About
Paul Gandy is one of the most experienced figures in UK construction, with a career spanning more than four decades at director and managing-director level across the industry’s leading contractors, in the UK and internationally.
He served as Chief Executive of Tilbury Douglas from 2019 to 2024, leading its turnaround from £375m to over £700m in annual revenue and separating it from the Interserve Group as a profitable, standalone business. Having worked extensively with private-equity owners on restructuring and governance, he now advises boards across the built environment and serves as the 122nd President of the Chartered Institute of Building.
Paul Gandy FCIOB
Current Roles
- PresidentChartered Institute of Building2025/26 — the Institute's 122nd President
- DirectorP Gandy Built Environment AdvisoryIndependent advisory, incorporated August 2025
- Board AdviserTilbury Douglas ConstructionPart-time, from November 2024
- Board AdviserAcumineStrategic direction and data in construction
“Competence is a combination of training, experience and behaviour.”
On raising the bar across the profession
Career
- 2019–24Chief ExecutiveTilbury Douglas
- 2016–19Director, Building & Major ProjectsKier
- 2014–16Managing Director, LondonBalfour Beatty
- 2008–14Director of Operations, EMEALend Lease
- 2006–08MD Direct Sourcing; Director, DefenceCarillion
- 2000–05Managing Director, UKMultiplex
- 1991–2000Director, UK Building & PFITrafalgar House / Kvaerner
- Pre-1991Site engineer to project directorTrafalgar House
Career highlights include the National Theatre, One New Change and Central St Giles (Lend Lease), the £1.5bn Elephant & Castle regeneration, and the US$1bn River Tagus crossing in Lisbon.
Four decades delivering the built environment — from site engineer to chief executive.
Themes
Competency
A combination of training, experience and behaviour — the foundation for a profession that earns public trust.
Modern Professionalism
Construction should advocate for modern professionalism and use that authority to shape policy.
Social Value
The industry's contribution to levelling up, clean energy and safe infrastructure deserves to be better understood.
Embodied Carbon
Refurbishment over demolition. Preserving existing buildings is one of the most effective ways to cut carbon.
Data-Driven Delivery
Planning, productivity and outcomes all improve when control is driven by data, not anecdote.
Not abstractions: under Paul’s leadership Tilbury Douglas became a recognised leader in embodied-carbon modelling, social value, apprenticeships, inclusion and the elimination of modern slavery.
Credentials
- Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building (FCIOB), 1999
- Chartered Member of CIOB, 1987
- MBA, Property & Construction Business Management — Management Centre Buckingham
- BSc (Hons) Building
- CIOB Trustee, 2013—2016 and current
- CIOB President, 2025—2026
- Director, Build UK, 2022—2025