Boss speaks out as CIB closes

The Construction Industry Board (CIB) should stand as a monument to what the industry can achieve, according to its former chief executive Don Ward.

Speaking at a farewell event before the CIB's closure last Friday, Ward said: "As a team we made some significant inroads into changing the industry for the better. We have achieved two- thirds of the Latham report's objectives."

Reflecting on the CIB's track record, he added: "It has not been a total fairytale story though. The industry still suffers from difficulties in the tendering process, which we regard as the black sheep in our success story."

However, he felt confident that the future of tendering would be superseded by the advantage of partnering and long-term contracts between parties.

Ward, who now takes a three-month break, hinted that he has several options in the construction industry pipeline when he returns. "Now it's time for a rest, after which I will be raring to face my next challenge in September," he said.