Own The Build – Details, episodes & analysis

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Own The Build

C-Link

Business

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/7d. Total Eps: 296

Own the Build is the podcast for Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Directors who want to sharpen their commercial edge and lead with confidence.

Hosted by Paul Heming, former Commercial leader and now co-founder of C-Link, each week’s conversation dives into the realities of modern commercial management — from procurement and contracts to digital transformation and leadership in construction.

Through honest discussions with industry leaders, forensic planners, and forward-thinking QSs, Paul explores how the best commercial teams deliver profit, performance, and project certainty in a changing industry.

If you’re serious about mastering the commercial side of construction — this is where you build your advantage.

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https://meetings.hubspot.com/paul1099/ownthebuilddemo
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https://c-link.wistia.com/medias/6hgze5ryye
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https://get.c-link.com/podcast
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-heming-2110a325/
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamcurley33/
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-barber-b392a065/
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Would You Pay £100k More for a Subcontractor You Trust? Question Time (EP 287)

Episode 287

Monday, October 5, 2026 • Duration 29:50

In this Own the Build Question Time episode, Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber, COO and Co-Founder of C-Link, to tackle four real-world commercial dilemmas faced by Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Managers.

First up: would you pay £100,000 more for a subcontractor you already know and trust?

Paul and Chris debate the value of certainty, relationships and proven performance against the very real pressure to protect project margin. They explore how work references, site visits, supply chain strategy and the wider needs of the business should influence a tender recommendation.

The conversation also explores:

how much a proven subcontractor relationship is actually worth;
whether introducing a new supplier can create value beyond the immediate £100k saving;
the biggest positive and negative margin swings Paul and Chris experienced during their QS careers;
how a £1.3m value engineering opportunity transformed the commercial position on one of Paul's projects;
why mistakes made during the design phase can have enormous commercial consequences;
why bad news and potential variations should be communicated as early as possible;
whether a QS expecting a project to finish at 10% margin should report the gain when only 6% can currently be substantiated; and
how to balance commercial prudence with giving senior leadership an accurate view of where profit really sits within the business.

The final question leads to an important discussion about CVRs: rather than hiding potential upside or releasing it all too early, can commercial teams identify the key milestones that allow margin to be progressively unlocked as project risk reduces?

From subcontractor selection and supply chain relationships to CVRs, margin and lessons learned, this is a practical Question Time episode about something every commercial professional has to develop:

making good commercial decisions when the answer isn't black and white.

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This episode is sponsored by:

clearnorth — The QS People: https://www.clearnorth.co.uk/
CLIC — The Commercial Leadership Collective: https://www.the-clic.co.uk/

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📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s eBooks Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:

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

Send us Fan Mail

Want to connect with Paul?

Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com 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.

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Own the Build Leadership Series #9: Jon Solly, Cost Management Partner at Ridge (£100m+ Multi-Disciplinary Construction Consultancy)

Episode 286

Monday, September 28, 2026 • Duration 56:16

In the ninth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by Jonathan Solly, Cost Management Partner at Ridge, to explore the consultancy-side journey from Assistant QS to Partner — and what it takes to make the transition from being a technically strong QS to becoming a business leader.

Jon started his career in accountancy before moving into construction as an M&E subcontractor QS. After joining Ridge as an Assistant QS, he progressed through the business over the following decade, ultimately becoming Partner and taking responsibility for a 13-person cost management team with a turnover of circa £2m.

The conversation explores:

why being a technically excellent QS will only take your career so far;
the point at which ambitious QSs need to start thinking about the business, not just their projects;
why learning to delegate client relationships was one of Jon's biggest leadership breakthroughs;
the challenge of stepping into leadership as a relatively young Partner and learning to give respectful challenge;
how Jon approaches recruitment, culture and developing the next generation of QSs;
why good succession planning ultimately means making yourself less essential; and
the career opportunities available in consultancy for contractor QSs looking for greater variety and a different work-life balance.

Jon also explains why aspiring leaders should stop asking only, "What should I be doing?" and start asking, "What could I be doing?"

It captures one of the strongest themes to emerge throughout the Leadership Series: progressing into senior leadership requires more than being brilliant at your day job. At some point, you have to shift from being a great technician to creating value for the wider business.

A practical conversation for Quantity Surveyors, Associates and aspiring Partners — as well as contractor QSs curious about what a career on the consultancy side could look like.

What Do You Notice After 16 Years Away From UK Construction? (EP 285)

Episode 285

Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 50:11

In this episode, Paul is joined by Matt Mackey, Director at Contollo, who has recently returned to UK construction after spending 16 years working in Australia.

Having left the UK during the aftermath of the financial crisis, Matt went on to build and lead cost and commercial management teams in Australia before returning to Manchester in 2026.

So, after 16 years away, what does someone coming back into UK construction notice?

The conversation explores:

why many of the problems Matt remembers from 2010 are still being discussed today;
the major differences between the role of a QS in the UK and Australia;
why procurement continues to drive a race to the bottom despite decades of conversations about collaboration and value;
whether QSs and client-side advisors have inadvertently contributed to the industry's obsession with lowest price;
why main contractors can't genuinely change their relationship with the supply chain until risk and behaviours change at client level;
how heavily amended contracts can undermine collaborative behaviours before a project has even started;
why early contractor involvement only works when collaboration continues beyond the preconstruction stage;
what the industry could learn from the way projects operated during COVID, when clients and contractors were forced to solve problems together; and
why construction's short-term, project-by-project mentality continues to hold back MMC, innovation and genuine industry improvement.

Matt also compares the two markets directly: Australia's greater speed and use of less-amended standard contracts versus the UK's stronger structure, processes and definition of roles.

Ultimately, the conversation asks a bigger question.

After Latham, Egan and decades of discussion about collaboration, procurement and productivity, why are we still trying to solve so many of the same problems?

How Quantity Surveyors Should Actually Be Using AI (EP 284)

Episode 284

Monday, September 14, 2026 • Duration 33:01

In this episode, Paul is joined by James Pearson, a freelance Quantity Surveyor with nearly 20 years' experience across UK construction, to explore the commercial habits that keep projects under control — and how AI is beginning to change the way QSs work.

James shares his approach to managing projects through a structured commercial calendar, explaining why reporting what happened last month isn't the same as actively managing what happens next.

The conversation explores:

why projects rarely lose commercial control overnight — and the small disciplines that begin to disappear first;
how James structures his month around valuations, forecasting, CVRs, variations and commercial administration;
why programme delays and constant firefighting quickly destroy good commercial management;
how regular progress meetings and strong relationships help identify risk before it becomes a commercial problem;
how James is already using AI to interrogate contracts, test claims and strengthen commercial arguments; and
why QSs should use AI as an experienced colleague or consultant — rather than asking it to do their job for them.

James also shares how AI helped him develop the contractual argument behind a multimillion-pound dispute, before offering a warning to QSs simply outsourcing their thinking to the technology.

His view is simple:

use AI to make yourself a better QS — don't use it to replace the skills that make you valuable in the first place.

A practical conversation for Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Managers looking to improve their commercial discipline while understanding how AI can become part of their everyday toolkit.

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

The Hidden Complexity of Tier 1 Procurement (EP 283)

Episode 283

Monday, September 7, 2026 • Duration 44:25

In this episode, Paul is joined by Kevin Horner, Procurement Operations Leader at Laing O'Rourke, Board Director at SSIP, and a member of several Build UK working groups, for an in-depth look at what procurement really looks like inside one of the UK's largest contractors.

While procurement is often viewed as simply "buying subcontractors", Kevin reveals that modern Tier 1 procurement is far more strategic—balancing supply chain capability, governance, compliance, commercial risk and long-term relationships to deliver better project outcomes.

The conversation explores:

why procurement and quantity surveying play different—but equally critical—roles in project delivery;
how early contractor and early supply chain involvement through PCSAs reduces risk and improves design certainty;
why quality, compliance and capability should take priority over lowest price;
the hidden complexity of managing procurement across hundreds of suppliers, multiple regions and major infrastructure projects; and
how digitisation, AI and better data could transform procurement over the next decade.

Paul and Kevin also discuss Laing O'Rourke's work on contract simplification, the importance of building long-term strategic relationships with the supply chain, and why the industry must stop passing down unmanaged risk if it wants to improve productivity and reduce insolvencies.

The episode closes with a powerful message:

great procurement isn't about buying cheaper—it's about building stronger supply chains, better projects and a more sustainable construction industry.

A fascinating conversation for Quantity Surveyors, Procurement Professionals, Commercial Directors and anyone looking to understand how leading contractors are rethinking procurement in 2026.

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

Commercial Cock-Ups, Nightmare Meetings & Lessons Learned the Hard Way (EP 282)

Episode 282

Monday, August 31, 2026 • Duration 33:34

In this Own the Build Question Time episode, Paul is joined by Chris Barber, COO and Co-Founder of C-Link, to answer listener questions on the realities of working commercially in construction — including the mistakes, difficult meetings and relationships that shape you as a QS.

This episode gets particularly candid, with Paul and Chris looking back on their own careers and sharing some of the lessons they learned the hard way.

The conversation explores:

the toughest meetings they experienced as young QSs and why preparation matters;
their biggest commercial mistakes and what they changed as a result;
when new technology and ERP systems can actually make commercial teams less efficient rather than more efficient;
why understanding the workflow before implementing technology is critical;
the importance of keeping your emotions — and your poker face — under control during negotiations; and
what separates the best commercial counterparts from the people you never want to work with again.

Paul and Chris also discuss why fairness and pragmatism in variation management can completely change the dynamic between main contractors, subcontractors and consultants.

The underlying message is simple:

some of the most valuable lessons in commercial management come from getting things wrong, learning quickly and making sure you don't make the same mistake twice.

A candid and practical Question Time episode for QSs and commercial professionals at every stage of their careers.

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

Own the Build Leadership Series #8: David Taylor, Former Group Commercial Director at Costain (£1bn+ Contractor)

Episode 277

Monday, August 24, 2026 • Duration 01:01:44

In the eighth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by David Taylor, former Group Commercial Director at Costain, where he spent over a decade on the Executive Board helping lead one of the UK's largest infrastructure contractors.

From starting his career as a trainee estimator at Taylor Woodrow to leading complex PFI programmes, resolving some of the industry's most challenging projects, and ultimately becoming Group Commercial Director, David shares the experiences, decisions and leadership principles that shaped a remarkable 43-year career.

The conversation explores:

why putting your hand up for difficult projects is often the biggest accelerator of a career;
how becoming known as a problem solver opened doors throughout his leadership journey;
why preparation, stakeholder management and strategic thinking separate good commercial professionals from great leaders;
how to build influence across clients, supply chains and executive teams; and
why succession planning is one of the most important responsibilities of any leader.

David also reflects on leading through major industry change, his philosophy of "commercial foresight", and the importance of leaving organisations stronger than you found them—including the carefully planned succession that saw him hand over the Group Commercial Director role before retiring.

The episode closes with a powerful message:

don't chase job titles—chase opportunities to solve difficult problems, earn trust and create value. The leadership opportunities will follow.

A fascinating conversation for QSs, Commercial Managers, Commercial Directors and anyone with ambitions of leading at the very highest level in construction.

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

Why Better Contracts Could Save Lives in Construction (EP 280)

Episode 280

Monday, August 17, 2026 • Duration 48:22

In this episode, Paul is joined by Marc Preston —Quantity Surveyor, dispute resolution specialist, registered counsellor and CEO of New Foundation Counselling—to discuss one of the construction industry's biggest challenges:

Why are we still losing so many people to poor mental health?

Drawing on decades of experience across Tier 1 contracting, development, dispute resolution and counselling, Mark shares a unique perspective on the commercial and cultural changes needed to make construction a healthier place to work.

The conversation explores:

why mental health should be treated with the same importance as physical health;
how poor payment practices, inappropriate risk transfer and adversarial procurement contribute to unnecessary stress across the supply chain;
why collaboration must become more than a contractual buzzword;
the practical changes contractors can make—from welfare facilities to better leadership—to improve wellbeing on site; and
why Mark believes the industry needs structural change, not just greater awareness.

Paul and Mark also debate whether contracts should play a bigger role in driving better behaviours, the commercial case for investing in mental health, and why improving working environments isn't just the right thing to do—it's good business.

The episode closes with a simple message:

if we want better projects, we need to build a better industry for the people delivering them.

A thought-provoking conversation for QSs, Commercial Managers, Project Directors and construction leaders who believe commercial success and looking after people should go hand in hand.

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

Why QSs and Design Managers Need to Talk About Money (EP 279)

Episode 279

Monday, August 10, 2026 • Duration 37:10

In this episode, Paul is joined by Nitesh Rupalia, Technical Project Manager at Taylor Wimpey South Wales, for a fascinating discussion on one of the most overlooked relationships in construction:

The link between commercial, technical and operational teams.

Drawing on experience across developers, architects, Tier 1 contractors and national housebuilders, Nitesh shares why projects perform best when design managers, QSs and site teams stop operating in silos and start working as a single project team.

The conversation explores:

why the traditional separation between design, commercial and operations creates unnecessary risk;
how involving specialist subcontractors earlier leads to better design, greater cost certainty and fewer variations;
the impact of the Building Safety Act on procurement, design development and contractor collaboration;
why design managers should be commercially focused—not just technically focused; and
how aligning project incentives around time, cost and quality leads to better outcomes for everyone.

Paul and Nitesh also discuss the importance of attending each other's meetings, sharing responsibility for decisions, and creating an audit trail that makes final accounts far less contentious.

The episode closes with a powerful reminder:

the most successful construction projects aren't delivered by brilliant departments—they're delivered by brilliant project teams.

A practical and thought-provoking conversation for QSs, Design Managers, Project Managers and Commercial Directors looking to improve collaboration, reduce risk and deliver better projects.

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

Leadership Question Time: How the Best Commercial Leaders Think (EP 278)

Episode 278

Monday, August 3, 2026 • Duration 27:52

In this special Leadership Series Question Time episode, Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber, Co-Founder and COO of C-Link, to answer questions submitted by listeners following recent Leadership Series interviews.

Drawing on themes from conversations with Prabhat Shikotra, Genna Rourke, Anil Rai and other senior commercial leaders, Paul and Chris explore how commercial professionals can apply those lessons in the real world.

The discussion explores:

how leaders can find time to improve the business instead of constantly firefighting;
why delegation is one of the biggest mindset shifts required to move into leadership;
how to balance protecting commercial margins while maintaining strong relationships;
why solving difficult problems is often the fastest route to career progression; and
the importance of taking ownership before waiting for a promotion.

Paul and Chris also share practical advice on analysing where your time is spent, building trust with clients and supply chains, creating high-performing teams, and why leadership is ultimately about making the business better—not simply managing projects.

The message is clear:

the best commercial leaders don't wait for more authority—they create more value.

A practical episode for Quantity Surveyors, Commercial Managers and aspiring Commercial Directors looking to accelerate their careers and become more effective leaders.

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

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

Own The Build – Details, episodes & analysis

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Own The Build – Details, episodes & analysis

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