In the eighth episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by David Taylor, former Group Commercial Director at Costain, where he spent over a decade on the Executive Board helping lead one of the UK's largest infrastructure contractors.

From starting his career as a trainee estimator at Taylor Woodrow to leading complex PFI programmes, resolving some of the industry's most challenging projects, and ultimately becoming Group Commercial Director, David shares the experiences, decisions and leadership principles that shaped a remarkable 43-year career.

The conversation explores:

• why putting your hand up for difficult projects is often the biggest accelerator of a career;
• how becoming known as a problem solver opened doors throughout his leadership journey;
• why preparation, stakeholder management and strategic thinking separate good commercial professionals from great leaders;
• how to build influence across clients, supply chains and executive teams; and
• why succession planning is one of the most important responsibilities of any leader.

David also reflects on leading through major industry change, his philosophy of "commercial foresight", and the importance of leaving organisations stronger than you found them—including the carefully planned succession that saw him hand over the Group Commercial Director role before retiring.

The episode closes with a powerful message:

don't chase job titles—chase opportunities to solve difficult problems, earn trust and create value. The leadership opportunities will follow.

A fascinating conversation for QSs, Commercial Managers, Commercial Directors and anyone with ambitions of leading at the very highest level in construction.

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📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:

Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial Success

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