Former WYG director Clive Anderson is representing ACE at the FIDIC International Infrastructure Conference in Mexico City next week. He looks forward to the conference and highlights ACE’s emerging international strategy.

After 26 years, with 17 of them as a statutory director of WYG, I have agreed the time is right to stand down. It has been a huge privilege to work with such a talented group of people for so many years and to work for fantastic clients on some truly exceptional projects. 

I’m taking some time out through to January 2020 but will continue in my role as a director of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) as chair of the international business group (IBG). I am therefore delighted to be representing ACE at the FIDIC International Infrastructure Conference in Mexico City from 8-10 September 2019. We will use the conference as an opportunity to showcase the ACE Future of Consultancy campaign and our emerging export strategy. 

ACE chief executive Hannah Vickers set out the Future of Consultancy campaign which recognises that the world is changing. Technological, environmental and human advances have disrupted many industries, but is our industry ready to meet the new ways of working as we stand on the brink of the fourth industrial revolution? The Future of Consultancy campaign has four workstreams - domestic opportunities, export opportunities, skills and capabilities and business models and contracts. The IBG is responsible for ACE’s international strategy as many member firms work internationally, underlining the significant reputation of the UK in providing world-class consultancy services to clients across the globe. 

Next year is likely to be turbulent in international markets with the continued uncertainty around the UKs place on the world stage as a result of Brexit. The government focus on overseas aid spending on infrastructure and the wider export ambitions of the Department for International Trade and IT and the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy mean there is opportunity to influence the agenda. The IBG’s specific focus is to influence the UK infrastructure export strategy and government funding overseas, developing networks and capability for firms who wish to work overseas and influencing international procurement and contract law.

The theme of the FIDIC international conference is “Technological Innovation impacting the industry”. With former ACE CEO Nelson Ogunshakin now chief executive officer of FIDIC, the opportunity exists to enhance ACE’s work with international groups such as FIDIC. Confirmed speakers at the conference include Transport for London commissioner Mike Brown and many other leaders of our industry. Gavin English, managing director of IMC Worldwide and a former ACE chairman, will also attend the conference as a board member of FIDIC. In addition, Infrastructure Intelligence International is an official media partner of the conference and editor Andy Walker will be providing feedback and news updates from the event.

It will be helpful if UK firms let us know if they have delegates attending the conference so that we can create a UK focus in Mexico City. If you would like any further information, then please contact me at cliveanderson65@outlook.com

Clive Anderson is an ACE board member and chair of ACE’s international business group.