Paul Morrell: Promoting change in policy and industry
CIOB president Sandi Rhys Jones chose Paul Morrell as recipient of the 2024 President’s Award for his work at government and business level to encourage change and innovation in the construction industry.
The CIOB President’s Award is a way to recognise an individual who has made a significant impact on the industry, and it is my pleasure to present it to someone I have known for more than 40 years.
This recipient’s professional skill and understanding of the reality of business, combined with their longstanding commitment to improving performance and raising standards through pro bono service, have had a profound impact on a challenging and complex sector.
A chartered quantity surveyor, they were formerly senior partner and international chairman of Davis Langdon (now part of Aecom), where they had worked since graduating from the University of Reading until they retired at the end of 2007.
Chief construction adviser
They were subsequently appointed as the government’s first chief construction adviser in November 2009, with a brief to champion a more coordinated approach to affordable, sustainable construction.
A founding member of the British Council for Offices and commissioner at the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), they have long advocated for low-carbon construction, better use of IT in the sector and the need for a government construction strategy.
They continue to combine analysis and practical proposals – along with their wit and humour – to promote change within both government and industry on issues ranging from the future of industrial training boards to the critical need for construction product testing to save lives.
Their philosophy and work chimes with the values and objectives of CIOB, demonstrated by their valued support as a client champion, their belief in the need for modern professionalism, their input into policy changes and, reflecting my presidential theme, the power of collaboration to challenge.
It is with great delight that I announce the recipient of the President’s Award is Paul Morrell OBE.
