CIOB Chartered Company & Client Forum 2026 - Client Champions

Steve has worked as a commercial consultant for over 30 years and is a founding partner of GVE Commercial Solutions. He is an NEC advisor/trainer, expert practitioner, contract claims specialist and is the commercial lead for his clients in adjudication management and commercial/risk management. He has worked on a wide range of projects requiring legal interpretation including acting as an advocate witness, preparation of adjudication submissions, examination of detailed claim documentation and production of bespoke contract suites containing main and subcontracts. He has assisted in drafting legal papers for barristers in litigation and mediation. He is an NEC specialist having authored numerous published articles in the NEC newsletter and other high profile industry-recognised publications. He has also co-authored articles with solicitor practitioners, barristers, and national organisations such as the Met Office.

Matt is an experienced director, commercial manager and quantity surveyor with over 30 years’ industry experience spanning healthcare, education, residential and mixed-use building projects; working with clients, contractors and specialist subcontractors to provide commercial and contractual guidance and support. Matt specialises in JCT, NEC and bespoke contracts advising clients in risk management, claims and disputes, negotiations, mediation and adjudication as well as being involved in practical day-to-day commercial management. He is also a JCT trainer, delivering training workshops to main contractors and specialist contractors.

Carlo Gibbs is Chief of Staff to the Small Business Commissioner, leading the team that supports Emma Jones CBE, the current Commissioner, in her role. Carlo oversees the delivery of the OSBC's free and impartial complaints service for small businesses experiencing late payments, the administration of the government-backed Fair Payment Code, which rewards best practice for commercial payments in the private sector, and is currently preparing the OSBC for further enforcement powers to tackle late payments, a key measure proposed in the Commercial Payments Bill.

Ola Obadara is the Senior Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) ) and a CIOB Client Champion since 2023.  With more than 25 years’ experience in property development, she is Group Director for Property Projects at the City of London Corporation, where she oversees construction projects across the City. contributing to industry leadership, policy development, and professional standards. She also serves as a Board Member at London South Bank University, supporting skills development and future talent pipelines into the built environment. She has a passion for sustainable development, and her key theme is research, innovation and technology in the construction industry.

Sam is the author of Brunel’s Bees: Creating a Flourishing Built Environment. He is a leader in construction programme management, sustainability and innovation with 25+ years’ experience delivering complex, high value projects across the public and private sectors. He has a unique perspective on the built environment, having served on the boards of the Building Research Establishment, the Construction Innovation Hub, InnovationRCA, National Platform for Construction and the Active Building Centre. He combines technical know-how with degrees from some of the world’s leading universities: Architecture from Cambridge, Engineering from Imperial College, and an MBA from Henley Business School.  

From 2018 to 2022 he led the Transforming Construction Challenge on behalf of the UK Government. This four-year, £420 million programme was a key part of the UK's post-Brexit Industrial Strategy, delivering cost, time and sustainability improvements for the sector. He is a Director of A7C, delivering digital transformation, modern methods of construction, and major programme performance. 

James is a senior ESG and real estate professional with deep expertise in built-asset sustainability, certification, and strategic advisory. He advises real estate owners, investors, and asset managers on resilience strategy and built-asset sustainability. With extensive experience across certification, consultancy, and portfolio-level delivery, he helps clients embed ESG into real assets in a way that is commercially robust and operationally practical. He specialises in low-carbon and net-zero strategies for existing portfolios, alongside benchmarking, performance KPIs, and wider ESG frameworks impacting the built environment. Combining deep technical expertise with strong commercial acumen, James works closely with senior stakeholders to turn sustainability ambition into measurable performance and long-term value. 

Michael Pelken is the founding partner of London-based P+ Studio and Consulting. He is a Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, an Honorary Professor of University College London, a Coventry Visiting Professor of Advanced Building Systems, and the awardee of an endowed post as a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor funded by the UK Department for Science, Innovation & Technology.  

He is an experienced registered architect, technologist, academic, and innovator with a consistent 25-year track record of award-winning and patented developments in design, architecture, and engineering. Michael combines industry innovation leadership roles with performance-based design and academic appointments - to collaborate and enhance productivity and profitability on our collective journey towards Net-Zero. Michael has recently been working with the Crown Estate to develop their innovation journey with dedicated support in the areas of project delivery, product and system development, and process optimisation.  

Ayo Allu is the Chair of the CIOB’s Client Steering Group, where he promotes collaboration among stakeholders, innovation, and transformation within the built environment sector. He is a Fellow of the CIOB and is also a member of the Association for Project Management and the Chartered Association for Building Engineers. As the Principal Consultant at AAA Project Services Ltd, Ayo focuses on building safety, strategic project development, and construction project support. With more than 20 years of experience in the UK’s built environment sector, he provides guidance to clients throughout the project lifecycle, merging extensive technical knowledge with a strong emphasis on compliance and best practices. Ayo has spearheaded significant programs in housing, higher education, and complex residential developments, having held senior positions with registered providers, developers, and main contractors. He possesses substantial experience in leading multidisciplinary teams, executing large-scale projects, and implementing robust procurement strategies that align with sustainable commercial and technical principles.

For over 25 years Donnie has helped boards, sponsors and delivery teams across construction, infrastructure and defence improve outcomes by focusing on leadership & culture. His work centres on Human-Centric Data: capturing the feelings, beliefs and perceptions that shape delivery, and using AI to connect those signals with conventional project controls for earlier warning and better judgement. Recently he examined how AI and Human-Centric Data could help the Value Toolkit evolve from a framework into a continuously applied operating practice. A member of the AI Thought Leadership Alliance, his recent Spotlight, The Human Signal, argues that AI's greatest opportunity is to enhance human potential, not replace it. He co-authored the book Project Leadership and is writing Project Leadership in the Age of AI.

Ruth began her career at CIOB in 2011. She leads strategies and engagement efforts to grow and support a diverse, global community of build environment professionals. She also drives initiatives that enhance the value of chartered membership, create accessible pathways into the profession and support the long-term development of a skilled, ethical workforce.

Thomas Le Diouron is the founder and CEO of Impulse Partners, a Paris-based innovation strategy consultancy specialising in construction and infrastructure. Since founding the firm in 2012, he has worked with over 250 corporate clients, contractors, local authorities, asset owners, and governments across Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea, and the Middle East.
 

Rob Hooker MCIOB is a Director of Greendale Construction Limited a Dorset-based construction company delivering high-quality building, refurbishment, heritage, education, commercial, healthcare and residential projects across the South of England.
 

Jobert Fermilan is Managing Director of Morgan Consult & Advisory (MCA), a specialist SME consultancy operating across construction, highways, infrastructure, defence, renewables, and nuclear sectors. With extensive experience spanning senior leadership roles at WSP, Mace, and Tensar International, Jobert brings a unique perspective on fair payment, having worked on both sides of the supply chain as both a supplier to major contractors and public sector clients, and as a business leader responsible for paying his own supply chain.

Alongside leading MCA, Jobert works with the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE) and recently led MCA to achieve CIOB Chartered Construction Management Company status. MCA has embedded fair payment principles into its governance through a formal Fair Payment Policy, including prompt payment terms, transparent invoice processes, clear escalation routes, and a commitment to avoiding unfair payment practices and retentions.

As an SME business leader working towards signing up to the Fair Payment Code, Jobert is passionate about creating healthier, more sustainable supply chains. He brings practical insight into what fair payment means in reality for small businesses, the benefits it delivers for reputation and supplier relationships, and the changes needed from major contractors and public sector clients to ensure risk is shared fairly across the industry.