In this episode, Jason and Carlos sit down with Martin Robey, Head of Planning at Volker Fitzpatrick and Volker Stevan. Martin brings decades of experience from major UK contractors, including Balfour Beatty and BAM, and has earned deep respect across the industry.

The conversation takes an unexpectedly philosophical turn as Martin challenges some fundamental assumptions about how construction projects actually work. Using everything from sat-nav analogies to stories about Friday nights in the pub 30 years ago, he unpacks why the industry might be making things harder for itself than necessary.

There's a fascinating discussion about what's changed in construction culture over the past few decades and what that means for how teams operate today. Martin also shares some provocative thoughts about where the real problems lie, and they're probably not where you think.

If you've ever wondered why construction projects sometimes feel more complicated than they need to be, this conversation might just reframe how you think about delivery.

Timestamps:

01:40 - Establishing the core challenge

04:09 - Understanding project navigation through analogy

18:45 - Cultural shifts in construction over three decades

34:19 - The natural tendency to react rather than prepare

Will Thompson and Mitch Corrigan traded the predictability of Australia's tier-one contractors for something most people said was impossible: helping build a rail business from scratch in the United States.

In this episode, they pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to compete in one of the world's toughest construction markets and why the approach that's working might surprise you.

We explore the uncomfortable truths about why talented people leave construction, what happens when you strip away the layers of approval processes, and the counterintuitive hiring strategy that's attracting people from completely unexpected backgrounds.

If you've ever wondered why some companies feel completely different to work for, or what it really takes to break into a new market as an international contractor, this conversation will give you answers you won't hear anywhere else.

Topics covered: Breaking into the US market, building culture that retains top talent, unconventional hiring approaches, fast-moving project delivery, and what makes some contractors fundamentally different from others.

In this episode, Jason and Carlos are joined by Thomas Schultz and special guest Peter Fitzpatrick, Project Commercial Director, to explore a role that's either fundamental to how construction projects work or potentially unnecessary, depending on where you stand.

The conversation examines how quantity surveyors and commercial teams operate on major projects, unpacking the significant differences between markets like the UK and Australia. The team debates specialised roles versus the generalist engineer approach, discussing what gets lost and gained when responsibilities shift between team members.

he discussion moves into the relationship dynamics between engineers and QSs, bridging technical knowledge with commercial reality, and how contract structures like NEC shape collaboration on major infrastructure projects. Peter shares insights on disputes, contract administration, and whether the burden of process actually prevents bigger problems down the line.

The episode wraps with each guest proposing one change they'd make to contract structures or delivery models to drive better outcomes.

Timestamps:

04:46 - How the QS role differs between the UK and Australia

22:25 - Do disputes cost more than prevention?

30:53 - Can contracts force collaboration, or is it all about culture?

39:59 - If you could change one thing about contracts, what would it be?