{"id":509121,"date":"2024-11-12T12:21:59","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T12:21:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=509121"},"modified":"2024-11-12T12:21:59","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T12:21:59","slug":"the-adventures-of-a-tier-one-lifer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/sections\/long-reads\/interviews\/the-adventures-of-a-tier-one-lifer-12-11-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"The adventures of a tier one lifer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alex Vaughan has navigated significant transformations since becoming Costain\u2019s CEO five years ago<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

When Alex Vaughan first walked through Costain\u2019s doors 34 years ago as a trainee quantity surveyor, he had no idea he would eventually be leading the organisation. \u201cIt\u2019s been a series of adventures,\u201d he recalls while visiting Construction News\u2019<\/em> Fleet Street office one sunny morning. \u201cWhen I joined the business, I had absolutely no ambition or thought that I would become a senior leader, let alone the chief executive of the organisation. There\u2019s always been a new challenge, a new opportunity. That\u2019s what has kept me here for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vaughan isn\u2019t even the longest-serving employee at Costain, a \u00a31.3bn-turnover firm ranked 16th in the 2024 CN100 table. \u201cWe have people with 50 years\u2019 [service] with the business. Every single month, I sign a letter to everyone who\u2019s done five years, 10 years, 15 years, and so on in five-year increments. That pack of letters that I sign is about an inch thick.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always been a new challenge, a new opportunity. That\u2019s what has kept me here so long\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex Vaughan, Costain<\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Costain focuses on the transport, water, energy and defence sectors. \u201cWe\u2019ve chosen to focus on markets that are non-discretionary,\u201d he explains. \u201cThese are areas where investment has to happen, not just because they\u2019re profitable, but because they are essential to the country\u2019s economic growth and environmental resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long-term partnerships<\/h3>\n

Since he succeeded Andrew Wyllie as chief executive in May 2019, Vaughan has moved Costain towards long-term partnerships rather than one-off contracts. He believes that the future of the construction industry lies in these enduring relationships, where companies and clients can work collaboratively over time to deliver better results.<\/p>\n

Vaughan believes that long-term frameworks allow contractors and clients to refine their processes. \u201cThe longer we work with a client, the better we get,\u201d he says. \u201cBy the time you\u2019ve finished a one-off project, you\u2019ve just learned how the client operates. But with long-term partnerships, we continuously improve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not that collaboration is simple. Vaughan admits it can be tough, \u201cbecause you must put your vested interests to the side to achieve a shared goal. So it certainly must never be seen as soft and cuddly and easy. It\u2019s far from that \u2013 it\u2019s challenging. But all parties are jointly focused on trying to achieve a goal rather than maximising their individual positions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building resilience<\/h3>\n

Leading a company through the Covid pandemic and subsequent economic disruptions was a test of Vaughan\u2019s mettle. \u201cThe pandemic brought the industry closer together,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe shared best practices, collaborated more, and supported each other in navigating the complexities of Covid. We\u2019re now stronger and more united as an industry than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n

One persistent challenge is the shortage of skilled labour. Vaughan \u2013 an alumnus of Harvard Business School \u2013 has been vocal about the need for long-term solutions to bridge the skills gap.<\/p>\n

Costain has partnered with academic institutions to create bespoke degree programmes designed to produce the skilled workers needed for projects like HS2 and key water infrastructure upgrades. \u201cThe industry is facing a significant shortage of skilled workers,\u201d Vaughan says. \u201cWe need to invest in training and development, but that requires stability. That\u2019s why having a long-term plan is so crucial.\u201d<\/p>\n

Innovation<\/h3>\n

Beyond solving immediate challenges, Vaughan is keenly aware that the future of the construction industry lies in innovation.<\/p>\n

Here he draws a contrast with his early days. \u201cWhen I started, we didn\u2019t have computers on site. I had to book a terminal at one of the regional offices, drive there and sit there in an allotted time slot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Technology, he believes, will be a game changer for how infrastructure is designed, built, and maintained. \u201cWe\u2019re delivering projects 60 per cent faster than traditional methods on HS2, thanks to modern techniques like telematics and modular construction,\u201d Vaughan says. These advancements not only speed up timelines but also help with the labour shortage, he adds.<\/p>\n

Sustainability is another key area. The company has committed to being a net-zero business and is working with clients to reduce carbon emissions across all projects. \u201cOn HS2 we\u2019re running diesel-free sites,\u201d Vaughan says. \u201cAnd in the water sector, we\u2019ve helped clients cut their carbon emissions by over 70 per cent while still improving efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n

He is excited by Costain\u2019s involvement in a carbon capture initiative in Teesside, in partnership with BP. In August, the firm won a multimillion-pound contract from BP for front-end engineering of a new 31 kilometre-long onshore hydrogen pipeline on Teesside. This project is aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of one of the UK\u2019s largest industrial hubs. \u201cIt\u2019s about much more than just reducing emissions,\u201d Vaughan explains. \u201cIt\u2019s about regenerating Teesside, creating jobs, and turning it into a green industrial hub for the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long-term planning<\/h3>\n

For Vaughan, one of the biggest frustrations in the construction industry is the lack of a long-term government strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need a 10-year plan that we can believe in,\u201d he asserts. \u201cWe can\u2019t keep chopping and changing. It\u2019s disruptive, costly, and damages trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vaughan told CN<\/em> in March: \u201cIf I had one wish for the next government, it would be to appoint a minister for infrastructure at cabinet level.\u201d This wish remains unfulfilled after Labour\u2019s victory in the general election but Vaughan is optimistic about the future of the industry. With the right leadership, investment and focus on sustainability and technology, he believes the sector can thrive and play a critical role in the UK\u2019s economic recovery.<\/p>\n

\n

A career at Costain<\/h3>\n

May 2019-present:<\/strong> Chief executive officer
\nOct 2013-May 2019:<\/strong> Managing director, natural resources
\nJun 2010-Oct 2013:<\/strong> Corporate development director
\nJun 2008-Jun 2010:<\/strong> Managing director, Community division
\nFeb 2006-Jun 2008:<\/strong> Group HR director
\nFeb 2006:<\/strong> Joins executive board
\nNov 2003-Feb 2006:<\/strong> Africa regional director
\nFeb 2001-Nov 2003:<\/strong> PFI project manager (health sector)
\nJuly 1997-Jan 2001:<\/strong> Country director, Botswana and Tanzania
\nJuly 1992-July 1997:<\/strong> Commercial manager, UK civil engineering projects
\nJuly 1990:<\/strong> Trainee quantity surveyor<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alex Vaughan has navigated significant transformations since becoming Costain\u2019s CEO five years ago When Alex Vaughan first walked through Costain\u2019s doors 34 years ago as a trainee quantity surveyor, he had no idea he would eventually be leading the organisation. \u201cIt\u2019s been a series of adventures,\u201d he recalls while visiting Construction News\u2019 Fleet Street office …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135716,"featured_media":464081,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[532,570,559],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n