CIOB names construction manager of the year
Roger Frost, a project director with Balfour Beatty, has been named construction manager of the year by the Chartered Institute of Building. The award recognises his achievements for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, the city’s first new hospital for over 70 years. It took over four years to build, with no serious injuries in 1 million man hours and each of the 34 sectional handovers on time and to budget.
There were hurdles on the way, however, as Chris Blythe, CIOB chief executive explains: ‘When a key subcontractor went bust, he closed out the risk to quality and delivery by persuading the project to buy the firm.’
Chris Blythe adds, ‘He made the unusual choice, for a hospital, to build from a steel frame to reduce the interface risk. And he was vindicated time and again as the succession of sectional handover dates came and went — and the project hit every one with ease.
‘That sort of innovative thinking and passionate leadership is the hallmark of a great construction manager.’
Roger Frost says, ‘With such a large project, I couldn’t be “hands on” with everything, so I compare my role to that of an orchestra conductor. It’s my job to guide the team and ensure they work in harmony to deliver “music to the client’s ears” or, in this case, a hospital.’
He adds, ‘Building hospitals is my passion. I thrive on the challenge, and knowing that I have been able to provide facilities that will make a difference to thousands of people makes me proud to do this job.’
This year’s competition included over a hundred finalists, representing the successful management of projects with an aggregate value in excess of £4.4 billion.
