David Bucknall, chairman of Rider Levett Bucknall, is to chair the QS professional group of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). He was elected by secret electronic ballot last Friday, according to a report in Building magazine.
The electorate was a board of 20 appointed by RICS in July, whose identities are not even known to each other.
Only five of the 20 are thought to be members of the former QS board that elected Gleeds partner Steve Earl as chairman in March.
The election takes place in the context of a continuing dispute between the RICS and a group of QSs who are angry about, among other things, the decision to appoint the board rather than allow QSs to elect it.
Other issues include continued disagreements over the commercialization of the RICS, and the alleged “watering down” of entry standards to the profession.
Some members are also angry about the decision to end Earl’s tenure, claiming that he was due to serve two years. However, the RICS responded that the appointment was always a temporary one.
Bucknall says he is a neutral in this dispute. He told Building: “I’ve a lot of experience and no baggage. We have to be as relevant to the average member as possible.”
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