First Industry Client Elected CIOB President

A Chartered Institute of Building [CIOB] product story

Edited by the Buildingtalk editorial team Jul 6, 2004

For the first time in the Institute's 170-year history a construction industry client has been elected as President of the CIOB.

Geoff Wright FCIOB was appointed as the new President during the Institutes AGM this week.

Geoff is a Director of Hammerson UK Properties plc, and has recently stepped down as Chairman of National Construction Week UK after five years.

He was Chairman of the Latham Review Working Group 4 and is currently a Director of the Academy of Adjudicators.

Geoff is past Deputy Chairman of the Construction Industry Board, past Chairman of the Construction Clients Forum and the British Property Federation Construction Committee, and he led the client body on the JCT for twelve years.

Taking over from Colin Busby Immediate Past President, Geoff said, "People ask me why a customer of the industry should become President of the CIOB.

I reply that around 10% of our members are clients - 20% if you include local authorities.

"It is the client that retains a strong interest throughout all stages of a project - from conceptualisation, planning and design to construction and occupation - and it is the client who ultimately pays for all the work carried out.

As a client, I place orders of approximately 500 million pounds every year and I control these projects to completion - I believe this gives me extensive knowledge and experience of the construction industry.

"The CIOB has a membership of nearly 42,000 that is growing both at home and internationally.

Our influence stretches far beyond great buildings and our members are involved in every aspect of the construction process.

"We are now widely recognised as the leading professional institution for management in construction and we have an extremely multi-faceted membership spanning clients, consultants and contractors and including engineers, surveyors and architects.

Membership of our Institute is acknowledged as a guarantee of the highest level of integrity and professional skill.".