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It wasn鈥檛 me

I was struck by the tone Carillion鈥檚 former finance director Richard Adam took in the wake of last week鈥檚 parliamentary report into the firm鈥檚 collapse. He felt it necessary 鈥� just for the record 鈥� to point out he had left it 鈥渙ver a year before Carillion went into insolvency鈥� in December 2016. Seven months later the firm made a writedown of 拢845m 鈥� so around 拢140m a month between January last year and 10 July, the day of the writedown. Just for the record, the MPs鈥� report said about Adam: 鈥淗is voluntary departure at the end of 2016 and subsequent sale of all his shares were the actions of a man who knew where the company was heading.鈥� 

Bleedin鈥� obvious

A colleague of mine was chatting to Bam鈥檚 UK chief executive James Wimpenny recently. Talk inevitably turned to what went wrong at Carillion 鈥� especially pertinent given that Bam has taken over a number of its jobs in London, Birmingham and Manchester. 鈥淵ou have to avoid the contracts where you鈥檙e taking on too much risk,鈥� said Wimpenny. 鈥淲e call them the bleeders.鈥� Graphic for sure but an image strong enough that even Carillion directors might be able to recognise it. 

Time warp

A pal works for a large civil engineering contractor, which at the end of every month has a man trundle a cart around its head office handing out that month鈥檚 pay slips. I wonder if the directors have read Mark Farmer鈥檚 report on the industry published 18 months ago, which was titled Modernise or Die?

Wheely worthwhile 

Is there a British & Irish Lions rugby tour to Australia this year? I ask because Laing O鈥橰ourke, chaired by well-known rugby fan Ray O鈥橰ourke, is hoping to raise 拢160,000 for mental health charity Mind and health charity the British Heart Foundation by getting 1,400 of its staff to collectively cycle the equivalent of 21,000 miles, which just happens to be the distance between its HQ in Dartford and offices in Sydney. The firm is hoping its suppliers and clients can chip in with some miles as well. A good cause, so allez, allez, I say.

Top of the tree

A London law firm with a considerable construction business has recently been doling out internal awards. You know, those unsung hero gongs that firms are fond of. I hear that one recipient has the surname Bird and the email citation sent out to staff announcing the prize, said the recipient was 鈥渉appy, positive and unflappable鈥�. Cheep, cheep.

Closed encounters

A visit to the opening of the spruced-up Royal Academy of Arts in London鈥檚 Piccadilly found one of my hacks scratching his head, wondering if the academicians鈥� hideout was quite ready for the public. There was much evidence of the David Chipperfield refurb undergoing 鈥渇inishing touches鈥�, ahem. The new Poster Bar looked terrific 鈥� inviting even were it not for the total lack of food or drink. Ditto the Senate Room, which apparently opens in 鈥渓ate May鈥�. Some of the rooms were closed 鈥� always disappointing for an opening 鈥� but a peek into the locked lecture room revealed a PowerPoint slide (apparently on display in error) of professional and consulting fees 鈥� originally reckoned at 拢8.7m but jumping to 拢10.6m in the latest estimate, a 22% increase. No reason for the price hike was apparent from the slide but clearly the client couldn鈥檛 be accused of reckless spending on the opening.