Name: David Neale
Employer: Ibex Interiors
Project: National Exhibition Centre Refurbishment, Birmingham
Contract: JCT 2005
After 20 years in the construction industry, much of it working on the client side, David Neale knows that an unwavering client focus is the best way to deliver project success.
David’s appearance at the tender interview, where he personally combined the roles of both estimator and project manager, set the tone from the start. His eagerness to search out and understand the main client drivers, and frame the project in terms of the client’s objectives and operation, was instrumental in securing the contract for Ibex.
His grasp of the actual construction process was equally sound. Concise, precise and confident with the design team, David clearly understood the complexity of the scope of works and the risk involved.
And there was risk aplenty in the demanding programme. David had to deliver £4m worth of works, with a design developed during a three-week lead-in, and an alarmingly compressed construction period of just 13 weeks that also incorporated asbestos removal. For the client, programme failure was not and never would be a matter for discussion given that it had contracted to host anchor tenancy events on unalterable dates and needed to keep hosting those events in future years.
Fortunately, David built relationships with the professional team and key stakeholders that were just as strong as the bond he had formed with the client. A devotee of the open management style, he was non-confrontational in his dealings while remaining firm when he had to be and demanding the consideration he was entitled to.
Having established a team environment, David was honest in his reporting and was quick to ask for help when he needed it. He presented the design team and the client with problems, but he also came armed with the solutions.
An unflappable character, even in the final 16-hour days required to meet the timetable, David led by example in terms of commitment, belief in the target and determination to get the job over the line. In delivering this job on time to a very happy client, he has received high praise for his performance and put Ibex in the frame for other opportunities.