Corporate Vision January 2017

, DuncanHughes-Phillips, winner of ‘CEO of the Year 2017 - Surveying Services (UK)’ speaks about Base QuantumLtd. and what the company has done to become an international chartered Quantity Surveying consultancy. Creative, Agile and Decisive Base Quantum is a firm of chartered quantity surveyors and expert witnesses. We started trading in March 2012 and have grown rapidly, from a team of three at the end of 2012 up to a team of 54 (and growing) at the end of 2016. Duncan Hughes-Phillips chats to us about how the firm competes in the market. “We are a relatively small business, but we have developed a real global presence. In the last 12 months we have worked on jobs, or in locations around the UK & Europe, South America, North America, Africa and Asia. “We do not try to compete with the mainstream – we are an expanding, diverse team with a wide range of expertise, and we seek to meld the talents of our individuals with a PR and marketing ‘machine’ to search for niches where we can operate. Anywhere a little bit different where our skills can be put to good use is where we want to be. “We break our services down into constituent parts, and we understand our value chain and how to sell our core skills in the market. We leverage on our ability to find new opportunities to sell our services (or parts of our services), on finding new places to sell what we do, and on finding slightly different services to sell in the mainstream market. We also find different ways to package the core services of a quantity surveyor – this helps us find new places where there is minimal competition. In addition to informing us about the basic premise of the business, Duncan goes onto to explain their business strategy and how this has benefitted clients since the company was founded. “Our business strategy has always been the same. To be receptive to change in the industry, to be creative, agile and decisive and to chase opportunities with courage and vigour. We take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. “We try to be perceptive, use academic training (I am an MBA graduate), experience, instinct and the in-depth knowledge of our team of professionals to try to interpret where the market is going next. We always try to stay ahead of the curve. “To make our ethos work, we have to be different in how we do things. We try to remove the internal clutter and strife that many other organisations suffer from. To provide our team with an opportunity to imagine the possibilities in an industry laden with pressure is a key challenge for us.” Not only has the business faced challenges, but Duncan himself discusses the personal challenges he has overcome in order to become an award- winning CEO. “Starting was the biggest challenge. The recession, a lack of alternative employment opportunities, and a loss of confidence and cynicism in employers left me with no option, otherwise I am not sure I would have done it. Overcoming the loneliness of being a start-up was horrid. This was a key driver behind growing. “Most of my challenges have been personal. I have always felt that technical skills drive you forward in life, but personal skills hold you back. Understanding and resolving the personal traits that have held me back have been a challenge. There are other challenges, for example - facing up to relinquishing control, which is a key step in turning the business from being a small firm to a big firm, has been a challenge.” There are many projects on the horizon for Base Quantum in 2017 and beyond. Duncan outlines the future plans for the business. “We are currently working hard on our succession plan. This year we will be launching our new structure with a new management team. “We are also looking to develop our formal international base. Over the last two years, we have had an office in Dubai which we have used for a base to work in MENA, but in 2017, we will be looking to spread our reach into other parts of Asia, Africa and possibly Australasia. “We are also developing new products, which will enable us to market the forensic expertise that we have usually use after a project has been completed into situations where it can be of benefit earlier in the construction process.” As for his own career future, Duncan sees himself watching with pride as the next generation of CEOs and Managing Directors put their stamp and spin on the business, and he looks forward to working with them, teaching the skills needed to take the business into the middle part of the 21st century. K Company: Base Quantum Ltd Name: Duncan Hughes-Phillips Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.base-quantum.co.uk Address: Aldwych Studios, 71-91 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4HN. Telephone: 0207 043 0993 1701CV28