Friendships and farewells
GRIPPED by an odd blend of excited liberation at the forthcoming close of my time as president and the sadness of impending loss, I’ve been reflecting over the last 18 months of my time in a role through what can only be described as one of the most challenging faced by any president with the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic.
One of the most agreeable benefits for me has been the friendships, intellectual with many and personal with quite a few, with people from the various disciplines, occupations and perspectives, cultures and countries that civil engineering surveying has facilitated. And it was good to find so many of these friends participating in this journal and the wider institution. As I am feeling in a reflective mood, now is the time to consider and reflect on my time as your president.
It does not seem that long ago that I arrived at CICES HQ in Sale for my membership interview. I recall with some ease the conversation with former president John Bacon who conducted the review. I never dreamed at that point I would have both the honour and privilege of becoming president of this magnificent institution. It has been everything I had hoped for and more; but that was because of you – our members.
I have always been adamant that our greatest attribute is that we put our membership at the heart of everything we do. This has been in plain sight through the recent strategy review which has been led by our CEO Ann Allen; it has been created by you to reflect the history and comradeship of the institution as well as harnessing latest trends in data and digital transformation.
Legacy
For me, leading the institution through this period has been one of the greatest achievements of my career – the opportunity to leave a legacy of reform and change is one which every president would want. It puts us in a fantastic position to realise our goals and invest in the future of the institution; something I look forward to seeing enacted by the fantastic staff at Sale and our incoming president Andy Evans, who will add his own unique contribution to the development and deployment of the strategy.
The other main objective of my presidency was the creation of a Knowledge Hub; one which we have succeeded in getting off the ground and we now have the platform to grow the content thanks to partnerships we have grown with the likes of Built Intelligence. I look forward to continuing to develop this as I move into a supporting role as immediate past president. As part of our digital transition we are also having some real success with membership reviews being conducted via video conferencing which has helped us increase our membership and encourage more early careers applications.
I never dreamed at that point I would have both the honour and privilege of becoming president of this magnificent institution.
Of course, as a ‘COVID president’, there have been many disappointments leading the institution at this time, none more so for me than getting out and meeting you all in the regions and on the committees which are the life blood of this organisation. Whilst it has been fantastic to meet people virtually, I missed the opportunity to meet on a more social basis. As soon as conditions permit, I have ambitions of getting to regional AGMs, meetings and, most importantly, social networking events in the future.
Support
I have been lucky to have the unconditional support of both my employer Galliford Try and most importantly my wife Kimberley and my family.
Even in COVID times do not underestimate the amount of time that is needed to give this job the full attention it needs and deserves. Even though I was unable to visit the CICES family across the world, I am looking forward to the opportunity of joining incoming president Andy Evans as we seek to broaden the reach of the institution and become global aggregators of knowledge.
I believe Albert Einstein got it right when he said “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious."There are not enough pages to list all the people who have helped make my presidential term the best it could be, but a short acknowledgement to Darrell Smart and Abigail Tomkins who will no longer have to spend hours chasing me for these articles; Ann Allen for her dedication to developing the new strategy; and to the wider institution staff who have made my time much easier through their support and diligence.
Finally, I would like to wish Andy Evans the very best as he starts his own presidential journey and I look forward to supporting him.
One final thought from me; curiosity is the most powerful thing you own – it is what has enabled me to have a fulfilling and rewarding career and realise my professional ambition of becoming president of this fine institution.
I believe Albert Einstein got it right when he said “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
Steve Slessor FCInstCES, President
president@cices.org @stevesless www.linkedin.com/in/steveslessor/