Own The Build
Channel Details
Own The Build
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 managem...
Recent Episodes
284 episodes
Commercial Director or Freelance? The Career Choice More QSs Are Making (EP 275)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Bernie Keens, freelance Commercial Manager and Managing QS, to explore a growing trend in the construction industry...
Question Time: Is there actually a QS Shortage & Finding the Right Mentor (EP 274)
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 two candid listener qu...
Own the Build Leadership Series #6: Prabhat Shikotra, Strategy Lead at BAM UK & Ireland (£3.5bn Contractor)
In the sixth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by Prabhat Shikotra, Strategy Lead at BAM UK & Ireland, to explore a very...
Advanced Influence: The Leadership Skill Construction Never Teaches (EP 272)
In this episode, Paul is joined once again by Dave Stitt, leadership coach and former construction director, for a deep and thought-provoking conversa...
Why Good QSs Are Walking Away from Permanent Jobs (EP 271)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Matthew Williams, Senior Consultant at Clear North, for a practical and timely discussion about one of the construc...
From Gun QS to Commercial Leader: The Habits That Matter Most - Question Time (EP 270)
In this Own the Build Question Time episode, Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber, COO and Co-Founder of C-Link, to answer listener questions spa...
Why Standard Contracts Fail on Data Centres (And What Needs to Change) (EP 269)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Alex Kozikowska, solicitor at Vinci, to explore a fast-growing but often misunderstood area of construction:
...
Own the Build Leadership Series #5: Justin Fahy, Managing Director at Structure Tone UK (£400m+ Fit Out Contractor)
In the fifth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by Justin Fahy, Managing Director at Structure Tone UK, to explore the jou...
Why Construction Contracts Are Broken (And What No One Tells You) (EP 267)
In this episode, Paul is joined by David Bebb, Partner at Fenwick Elliott, a construction lawyer with over 20 years’ experience working across the ent...
Question Time: Cost Engineer to Commercial Leader: The QS Career Shift Explained (EP 266)
In this Own the Build Question Time episode, Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber, COO and Co-Founder of C-Link, to answer listener questions sha...
Who Should Carry the Risk? The Subcontract Debate Commercial Directors Must Have (EP 265)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Ray Mellor-Pike, Managing Director at RMP Consulting, for a deep dive into one of construction’s most uncomfortable...
Own the Build Leadership Series #4: Anil Rai, Commercial Director at M Group Water (£900m+ Contractor, part of £2.5bn Group)
In the fourth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by Anil Rai, Commercial Director at M Group Water, a £900m+ business with...
Tendering from Both Sides of the Fence: What Main Contractors and Subcontractors Miss (EP 263)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Pamela Cunningham, consultant at Growth & Performance Solutions, to unpack one of the biggest inefficiencies in con...
Why Tough Projects Make the Best QSs: Question Time is Back (EP 262)
In this Own the Build Question Time episode, Paul is joined once again by Chris Barber, COO and Co-Founder of C-Link, to answer listener questions spa...
Acceleration and Risk: How to Read the Contract Before it Bites (EP 261)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Cian Brennan, founder of Quantum Contract Solutions and author of The Subcontractor’s Edge, for a candid conversati...
Own the Build Leadership Series #3: Mark Walker, Managing Director at Seddon Housing Partnerships (£250m+ Group)
In the third episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by Mark Walker, Managing Director of Seddon Housing Partnerships, an £85m...
Rewriting the Rules: How Laing O’Rourke is Transforming Construction Contracts (EP 259)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Kate Kennedy, Head of Legal Bids and Contract Transformation at Laing O’Rourke, to explore a bold idea: what if con...
Main Contractor QS vs Subcontractor QS: What Really Matters (EP 258)
In this episode, Paul is joined once again by Simon Robinson, former main contractor Managing QS turned founder of Subport, to unpack a question that...
The Road to Commercial Director: What 40 Leaders Taught Us (EP 257)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Davin Dillon, founder of Clearnorth — known in the industry as “the QS people” — to unpack one of the most importan...
Question Time: Commercially Astute or Commercially Difficult? Let’s Discuss…
Question Time is back for 2026! 🎉
In this episode, Paul is joined once again by regular co-host Chris Barber for a lively and candid discussion...
Own the Build Leadership Series #2:Chris Hartley, Former Commercial Director at McLaren Construction (£1bn+ Contractor)
In the second episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by Chris Hartley, former Commercial Director at McLaren Construction, a £...
Termination, Delay & Contract Chaos — What Main Contractors Get Wrong (EP 255)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Brandon Silver, construction solicitor at Bexley Beaumont, for a deep, practical conversation on where construction...
Freelance QS in 2026: The Real Numbers, Risks and Rewards (EP 254)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Amy Connor from Clear North — a QS-focused recruitment specialist who supports freelance quantity surveyors across...
The Subcontractor’s Perspective: From Tender to Final Account - What a Main Contractor needs to know (EP 253)
In this episode, Paul is joined by David Longman, Managing QS at Rendesco, a £15m M&E specialist contractor, for a frank and wide-ranging conversation...
What RICS Data Tells Us About the Future of UK Construction: Insights from the RICS Chief Economist (EP 252)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Simon Rubinsohn, Chief Economist at the RICS, for a deep dive into one of the most pressing and under-discussed cha...
Own the Build Leadership Series #1: Mark Sheridan, Commercial Director at BAM (£3.5bn Contractor)
We’re launching a new monthly Leadership Series on Own the Build — spotlighting the journeys, mindsets and behaviours behind world-class Commercial Di...
Inside the QS Market: Salaries, Burnout & Hiring Reality in 2026 (EP 251)
In this episode, Paul is joined by Jordan Toman, QS recruitment specialist at ClearNorth — known by many as “the QS Insider”. Jordan sits at the centr...
The RICS AI Standard: What It Means for QSs and the Future of Professional Practice (EP 250)
For our 250th episode, we mark a major milestone for Own the Build with a special collaboration with the RICS and the Project Flux podcast. This conve...
Own the Build Live: What World-Class Procurement Really Looks Like in 2026 (EP 249)
We’re kicking off 2026 with something special — a full replay of Own the Build Live, recorded in front of a packed audience in October 2025. If you we...
The Christmas Question Time Special: Notices, Variations & 2026 Reality Checks (EP 248)
In our final episode of 2025, we wrap up the year with a Christmas Question Time special — and as ever, Paul is joined by C-Link co-founder and former...
Inside the Defence Estate, Retrofit Reality & Leading a Modern Contractor (EP 247)
In this episode of Own the Build, Paul is joined by Trevor Wilkins, Managing Director of PAH Building & Construction — a contractor working deep insid...
Can We Trust the Data? Construction Metrics That Actually Matter (EP 246)
In Episode 246, Paul is joined by Mike Rigby, Managing Director of MRA Research and architect of the Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI). With 35+...
Why We’re Losing Good People – What Every Leader in Construction Needs to Hear (EP 245)
In Episode 245 of Own the Build, Paul is joined by Faye Allen, a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, Quantum Expert Witness, and Fellow of the RICS, with ove...
Question Time Returns: Adjudication or Relationship – Where’s the Line? (EP 244)
In Episode 244, Question Time is back – and Paul is joined by recurring co-host Chris Barber to answer another round of listener questions from quanti...
Why Modular Construction Fails in the UK – And How to Fix It (EP 243)
In this episode, Paul is joined by George Lujans, Director at GoModular, for a masterclass on modular construction that breaks down everything you tho...
Estimating vs. Quantity Surveying – Can We All Just Get Along? (EP 242)
In this episode of Own the Build, Paul is joined by Mike Ashcroft (Co-Founder of EstimateOne) and Paddy Westbury (Estimating Director at Structure Ton...
Curiosity, Communication, and Coaching: How to Build Better QSs (EP 241)
In this episode of Own the Build, Paul is joined by Katie Taylor, Managing Quantity Surveyor, to explore what it really takes to raise the bar for com...
Question Time: Bonuses, Burnout, and the QS Brain Drain – What's Going On? (Ep 240)
!!!Get your free OTB Live Tickets here - Own The Build Live, October 23rd!!!
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In this episode of Own th...
Why Do We Keep Defaulting to Scaffold? (EP 239)
!!!Get your free OTB Live Tickets here - Own The Build Live, October 23rd!!!
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In this episode, Paul is...
Trust is Earned: Building Better Leadership in Construction (EP 238)
!!!Get your free OTB Live Tickets here - Own The Build Live, October 23rd!!!
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This week on Own the Buil...