In business with Exigere: Work is only hard when you’re not enjoying it

How Gleeds boss in Ukraine escaped from Kyiv

Mentoring Circle: Building up women in the built environment

This is my home: Gleeds’ man in Ukraine on staying put in Kyiv

ISG’s new boss on different thinking, growth aspirations - and more of the same

Best of 2021: Top-read interviews

John Morgan: ‘Don’t expect me to go any time soon’

5 minutes with … Rebecca Rickwood at Gement

The figure-skating founder and chief executive of Gement believes in change in the construction industry and is working to make it happen

5 minutes with … Lorna Taverner at Collida

The architect at the Willmott Dixon firm enjoys working on projects that help to improve people’s lives

5 minutes with … Annie Marston at Hydrock

The associate in the building performance engineering team focuses on making buildings smarter, more energy efficient and comfortable to occupy

5 minutes with … Lindsay Johnston at BDP Pattern

I have always been very interested in creativity, art and making things. Architecture seemed like a good way to combine these. Making a building is the ultimate Lego set!

5 minutes with … Andy Jones at Mace

The head of major projects has been visiting building sites since he was four years old. He is a keen cyclist and plays two instruments

5 minutes with … MJ O’Shaughnessy at Will Rudd

The firm’s craic-loving, drum-playing managing director is no fan of excessive bureaucracy but loves working with passionate and creative people

5 minutes with … Anil Singh Rana at Constructing Professional Development

The project manager and mentor is based in Mauritius. He has built a business based on his belief in positive collaboration

5 minutes with … Vanessa Murray at Stanhope

The asset manager at Stanhope founded Mentoring Circle, an initiative targeted at young women in the early stages of their career

5 minutes with … Derek Quinn at Red Construction

The firm’s managing director in the South-west on the importance of teamwork and good communication

5 minutes with … Holly Lewis at We Made That

The founder of the London-based architectural practice on growing a business, the need to ask questions and fluffy pancakes on a Saturday morning

5 minutes with … Ainhoa Erausquin at RLB

The sustainability consultant trained as an architect before moving to the UK from Spain wants to see a fundamental shift in how we design and build 

5 minutes with … Louise Townsend at Morgan Sindall Construction

Morgan Sindall’s tenacious director of social value and sustainability enjoys converting sceptics and doesn’t hang around in the bath.

5 minutes with … James Richards at Edmond Shipway

Director of Edmond Shipway’s Nottingham office is a big fan of self-made entrepreneurs – and Derby County

5 minutes with … Laurie Chetwood at Chetwoods

The firm’s founder and chairman is happiest breaking new ground with innovative and thought-provoking schemes, driving his vintage Aston Martin and eating fish and chips

5 minutes with … Lanre Gbolade at Gbolade Design Studio and L&Q

The co-founder of Gbolade Design Studio enjoys working collaboratively and is always ready for a new challenge. He is also pretty nifty on a pair of ice skates

5 minutes with … Trina Chakravarti at Building Better

The Building Better project director on the importance of innovative and collaborative working, growing up in Calcutta and her admiration for Dame Zaha Hadid

5 minutes with … Pedro Gil at Studio Gil

The founder and director Studio Gil is particularly proud of the work he has done for the Latin American community in London. He is also slightly obsessed with mince pies

5 minutes with … Matt Keen at Autodesk

The industry strategist at Autodesk has been running large-scale construction projects since his mid-20s – but he is still scared of heights. He wishes the industry would do more to appeal to the next generation

5 minutes with … Rebecca Thomas at Fathom Architects

The director at Fathom Architects is a champion of craftspeople and wants to see a wider appreciation for creative processes. She is also an advocate of the Friday night margarita/margherita combination

5 minutes with … Shahed Saleem at Makespace

The architect admires good builders and site managers but is less impressed with pessimists and Buckingham Palace

5 minutes with … Parm Bhangal at Bhangals Construction Consultants

Why did you choose construction as a career?

5 minutes with … Matt Townend at Ecoworld London

The EcoWorld COO on the satisfaction he gets from creating a new environment, the challenge of getting the best out of his staff and how he enjoyed finally convincing his friends that he wasn’t an estate agent

5 minutes with … Nick Fairham at BDP

BDP’s new chief executive is optimistic about the future and how the next generation can shape the industry. He has collected too much mid-century furniture and is apparently a pretty good hairdresser

5 minutes with … Siobhan O’Brien of HB Reavis

The senior design manager talks about architectural stunners, a love of brunch and her secret car-racing skills

5 minutes with … Nick Hartwright at Projekt

Nick Hartwright, CEO of workspace provider Projekt, appreciates the importance of being resilient and working your way up from the bottom. He drives a VW T25 and is pretty good at Lego

5 minutes with … Clare Cameron at PRP

The director at PRP specialises in later living projects and is a lover of contemporary architecture. She also has some “witchy powers”…

5 minutes with … Olutayo Adebowale at Cirkadia and the Design Council

The director at consultant Cirkadia on the importance of social value, her love of dress design and why Nigerian food is the cuisine to watch

5 minutes with … Matt Voyce at Quintain

Quintain’s executive construction director says structural engineers are the unsung heroes of the sector and reveals his love of coffee, chocolate and cycling