{"id":106677,"date":"2026-05-27T14:34:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T18:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sisn.com\/?p=106677"},"modified":"2026-05-27T14:40:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T18:40:01","slug":"the-construction-cfo-summit-keynote-summary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sisn.com\/en-gb\/the-construction-cfo-summit-keynote-summary\/","title":{"rendered":"The Construction CFO Summit Keynote Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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For those of you that couldn\u2019t join us at the Construction CFO Summit at the Savoy Hotel in London on 13th<\/sup> May, here\u2019s a summary of the keynote session presented by Andrew Gilder, UK Head of Built Environment for KPMG and Mark Kershteyn, CEO & Founder at SIS.

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Summary: UK Construction\u2019s Strategic Crossroads \u2013 Doing More With Less<\/strong><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The UK construction sector is facing a moment of pressure that feels fundamentally different from previous cycles. While the industry has always navigated tightening margins, rising costs, and economic uncertainty, today\u2019s challenges are not new individually – but they are happening simultaneously. Margins remain thin, productivity has not improved meaningfully in years, talent is stretched, supply chains remain unpredictable, and insolvency risk continues to sit just beneath the surface.<\/p>

This convergence of pressures raises a critical question for leaders:<\/p>

Is this another cycle to manage through, or a structural turning point that requires a different approach to performance?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We believe the sector has reached a strategic crossroads. Traditional responses such as tightening control, pushing harder and refining reporting, are no longer enough. The industry must rethink how performance is created, how risk is managed, and how value is delivered.<\/p>

  1. The Visibility Challenge: Issues Are Seen Too Late<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

    There is a persistent visibility gap between what happens on site and what reaches the boardroom. Construction outcomes are shaped in real time, through thousands of small decisions made under pressure, often on-site. Yet in many organisations, Finance only becomes aware of issues once they appear in the numbers – by which point they are already embedded and difficult to correct.<\/p>

    Despite significant investment in systems, dashboards and reporting tools, the industry still struggles with early<\/em> visibility. The distinction is crucial:<\/p>

    • Seeing clearly<\/strong> helps with understanding.<\/li>
    • Seeing early enough<\/strong> enables intervention.<\/li><\/ul>

      In construction, that timing difference is often the difference between protecting margin and losing it.<\/p>

      1. Where Value Is Really Created<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

        Will improving reporting or financial processes alone, materially improve business performance?<\/p>

        While important, these activities do not move the core of the business. Real value is created in four operational areas:<\/p>

        • Cost control<\/strong><\/li>
        • Delivery execution<\/strong><\/li>
        • Cash conversion<\/strong><\/li>
        • Real\u2011time risk management<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>

          When these slip, no amount of reporting can recover the lost margin.<\/p>

          Which would have a bigger impact on year\u2011end results – a 20% improvement in reporting efficiency or a 1% improvement in cost control?<\/p>

          The answer is obvious, and it highlights the need to focus on operational levers, not just financial ones.<\/p>

          1. Internal Misalignment: The Hidden Barrier to Transformation<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

            Transformation in construction rarely fails because of external factors. It fails internally, often due to misalignment between functions:<\/p>

            • Commercial<\/strong> teams focus on protecting margin.<\/li>
            • Delivery<\/strong> teams focus on protecting programme.<\/li>
            • Finance<\/strong> teams focus on protecting control.<\/li><\/ul>

              Each priority is rational on its own, but collectively they create friction, delay decision\u2011making and dilute accountability. Without alignment around shared outcomes, even well\u2011designed transformation programmes struggle to take hold.<\/p>

              1. The Risk of Over\u2011Transformation<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

                Another challenge is the pace and scale of change. Many organisations attempt to transform too much, too quickly. Complexity grows faster than the business can absorb it, and because construction cannot pause delivery, disruption shows up immediately in project performance, cash flow and risk exposure.<\/p>

                The message is clear:<\/p>

                Transformation must be sequenced, disciplined and grounded in operational reality.<\/p>

                1. Data and AI: The Opportunity and the Behaviour Gap<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

                  While data and AI are widely recognised as essential to the future of construction, few organisations have fundamentally changed how they operate as a result. The keynote highlights a critical insight:<\/p>

                  Data problems are rarely technology problems \u2014 they are behaviour and ownership problems.<\/p>

                  If data is still being corrected after the fact, the issue is not the system. It is the lack of accountability for data quality at the point of entry. AI cannot compensate for inconsistent or late data. For AI to deliver real performance improvement, organisations must embed behavioural change, role clarity and ownership across commercial, delivery and finance teams.<\/p>

                  1. Lessons from the US Market<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

                    The keynote draws comparisons with parts of the US construction market, where the adoption of integrated systems and data\u2011driven operations is moving faster. The difference is not simply investment, it is application.<\/p>

                    US firms are increasingly shifting from reactive management to anticipatory management, enabled by connected data and tighter integration between delivery and finance.<\/p>

                    Delegates watched a short video with Jeremy Hafen, CEO of Clyde Companies, giving a summary of his experience of finance transformation at his $4 billion construction company:<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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