Finance leaders tout this ‘must-attend’ construction event as ‘inspiring’

Leading lights in the UK construction sector have shared their top takeaways from what is fast becoming “the must-attend event” for industry executives concerning finance, regulation, risk management, and technology.

May 13, 2026, was the third CFO Summit by Construction Wave, hosted at the prestigious Savoy hotel in central London, and attended by more than 200 c-suite and senior finance figures who are moving the needle in the built environment.

Following the tradition of previous years, this event sought to explore the foremost challenges and opportunities facing – and available to – the wider UK construction market, including AI, cashflow, insolvency, labour and materials, policy and regulation, sustainability and more.

Delegates across a range of sectors and disciplines enjoyed a series of high-level discussions and keynotes from leading contractors including Amey, Briggs & Forrester, GMI Construction, and STRABAG, as well as major finance and insurance firms such as Gallagher Speciality, KPMG, Lloyds Bank, SiS and others, who addressed a mix of finance related issues including asset management, capital allocation and diversification strategies, EOT and MBO, payment solutions, and modern methods of construction (MMC).

The day began with a breakfast briefing where guests and sponsors could network while exploring business opportunities, before filing into the main room where KPMG UK head of construction and house building, Andrew Gilder and SiS chief executive, Mark Kershteyn explored evolving attitudes towards technology and the power of data to drive strategic change. Next up, surety, and how to leverage a bond as a “credibility signal”, with Gallagher surety partner, Niki Setchell and Briggs & Forrester finance director, Jeremy Askew, taking the lead, before Michael Crouch (Gallagher) brought it all home.

STRABAG managing director, Andrew Dixon joined Construction Wave editor, Rory Butler on stage mid-morning, to review his more than 40-year career at some of the biggest contractors, including SYSTRA, Costain, Laing O’Rourke, and Balfour Beatty, as well as strategies for managing crises and rebuilding robust systems from a position of power. Audience participation was a priority throughout the day, with questions for Dixon deepening the level of discussion for all in attendance.

Kate Fancourt, group finance director at GMI Construction, gave a stirring keynote on the limitations of technology without proper systems and data to guide it, bringing to bear her vast knowledge and experience of implementation across various sectors including healthcare and major telecoms. Vivek Sharmam, executive director at Xpedeon, addressed the room next, offering practical applications for advanced technology across the business and its associated costs. Having attended last year’s summit, Fancourt found this year equally “though provoking and inspiring”, offering “something to take away and action” from a place of “clarity and pragmatism”, including what to do about AI and surety. She added: “Most importantly, the event gave me an opportunity to spend time speaking to an impressive group of professionals and get their thoughts on many things. The current turmoil and uncertainty due to the US-Iran war and its direct impact on our industry through inflation, fuel and steel prices rocketing, being a very hot topic. It was good to hear how others are feeling about the situation and strategies they are implementing to mitigate the potential risk.”

Over a sumptuous lunch, delegates met with valued sponsors including The Access Group, Danny Sullivan, EQUE2, Gallagher, Hilti Fleet Management, Sage and xeinadin, to review the morning’s lineup and exchange observations, with many reporting they had benefitted from the experience. STRABAG managing director, Andrew Dixon said: “The event revealed to me the enormous industry benefit that could come from increased sharing of best practices, ideas and encouragement within the community of construction CFOs. The desire for deeper industry collaboration and shared learning was evident. It was lovely also to catch up with past colleagues and contacts from across the industry and to make new connections. The social side of our industry is so important for its culture of making lasting relationships.”

In the afternoon, Ian Worboys, CEO & co-founder of EGLS, a major player in logistics real estate across Europe and the UK, sat down with Max Jones, director & head of construction, infrastructure & transport at Lloyds Bank, to discover the secret to building trust, credibility and investment confidence, across markets and economic cycles, drawing on Worboys’ storied career and outlook for the future. “As long-standing supporters of the construction sector, we work closely with businesses and encourage regular, open and proactive dialogue that can help assist their growth ambitions,” said Jones. “British construction firms are critical to the future of the UK’s national infrastructure. Supporting resilience across the sector helps businesses invest with confidence and keep projects moving.”

Matt Boddington, director at Chargergates and Peter Dobson, group head of tax at Amey, struck a chord with many in the room, as they addressed the finer details about what Joint & Several Liability (JSL) can mean for a contractor still operating in the dark. Munnelly Group FD, Graham Fisk, a return attendee of the annual event, found the information “highly valuable”, and remarked too on the real-world application of AI within finance as a key takeaway for his company. Catching up in the foyer, Fisk said he also found the opportunity to build new connections and reconnect with peers across the sector “incredibly worthwhile”, adding the Summit was “fast becoming a key date in my calendar.”

“Scaling without breaking” is a strategy that requires careful consideration and deep planning, and while fortune may ‘favour the brave’, it’s no guarantee for longevity as Hannah Munro, managing director at ITAS – Sage Solutions, could attest, as she emphasised the importance of financial and operational health, market savviness, and risk management, before taking that big leap into the unknown. As Munro deftly addressed the truth about the need for an internal framework and discipline to complement a wider growth ambition, her message was brought home by her fellow speakers throughout the day, including GMI FD, Kate Fancourt, who each took a few minutes before close of play, to field questions from the audience and stress-test their ideas, before imparting their unique perspectives on what the near-term future of construction will inevitably have in store for UK contractors – much of which was informed by recent history – while emphasising the need to move from “survival mode” to a position of “strategic confidence”, by dealing with the real priorities and risks that business can ill-afford to ignore and being realistic about the opportunities that are available.

Before heading off for the day, several attendees were kind enough to provide their feedback on this year’s Construction CFO Summit and the top-line messages they were keen to report back to HQ:

Andrew Rowney, SIS UK sales director, said: “The third Construction CFO Summit was a great success, providing the opportunity for finance leaders from this critical sector to meet in a collaborative environment and share concerns, contribute experience and consider solutions.

“Having attended the Construction CFO Summit in 2025, I recognised the value of becoming a sponsor this year to launch SIS’s partnership with KPMG in the UK and reveal how we’re helping finance leaders to reduce risk and protect margins by improving the visibility of project data within the core finance system.

“With increasing demand for larger and more complex projects, but heightened uncertainty in a complex environment, the opportunity for the UK’s construction finance leaders to come together and consider options for deploying technology more strategically, is critical.

“A range of sessions covering topical issues stimulated thought-provoking discussions with construction finance leaders, covering everything from operational challenges and margin pressures to connected data, the visibility of project finances and using technology, especially AI, to drive real performance improvements.”

Peter Hillyard, client operations manager at DOS & Co, said: “This was our first time attending the CFO Summit and it will certainly become an annual event; I can see why this is the must attend event for many industry executives.

“The blend of focused sessions and open networking and exhibitors provided a brilliant format to the day; it was a really engaging and friendly group of professionals from across the construction industry.

“The speakers and panels shared first-hand industry experience and expert insights, offering key takeaways and topics to develop.”

Tim O Sullivan, managing director at The Danny Sullivan Group, said: “The CFO summit was excellently organised, the calibre of people and discussion in the room and networking sessions was excellent and we had very valuable and strategic conversations with the finance leaders in our industry.”

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor and/or attending the Construction CFO Summit in 2027, please email: andrew@wavenews.co.uk