The junior associate at Quigg Golden on his career in construction, becoming a Tomorrow’s Leader and making the industry more sustainable.
Why did you choose a career in construction? What else would you have done?
It’s the feeling that comes when one sees the final result: it is very tangible, and the opportunity it provides to leave a mark on the world. If you look at the seven wonders of the world – almost all of them are related to construction.
Being a history fanatic means that I was always fascinated by such structures and wished to be involved in building one, so I chose to become a civil engineer. Later my affiliation with literature, mathematics and history pushed me towards the legal side of construction – so here I am aspiring to be a construction lawyer.
If I hadn’t been a civil engineer, then I may have pursued a career in writing. During my bachelor’s degree, I was involved in editing my university’s annual magazine. I was lucky and very proud to win the provincial short story writing contest by submitting one on ‘Intellectual Prostitution’.
What made you want to become a Tomorrow’s Leader?
When I was in Pakistan, I tried to create a platform that assigns mentees to civil engineers who aim to enhance their professional skills levels.
After attending a few CIOB events I realised it focuses on knowledge sharing, helping others, constant growth and growing together. This is exactly what I wanted to achieve back in Pakistan, but on a much larger scale.
Becoming Tomorrow’s Leaders champion seemed to me the perfect opportunity to live up to Mahatma Gandhi’s quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
It provides me with opportunities to network with industry experts; to transfer my passion, knowledge and experience to my colleagues and future leaders; to stimulate international students like me to associate themselves with professional bodies like CIOB; and to enhance my knowledge of industry practices and keep up to date with developments.
What are your ambitions for your career?
My career ambition is to be counted among the best construction lawyers of my time and maybe write a book or two on construction law as I grow old. Also, I am working in Pakistan to promote alternate dispute resolution along with evolving arbitration and adjudication process so would like to make a difference there.
In terms of short-term goal: becoming a chartered member of CIOB, doing a PhD in Construction Law and becoming a construction adjudicator.
What changes would you like to see in the industry?
I would like to make the industry more sustainable by promoting better collaboration and cooperation among different departments. Also, a more gender and culturally diverse industry would result in a better variety of ideas that may quicken our stride towards sustainability. The other change I would like to see in the construction sector is the increased use of alternate dispute resolution methods.
What do you do in your spare time?
I am a reading fanatic so in my spare time I love reading about history, international relations and politics. Also, sometimes I could be found playing chess or exploring stars with the astronomy club.
