AS CEF MANAGING DIRECTOR, JOHN ARMSTRONG, PREPARES TO STEP DOWN, NI BUILDER TALKS TO THE MAN WHO HAS LED THE
FEDERATION FOR ALMOST 15 YEARS... Passing the torch
H aving been at the helm of CEF since 2006, Managing Director, John Armstrong, is preparing to retire at the end of October. Before he leaves, we sat down with John to look back on his time at the Federation and his hopes for the future. Q: As the Federation reaches 75-years, how does it feel to be stepping down? A: It’s hard to believe that the Federation is 75 years old. One of the things I’ve always believed that what separated us from other organisations is that from the outset the Federation represented not just the interests of the industry, but also those engaged within it. Initially that was through the provision of holiday pay for construction workers, which evolved over the years into the development of retirement benefits and eventually modern pensions, alongside schemes such as the Construction Skills Register and Safe-T-Cert, our health and safety management system. For my own part, it has been a wonderful career here at the CEF, simply because of the variety of work and the people you get to work with. Construction is a fantastic and diverse industry. In Northern Ireland we have huge potential and construction is key to that not just in its own right but literally as the “foundation” of our future economic prosperity. I hope in
some small way to have helped the industry generate prosperity during my time at the Federation. Q: How did you join the CEF? A: I joined the organisation in 1997, working in what was then the Construction Export Group. When that finished, I was fortunate enough to be invited to take on a marketing role within the Federation by my predecessor, Tony Doran. Tony (who sadly died at the start of the year) was a great mentor to me and I owe a lot to him. Two or three years later, I was appointed a Deputy Director and then Managing Director in 2006 – the rest, as they say, is history! Q: What have been the highlights of your time? A: There have been a lot but one I am especially proud of is the Federation’s work in helping to improve health and safety in the industry. Twenty years ago, we experienced a lot of serious accidents and indeed fatalities, but through a number of initiatives such
as the Safe-T-Cert (our health and safety management system) and the Construction Skills Register and in co-operation with industry partners, government departments and the Trade Unions we have seen dramatic improvements in our industries health and safety record. The construction industry in Northern Ireland produces some truly excellent work. Another highlight of my time was starting and developing the Construction Excellence Awards with the aim of getting wider recognition for that excellence. Our first Awards evening at the Balmoral Conference Centre attracted an audience of about 100 people. Now the Awards (which celebrated their 20th anniversary last year) have grown beyond all recognition attracting huge interest and large audiences to the annual gala evening. The Awards have become the premier event in the local construction calendar with companies hugely enthusiastic to get involved and to showcase the excellence of their work. g
“TheAwards have become the premier event in the local construction calendar with companies hugely enthusiastic toget involved and to showcase the excellence of their work.”
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