Rhys Jones has chosen collaboration as the focus theme for her presidential year. She said she wants to help improve joined-up thinking in a sector known as being combative, adversarial and prone to working in silos.
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In 1998, she was awarded an OBE for her work in promoting women in construction.
Speaking at her appointment at the CIOB’s Members’ Forum, Rhys Jones spoke about construction’s vital role in addressing today’s challenges, from tackling climate change to providing affordable housing and quality jobs.
She said: “We need to accept the fact that the world can’t achieve net zero without us in the built environment sector. So we’ve got to harness all the skill and ingenuity our sector possesses – plus that which we can learn from other sectors – to change the way we work.
Modern professionalism
Rhys Jones continued: “Our strategy at CIOB is to drive forward the concept of modern professionalism, which is infused with the values of competence, respect, inclusivity and confidence. However, if we want to be true modern professionals, how we work needs to be more collaborative.
“Our sector has great examples of collaboration but only in pockets. What we need now is to scale up that collaborative mindset and I look forward to using the platform the CIOB presidency will give me to collaborate with people within our sector and beyond over the next 12 months to help drive real change.”
Commenting on Rhys Jones’s appointment, Caroline Gumble, CIOB chief executive, said: “I am so pleased to welcome Sandi as our new president. Sandi has an impressive breadth and depth of knowledge of the industry and her understanding of its place in society, which is a vital perspective for a construction professional.
“I know she will make a valuable contribution in our drive to tackle some of the key challenges in this important industry and will offer real leadership on the issues for CIOB and the wider industry.”
Watch out for our exclusive interview with Sandi Rhys Jones next week.
