and senior commercial professionals looking to sense-check what good really looks like at the top.

---------------------------------

📥 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 a text

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] 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 Brandon Silver, construction solicitor at Bexley Beaumont, for a deep, practical conversation on where construction contracts most often unravel — and how QSs and commercial leaders can protect themselves before problems escalate.

Brandon works daily on adjudications, payment disputes, termination claims and delay arguments, acting for contractors and subcontractors across the UK. In this episode, he shares real-world insights into the contractual mistakes he sees repeatedly — many of which are entirely avoidable.

The conversation covers:

• why most construction professionals fundamentally misunderstand their contracts — particularly JCT;
• how poor contract administration quietly destroys entitlement;
• termination under JCT: common law vs contractual termination, and why procedure matters more than intent;
• the five-step checklist every contractor should follow before issuing a termination notice;
• how easily an invalid termination can expose a party to loss of profit claims and significant financial risk;
• why smash-and-grab adjudications are rising — and how simple diary failures are costing businesses millions;
• concurrent delay explained properly: why true concurrency is rare, and why effect matters more than timing;
• the difference between relevant events and relevant matters — and why time does not always mean money; and
• record keeping in practice: what actually wins disputes, shortens arguments and protects cash flow.

Throughout the episode, Paul and Brandon connect legal theory with commercial reality, exploring how QSs can balance strong relationships with robust record keeping — and why being “commercial” without being contractual is one of the industry’s biggest risks.

This is essential listening for QSs, commercial managers and directors who want to reduce contractual exposure, protect entitlement and lead more confidently in an increasingly adversarial environment.

---------------------------------

📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:

Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success

For our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads

Send a text

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] 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 Amy Connor from Clear North — a QS-focused recruitment specialist who supports freelance quantity surveyors across the UK. Amy describes herself as “the QS agent”, helping QSs stay off job boards, understand the freelance market, and make informed, sustainable career decisions.

This is a practical, no-hype conversation about what freelance life really looks like in 2026.

Paul and Amy explore why more QSs are considering freelancing — from burnout and lack of control in permanent roles to the appeal of higher day rates, flexibility and autonomy. But they also unpack the realities behind the headline numbers, including the responsibilities, risks and trade-offs that come with running your own limited company.

Topics covered include:

• the true financial comparison between permanent salaries and freelance day rates;
• hidden costs such as holidays, pensions, insurance, tax, IR35 and business overheads;
• the level of experience required before going freelance — and why most successful freelancers are senior QSs;
• which sectors are thriving (infrastructure, utilities, data centres) and which are tightening;
• why sector versatility is becoming essential for freelance security;
• how IR35 has evolved from a blocker to a manageable reality;
• when freelancing works as a long-term career move — and when it doesn’t.

The conversation also looks at freelancing from a commercial leadership perspective, including:

• why more commercial directors are choosing to step back into freelance roles later in their careers;
• how contractors are increasingly using freelancers as a core part of delivery, not just a stop-gap;
• why hybrid teams of permanent and freelance QSs are becoming the norm; and
• how smart resourcing can reduce burnout while protecting delivery and margin.

This episode is essential listening for QSs considering freelancing in 2026 — and for commercial leaders who want to understand how the labour market is shifting and how to adapt their hiring strategy accordingly.

---------------------------------

📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:

Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success

For our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads

Send a text

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] 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 David Longman, Managing QS at Rendesco, a £15m M&E specialist contractor, for a frank and wide-ranging conversation about quantity surveying from the subcontractor’s perspective — an angle that is often misunderstood higher up the contracting chain.

David’s career path is unusual and valuable: starting in main contracting, moving into PQS work, and ultimately landing in subcontracting, where he now leads and has helped grow the business from £4m to £15m in under three years. That breadth of experience allows him to speak candidly about the realities, pressures and blind spots that exist on both sides of the commercial fence.

The conversation covers:

• what it’s really like being a standalone QS in a growing subcontractor business;
• the difference between managing packages as a main contractor QS versus running the full commercial lifecycle as a subcontractor;
• why pricing documents matter — and how poor tender scoping creates disputes, inefficiency and margin erosion later;
• cash flow from the subcontractor’s lens, including downstream risk, extended payment terms and the knock-on effects to second-tier trades;
• why respecting a subcontractor’s bank account changes behaviour, outcomes and relationships;
• the value of interim final accounts as a way to draw a line in the sand, reduce risk and improve collaboration;
• leadership lessons from stepping up into a Managing QS role without formal management training; and
• why communication, scope clarity and fewer contractual amendments would materially improve project delivery.

Throughout the episode, Paul and David connect lived experience with practical commercial insight, offering both subcontractors and main contractors a clearer view of how decisions made upstream directly affect delivery, risk and performance downstream.

This is an honest, experience-led discussion for QSs, commercial managers and directors who want to understand how subcontractors really operate — and how better procurement, payment practices and leadership can improve outcomes for everyone.

---------------------------------

📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:

Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success

For our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads

Send a text

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] 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 Simon Rubinsohn, Chief Economist at the RICS, for a deep dive into one of the most pressing and under-discussed challenges facing the industry: the critical shortage of quantity surveyors — and what it means for productivity, cost, innovation and delivery across UK construction.

Drawing on the RICS 2025 Skills Survey and the latest Construction Monitor data, Simon explains why the QS shortage is no longer a future risk but a current constraint, with over a third of respondents describing it as critical — even in a flat market.

Together, Paul and Simon explore:

• why the QS skills shortage is more severe than most people realise;
• how limited capacity is already impacting output, cost control and client service;
• why skills shortages suppress innovation and lock productivity in a low-growth cycle;
• how construction productivity compares to the wider economy — and why it has stalled for years;
• the role sentiment data plays in understanding the real health of the industry;
• why construction struggles with perception, narrative and early-career attraction; and
• what needs to change across education, apprenticeships, mentoring and messaging to bring new talent into the profession.

The conversation also looks ahead to 2026 and beyond, unpacking the UK housing and infrastructure outlook, planning reform, interest rates, and why any future uplift in activity will only succeed if the skills gap is addressed first.

This is a timely, evidence-based discussion that connects labour shortages, productivity and economic growth — and challenges the industry to rethink how it attracts, supports and values quantity surveyors.

Essential listening for QSs, commercial leaders, policy-makers and anyone serious about the future of construction.

---------------------------------

📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:

Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success

For our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads

Send a text

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] 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.

We’re launching a new monthly Leadership Series on Own the Build — spotlighting the journeys, mindsets and behaviours behind world-class Commercial Directorship in construction.

For the first episode, Paul is joined by Mark Sheridan, Commercial Director of Commercial Services at BAM UK & Ireland, one of the UK’s largest Tier 1 contractors.

Mark shares his 25-year journey from graduate QS to Commercial Director — not as a linear career plan, but as a series of small, deliberate steps driven by curiosity, imagination and a desire to make things better. Along the way, he reflects on staying with one organisation while constantly evolving roles, building influence without chasing titles, and why long-term opportunity matters more than short-term gain.

The conversation also looks forward, exploring what great commercial leadership looks like in 2026, including:

• the difference between commercial management and commercialism;
• why freeing up QS time is the biggest untapped opportunity in construction;
• how imagination, not just process, drives better outcomes;
• moving the industry from cost-focused thinking to value-led decision making; and
• why relationships, trust and understanding the “why” matter more than ever.

This episode sets the tone for the series: honest, reflective and practical — aimed at QSs with ambitions to become Commercial Directors, and at existing CDs who want to benchmark what good really looks like in the next phase of the 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 a text

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] 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 Jordan Toman, QS recruitment specialist at ClearNorth — known by many as “the QS Insider”. Jordan sits at the centre of the UK QS market, speaking daily with quantity surveyors and commercial leaders across the country. Few people have a clearer view of what’s really happening behind the scenes.

With 2026 underway, this conversation tackles some of the most pressing issues facing the profession today.

In the first half of the episode, Paul and Jordan explore the current state of the QS market, including:

• why QSs remain the hardest role to hire in construction;
• the growing problem of burnout and overworked commercial teams;
• an ageing QS workforce and a lack of early-career exposure to the profession;
• fast-tracked promotions, “hollow titles”, and whether seniority is being earned or forced by necessity; and
• how QS salaries are shifting rapidly — and why traditional salary guides can’t keep up.

Jordan also breaks down realistic career progression and salary bands, from Assistant QS through to Senior QS, and explains where the real gaps are forming in the market.

The second half of the episode switches to the commercial leadership lens, covering:

• why job adverts no longer work for hiring QSs;
• how leading businesses are retaining talent through progression plans, one-to-ones, mentoring and freelance support;
• the truth about counteroffers — and why most QSs who accept them still leave within a year;
• what the best QSs do differently in interviews; and
• how commercial directors must rethink hiring if they want high-performing teams in 2026.

This is a practical, honest and timely conversation for QSs thinking about their next move — and for commercial leaders serious about building resilient, motivated teams in a market that has fundamentally changed.

---------------------------------

📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:

Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success

For our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads

Send a text

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] 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.

For our 250th episode, we mark a major milestone for Own the Build with a special collaboration with the RICS and the Project Flux podcast. This conversation arrives at a pivotal moment: the RICS has just published its first-ever global professional standard for the responsible use of AI in surveying, coming into effect in March 2026.

To unpack what this means for QSs, valuers, project professionals, software vendors and construction leaders, Paul is joined by three people who helped shape the standard:

• James Garner — Head of AI & Data at Gleeds, Chair of the Project Data Analytics Task Force, and host of Project Flux.
• Chris de Gruben — Senior Director & Head of AI at Artefact; co-chair of the RICS AI Working Group.
• Matthew Lavy — Barrister at 4 Pump Court specialising in technology disputes and AI liability.

Across this wide-ranging, practical and occasionally provocative discussion, the panel explore:

• Why the RICS created this standard now

Member demand, regulatory pressure, industry lag, and a cultural shift from “AI as a threat” to “AI as a professional tool”.

• The core pillars of responsible AI use

Risk registers, explainability, transparency to clients, PI considerations, shadow AI, enterprise-grade tools, and why “professional judgement” remains non-negotiable.

• What AI will — and won’t — replace

From AVMs and automated cost analysis to complex valuation, negotiation, context, and human judgement.

• The difference between enabling and restricting innovation

Why the RICS guidance is intentionally light-touch and principle-based, and how it avoids the rigidity of the EU AI Act.

• What this means for QSs, valuers, employers, universities and software vendors

Future training, AI literacy, cultural change, documentation, and how practitioners can protect themselves while accelerating adoption.

• The future of surveying and construction in an AI-native world

Agentic workflows, robotics, quantum computing, and the real-world impact on productivity, risk, client expectations and professional identity.

This is a landmark conversation at a turning point for the profession. If you want clarity on how AI will shape surveying, cost management and construction over the next five years — and what you should do in 2026 — this is essential listening.

---------------------------------

📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:

Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success

For our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads

Send a text

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] 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.

We’re kicking off 2026 with something special — a full replay of Own the Build Live, recorded in front of a packed audience in October 2025. If you were there, you’ll know the energy in the room was electric. If you weren’t, you’re in for a treat.

In this live session, Paul sits down with a formidable panel:
Sarah Fox (legal consultant),
Mike Wharton (Complete Roofing Systems),
Kelvin Maye (Group Commercial Director, Guildmore), and
Chris Barber (Co-Founder, C-Link).

Together they explore one of the most important — and most dysfunctional — parts of the construction industry: procurement.

The first half of the show tackles a big question: What does world-class procurement look like in 2026?

The panel pull no punches. They discuss risk dumping, terrible contracts, poor communication, lack of early engagement, broken tender processes, and why subcontractors and main contractors keep repeating the same mistakes. But they also highlight where the industry is genuinely improving — from two-stage tenders to fairer scoring and stronger commercial leadership.

The second half is a lively audience Q&A where questions spark debate across the room. Topics include:

• how QSs can be braver, fairer and more commercially aware;
• how subcontractors should push back with confidence;
• the failure of institutions to prepare young QSs for real-world procurement;
• whether digital tools and AI can finally fix the industry’s inefficiencies;
• the tension between “best value” and “cheapest price”; and
• how relationships, trust and empathy still outperform everything else.

It’s candid, honest and full of real-world stories — exactly the kind of conversation the industry needs more of.

---------------------------------

📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:

Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success

For our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads.

Send a text

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] 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 our final episode of 2025, we wrap up the year with a Christmas Question Time special — and as ever, Paul is joined by C-Link co-founder and former QS, Chris Barber, for an honest and entertaining look at the issues commercial teams are grappling with right now.

This episode is built entirely from listener questions, including:

• Have you ever received (or issued) a notice on Christmas Eve?
Paul shares the story of the year he unwrapped a “festive” million-pound claim instead of a bottle of wine — and why timing sends a louder message than the paperwork.

• How do commercial leaders shift the industry away from turnover obsession and back to sustainable profit?
From cash flow support to real partnerships with key trades, Paul and Chris explore practical, relationship-driven steps commercial directors can take in 2026.

• What should a QS team do when a client refuses to certify variations?
The pair discuss preventing the issue before it starts, how to regroup internally, how to push back professionally, and how to reset expectations without burning bridges.

• Are clients and consultants unintentionally driving inflation?
An honest look at over-specification, half-baked design, risk loading in D&B contracts, and why two-stage tendering might be the only sensible route forward.

Along the way, Paul and Chris reflect on their standout episodes of the year, the rise of two-stage procurement, the growing focus on goodwill, and why 2026 needs stronger industry-wide pushback on unrealistic commercial behaviours.

It’s insightful, candid, and the perfect way to close out the year before Own the Build returns on 12th January with Episode 249 — our first ever Own the Build Live recording.

---------------------------------

📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:

Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success

For our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads.

Send a text

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] 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.