Own The Build
Own the Build is the podcast for Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Directors who want to sharpen their commercial edge and lead with confidence.
Hosted by Paul Heming, former Commercial leader and now co-founder of C-Link, each week’s conversation dives into the realities of modern commercial management — from procurement and contracts to digital transformation and leadership in construction.
Through honest discussions with industry leaders, forensic planners, and forward-thinking QSs, Paul explores how the best commercial teams deliver profit, performance, and project certainty in a changing industry.
If you’re serious about mastering the commercial side of construction — this is where you build your advantage.
Own The Build
Own the Build Live: What World-Class Procurement Really Looks Like in 2026 (EP 249)
We’re kicking off 2026 with something special — a full replay of Own the Build Live, recorded in front of a packed audience in October 2025. If you were there, you’ll know the energy in the room was electric. If you weren’t, you’re in for a treat.
In this live session, Paul sits down with a formidable panel:
Sarah Fox (legal consultant),
Mike Wharton (Complete Roofing Systems),
Kelvin Maye (Group Commercial Director, Guildmore), and
Chris Barber (Co-Founder, C-Link).
Together they explore one of the most important — and most dysfunctional — parts of the construction industry: procurement.
The first half of the show tackles a big question: What does world-class procurement look like in 2026?
The panel pull no punches. They discuss risk dumping, terrible contracts, poor communication, lack of early engagement, broken tender processes, and why subcontractors and main contractors keep repeating the same mistakes. But they also highlight where the industry is genuinely improving — from two-stage tenders to fairer scoring and stronger commercial leadership.
The second half is a lively audience Q&A where questions spark debate across the room. Topics include:
- how QSs can be braver, fairer and more commercially aware;
- how subcontractors should push back with confidence;
- the failure of institutions to prepare young QSs for real-world procurement;
- whether digital tools and AI can finally fix the industry’s inefficiencies;
- the tension between “best value” and “cheapest price”; and
- how relationships, trust and empathy still outperform everything else.
It’s candid, honest and full of real-world stories — exactly the kind of conversation the industry needs more of.
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📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:
For our list of other eBooks on building your QS Career and AI, click here - Free eBook Downloads.
Want to connect with Paul?
Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com or through, C-Link.
C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.
Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here.
