“Collaboration: how Argent developed its successful way of working”, will be the title of the JCT Povey Lecture 2016, to be given by Tony Giddings at The Building Centre on Thursday 10 November 2016.
Tony Giddings BSc FCIOB was executive director of Argent PLC from 1997, finally stepping down as partner this year. During this time he has been responsible for over £1.2bn of construction, including projects at Thames Valley Park, Green Park in Reading, Brindleyplace in Birmingham, Piccadilly Place in Manchester, and more recently the redevelopment of the 67-acre site at King’s Cross in London.
Through Tony’s stewardship, Argent developed a strong and consistent method based on collaboration to deliver quality and value. Tony will describe how this collaborative approach helped to effectively manage quality, time and cost controls, as well as foster team work and ensure repeat business and no legal disputes.
Tony Giddings was chair of the Design and Build Foundation from 2001 to 2003 and a leading instigator of ‘Be: collaborating for the built environment’, a merger between the Design and Build Foundation and the Reading Construction Forum, which was chaired by current JCT chair, Richard Saxon CBE, and now lives on as part of Constructing Excellence.
Since stepping down from Argent in 2016, Tony is currently advising on the design, procurement and delivery of two major projects – one public sector and one private residential development.
Tony was named ‘Personality of the Year’ at the 2015 Building Awards.
JCT chief executive, Neil Gower, said:
“We are very much looking forward to Tony Gidding’s Povey Lecture. Collaboration is also at the heart of JCT’s methodology and our audience from across all sectors of the industry will be eager to hear Tony share his experience of how Argent’s approach has contributed to their success, and to see what lessons we might take forward.
“I know that Tony’s lecture will make for a stimulating and informative evening.”
The JCT Povey Lecture is an annual event at which an eminent person is invited to give their thoughts on significant matters that are relevant to the construction and property industry. The purpose of the lecture is to stimulate thought and encourage ways of continuing to improve the quality and value of construction output.
The event was inaugurated in 2003 to acknowledge and pay tribute to Philip Povey, who served JCT for fifty years. Further information, including videos of previous lectures, can be found by visiting http://corporate.jctltd.co.uk/category/jct-povey-lecture.