Dear SCL(S) members,

It has been almost two years since I assumed the Chair of the SCL(S). I have been lucky to have inherited the organisation at a time of strength and growth and with a Secretariat and Council stocked with enthusiasm. I hope to step down from my role with the SCL(S) in just as strong a position and with a team that is fit for the future.

Even in the relatively short two years at the helm, the pace of technological advancement and change have accelerated in the construction industry and in society as a whole. Technological advancement though is more than just about productivity gains and a new way of designing and constructing in the industry. It is also about ensuring that our industry keeps up with the wider change in society. Electrical engineering is moving on from building transmission lines and large power plants to building micro-grids and energy storage just as our road networks are being prepared for fully electrical and driverless cars. It is not just about a new way of doing things. It is about doing new things. Conversely, that change in society is also more than just about finding new business models and product lines, it is also about the way we do business. All our actions and decisions in business are expected to and should have a wider social and moral compass. How we make our money is just as, if not more important than, how much money we make. The world is always watching.

SCL(S) needs to respond to all these challenges and to be at the forefront of change. We are part of the push of the construction industry to greater things and to better things. I have no doubt that our new SCL(S) Council will continue to serve that end and I have no doubt that all of you will support us in that endeavour.