Constructing Excellence North East has announced Nik Turner, executive director of communities and customer service, believe housing, as its new chair.
Nik, succeeds Carol Cairns, who represented Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) on the board and will be supported by Lee Francis, chief executive of RE:GEN Group, who is vice chair.
Having served on the board for five years, Nik has stepped forward to drive the leadership team, working alongside Constructing Excellence North East, chief executive, Catriona Lingwood, to further help the region’s construction sector maximise its value and position.
Nik, said: “I must thank our outgoing chair, Carol Cairns, who has provided exceptional leadership and vision. We wish her well in her new role at Portsmouth Water and we are sure she will continue to have a huge impact on the sector, albeit, in the South West region.
“We have weathered many external changes and industry challenges over the last couple of years. However, Constructing Excellence North East has a vital role to play bringing members together to drive change and create real success for our region. Now, more than ever, as we move forward with devolution, we want to deliver a collective voice for our members, ensuring that policy makers and key stakeholders understand the needs and aspirations of our sector.
“We are keen to grow our membership, in particular, we want to target sub-contractors, SMEs and house builders who are currently under-represented across our membership. Those that have joined, have shared that they have really seen the benefit of working alongside main contractors, clients and other professionals and we are keen to voice their stories and encourage others across the North East to join and reap the benefits.”
Constructing Excellence North East provides networking opportunities throughout the year where members can learn from each other, share knowledge and industry best practice. It provides members with access to webinars, workshops and training across all topics, to support with CPD and flags the latest industry changes, translating policy or regulatory change into practical, easy to understand programmes and sessions.
Catriona Lingwood, said: “Not only does Nik bring a wealth of industry knowledge and experience, she has also sat on the board of Constructing Excellence North East for five years.
“She will be chairing a dynamic board made up of committed people from across all parts of the sector. The board will ensure delivery of improved industry performance, resulting in a demonstrably stronger built environment. By working collaboratively, our vision is for the construction industry to realise maximum value for all clients and that Constructing Excellence North East is respected as being inclusive, influential and essential.”