Constructing Excellence unveils new chief executive

The race for the £100,00 post of chief executive at Constructing Excellence is over after the appointment of Professor Dennis Lenard last night (Tuesday).

A founding director of the Manchester-based Centre for Construction Innovation, Lenard pipped names such as the Construction Best Practice's director Brian Moone to the post after three weeks of intensive interviewing.

Over 100 people applied for the position.

Lenard is regarded as having an excellent knowledge of construction having held senior positions in large building and construction companies.

Working for the last nine months as a director of the Business and Industry Development Research Programme in the Australian National Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, Lenard will take up his post in mid-September.

Full details on the new structure of Constructing Excellence - the merger between Rethinking Construction and Construction Best Practice - will be announced in the Autumn.

Commenting on his appointment, Lenard said: "The intention is to work very closely with the Strategic Forum to accelerate change and create sustainable construction businesses throughout the entire supply chain and across the whole sector."