The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has for only the second time in its 174 year history elected an architect as President.

Keith Pickavance, who is a Senior Vice President for Hill International, has become the CIOB’s 105th President.

Commenting on his appointment, Keith said, “The built environment is a fantastic and challenging industry to be involved in, and to be honoured by its leading professional body in this way is very humbling.

“The CIOB is a community of professionals working across the built environment not bound by geography or discipline, and that gives us a uniqueness that I am proud of and truly reflects the diversity this industry supports.

“My term will include the familiar themes of sustainability, health and safety, ethics and education which will no doubt continue to be familiar issues for future President’s of the CIOB.  There are other topics that we as an industry are facing. Some grab more headlines in the media than others for obvious reasons. But two that I think need more awareness are population ageing and time management.

“We know that population ageing is pervasive, in fact it’s a global phenomenon affecting everyone - but countries are at various stages of the process, and the pace of change differs greatly.  Those that have started the process later will have less time to adjust. For the built environment that has an impact on the use, lifecycle and design of our buildings.

“Time related risk and the analysis of delay and disruption are parts of my everyday job as a specialist so its no coincidence that I am interested in how the industry manages it’s time.  The research that we recently launched at the House of Commons shows that on the whole complex construction projects in the UK are likely to be finished more than six months late, due to poor time control.  The results indicate that the growth in training, education and skill levels within the industry in the use of time-management techniques has not kept pace with the technology available.

“There is a role for us to play here and we will provide standards in effective time control by facilitating education and accreditation. On top of that there is a need for us to promote an increased awareness of the importance of project planning and scheduling in the industry.”

Renny Borhan, Hill International’s managing director for the EMEA region, said: "To be named president of the CIOB is a real achievement both for Keith personally and for Hill International as a company.   
 
"Over 30 years, Keith has built up a global reputation as an authority on construction management and disputes and for promoting professional standards within the industry.
 
"With his extraordinary experience and expertise,  I  believe Keith will bring a new focus to the position in terms of his commitment to implementing better time management practices, improving efficiency in the industry and avoiding disputes.
 
"This role will enable him to wider impart this expertise and I can think of no better ambassador for the industry on both a professional and personal level."

For Keith Pickavance’s full biography and a full list of the new board of trustees please go to the following link http://www.ciob.org.uk/about/boardoftrustees

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