Business

Arup’s John Turzynski takes over as ACE chair

With workload continuing to build across all sectors of infrastructure and the built environment 2015 looks set to be a busy year for the ACE as it works to prepare members for the challenges ahead, says new ACE chairman and Arup director John Turzynski.

John Turzynski, Arup director and ACE chair 2015

Interview by Antony Oliver 

Not least when you add into the mix a hugely unpredictable General Election in May.

As new ACE chairman John Turzynski points out, it is a year for the ACE to continue its drive, as set out in the recent three year plan, to help members capitalise on the opportunities and to keep up the momentum that has been built around the way it influences government.

“It is about giving members the support and information about what clients and customers want,” he says, describing the ACE’s task as “joining up the dots” to create an integrated service.

“We need to help our members to have the right skills in place to address their clients’ needs – regardless of their size. And we have to provide the right support and back up so that they don’t spend time worrying about the routine side of running a business but can focus on being creative, inventive and intelligent for their clients.”

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“Success is that our membership overall maintains numbers, the value of membership is thoroughly recognised and that Victoria Street Capital and the EIC move forward with their business plans," John Turzynski. 

An election year clearly makes a huge impact on the work ACE does to influence government, but with all the main parties still committed to investment in infrastructure, the challenge is made slightly easier.

“Inevitably the election changes the dynamic of the year because soon we will be in purdah and decision making will slow down,” he explains. “But the priority must be to make sure all the parties continue to recognise the value of infrastructure to the British economy both at home and overseas. So we can’t take our foot off the pedal in terms of ensuring that politicians still get this story.”

Post-election, of course, a range of new opportunities will appear with new ministers in departments needing help to get up to speed quickly.

“Politicians hunger for knowledge and advice,” he explains. “It’s a well-used phrase but I would like to continue the work to ensure that the ACE is the trusted friend of government with an independent voice, enabling our members to give their advice.”

Maintaining the momentum built up over the last five years of Coalition government after the election with whoever emerges with influence will be vital, he adds. 

“We would clearly like to ensure that it is business as usual in the relationship and that means working closely with the civil servants to ensure that transitions are as smooth as possible,” Turzynski says. “And of course ACE has to remain apolitical.”

Meanwhile there is still much work to do with the ACE business to continue the process of change championed last year by then-chairman Chris Cole. 

Development of the Environmental Industries Commission plus the launch of the new Victoria Street Capital publishing business is, he says, a first step towards reshaping the ACE to be ready for the future.

“The skills that we have in the ACE are exactly what central and local government need as they plan their strategies. We really are in a fantastic position,”

“My feeling is that this is a year of building on these initiatives and getting them into a strong position – and with what we have already achieved the future does look good,” he says highlighting that continue consolidation in the market inevitably means ACE has to look elsewhere to replace falling subscription revenues.

“Success is that our membership overall maintains numbers, the value of membership is thoroughly recognised and that Victoria Street Capital and the EIC move forward with their business plans,“ he says.

However, engaging members more effectively is also a key priority, not least the large number of firms based across the UK regions outside London.

And while ACE is, he says, making ground in a number of UK regions there is still much work to be done to avoid being London-centric – not least as the cross-party drive for devolution sees wealth spread outwards from the capital and as projects like HS2 act as catalyst for regeneration in the regions.

“The skills that we have in the ACE are exactly what central and local government need as they plan their strategies. We really are in a fantastic position,” he explains. “London remains the political centre and the financial capital of the country but it is important for me to visit members around the country to make sure that we truly represent the whole industry across the country.”

Communicating that message is vital and, as Turzynski points out, the key is making it meaningful to members regardless of their size, sector and location. And necessarily the needs of SME businesses will be different from that of larger firms.

“It is always going to be difficult to serve both the big companies and smaller ones. Big consultancies today are really large corporations and so the things that affect them are often significantly different from the issues affecting smaller businesses,” he says.

“Being a trusted friend means being constructively critical,” he says. “But ACE ought also to be able to challenge the industry. It is all very well talking about the problems but we are part of it."

Turzynski’s own career has seen him spend the last three decades at Arup working as a civil and structural engineer managing major global projects and as a senior director of the firm driving the business forward. So while he appreciates the challenges faced by small companies he accepts he has limited experience of their challenges day to day.

“Having worked for a large company all of my career I need to educate myself. But ACE has a number of services that it can provide smaller companies and can also help them win work, overcome barriers and attract people with the right skills.”

And as the infrastructure and built environment market grows the ACE’s potential workload will grow with it. However, Turzynski is clear that there is only so much that the ACE can do in a year so focus will be important. 

It also means working in partnership across the industry to provide a united voice that maximises impact.

He points to the Infrastructure Alliance between the ACE, Institution of Civil Engineers, Civil Engineering Contractors Association and Construction Products Association as a great example of now the collective voice can change the conversation with government. 

“Being a trusted friend means being constructively critical,” he says. “But ACE ought also to be able to challenge the industry. It is all very well talking about the problems but we are part of it. We have the collective ability to help say how things can move forward.”

If you would like to contact Antony Oliver about this, or any other story, please email antony.oliver@infrastructure-intelligence.com.