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There鈥檚 a new broom at Davis Langdon & Everest. The firm that has been led for the past five years by the charismatic, at times abrasive character that is Paul Morrell, is now being led by a less cerebral, more approachable personality. Even the name, Rob Smith, suggests a more everyman-like character. Morrell, the thinker and theorist, the ballet and opera fan compared with estuary-accented Smith, a mad keen Manchester United supporter who has 鈥渃atholic tastes鈥� in music 鈥� he鈥檚 off to see The Rolling Stones at Twickenham this summer 鈥� but draws the line at opera. To use a football analogy, it鈥檚 like Alan Curbishley replacing Arsene Wenger at the helm of Arsenal.

The comparison is not lost on staff at the practice. One recent recruit to the firm describes 53-year-old Smith as a 鈥渜uiet man鈥� but 鈥渨ell respected and briefed鈥�. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not going to have the gregarious and outgoing personality that Paul has,鈥� the staffer says before adding how popular a figure Smith is within the business. 鈥淚 have not heard anyone saying anything about him that鈥檚 unpleasant.鈥�

As Smith concedes, he鈥檚 not likely to be your table-thumping, shouty sort of boss. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 one area the partnership considered in voting for me,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚鈥檓 quite good at getting the best out of people. I鈥檓 very much a team player rather than someone who will tell people 鈥檛his is how it鈥檚 going to be鈥�.鈥� He鈥檚 certainly not one to overstate his case or to bristle or react at any criticism. Smith is more likely to use his high-pitched laugh than a bellow or growl.

And it鈥檚 not just the personalities that are changing at DL&E. Smith鈥檚 interview takes place in the firm鈥檚 new London office 鈥� client Stanhope鈥檚 Mid City Place development on High Holborn, no less. The move, due for next week, is taking the firm just a stone鈥檚 throw away from its previous Kingsway office 鈥� 鈥渢urn right at Holborn Tube instead of left鈥� as Smith puts it 鈥� but it seems to signal a change in the culture of the business. The new 4000 m² floor will be completely open plan, compared with the eight-floor cellular block the firm used to occupy. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to have a bigger impact on our operation than email has,鈥� Smith reckons. 鈥淧artners used to get in a lift straight to the seventh floor without talking to anyone.鈥� The new environment fits Smith鈥檚 management philosophy. 鈥淚 believe in walking about the office. If you listen to what the staff have to say you have more chance of nudging them in the direction they want to go. I want to align their enthusiasm with the business.鈥�

In business terms, new times are also calling for a new approach. The unprecedented turn-of-the-century construction boom now seems to have run its course 鈥� particularly in the DL&E staple that was the commercial sector. The cooler climate is calling for a change of direction from a firm that has prided itself on sticking to its guns as a pure QS. This move comes as its major rivals frantically try to redefine the profession, moving to areas such as management consultancy.

Smith鈥檚 first words in the interview indicate this change in direction. 鈥淲e are moving towards becoming a property construction consultancy, rather than how people traditionally perceive us,鈥� he says.

Smith has already instigated the shift of DL&E鈥檚 business 鈥� he began the process on E E his first day in the helm, last Thursday. Since he was voted in as senior partner last October he has been 鈥済earing up the business for the next five-to-10 years鈥�.

This means expanding beyond its core QS operation, which now makes up just a little more than half the firm鈥檚 business. Smith has a target to increase project management from 18% to 25% of the business in three years, and has made two senior appointments as partners 鈥� John Lewis and Nick Clare from consultant Clarson Goff Management 鈥� to bolster the project management team. And as of last week, the firm鈥檚 building services consultancy Mott Green & Wall, is being expanded, rolling out across the UK beyond its London and South-eastern home.

Smith also wants to 鈥渟ectorise鈥� the business 鈥� a current fetish in construction quarters. From 好色先生TV Design Partnership to Atkins and Bovis Lend Lease, firms are positioning themselves in defined growth markets, such as health and defence, and DL&E will do the same.

Partners used to get in a lift straight to the seventh floor without talking to anyone. I believe in walking about the office

 

However, the new boss is well aware of the pitfalls underlying big shake-ups. Witness the recent meltdown at Atkins, which is now undoing many of the sweeping changes brought in by former chief executive Robin Southwell. 鈥淭he Atkins lesson has been a very real one,鈥� is how Smith puts it.

So what of the tough market conditions, that are expected to hit the sector this year, and to last for the next three years? Smith 鈥� a keen sailor, having been born and raised in the Kent seaside town of Whitstable 鈥� is expecting rough waters ahead but is optimistic that DL&E can keep to its course.

鈥淛anuary and February were tough,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e were thinking this year is probably not going to be a good one. But in the past six to eight weeks orders have started to flow in. It鈥檚 going to be a tough year but not as black as it might have been.鈥� Smith is also encouraged by the firm鈥檚 international prospects, citing areas such as Czech Republic, the Middle East and China 鈥� the firm is working on Herzog & de Meuron鈥檚 Olympic stadium in Beijing 鈥� as boom areas.

He stresses the firm鈥檚 history of researching its key markets and working closely with architects. 鈥淲e need a better understanding of what needs to go into a school to educate children better, of hospitals that heal better and prisons that result in people not reoffending.鈥� He adds: 鈥淲e did work on cost models 鈥� they were very focused on design criteria. What we didn鈥檛 look at was the functional issues 鈥� that鈥檚 where the really big push is.鈥�

That expansion of research indicates evolution rather than revolution at the firm. Smith adheres to pride and professionalism in his work 鈥� of 鈥済oing the extra mile鈥� on projects. 鈥淓ven if a project gets into distress we do not back off,鈥� he says, perhaps alluding here to recent problems at Sir Michael Hopkins鈥� Saga headquarters, which is facing 拢8m of remedial works four years after opening. 鈥淚t鈥檚 quite stressful to be a partner in this organisation,鈥� he continues. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a case of handing over projects to junior staff and letting them get on with it. You have to be hands-on in every area.鈥�

Smith鈥檚 quiet transition will be carried out alongside the continuing presence of Morrell. He describes Morrell鈥檚 role as that of a 鈥渜uasi-chairman鈥� to his chief executive.

In his understated way, Smith sees the handover as freeing Morrell to pursue his pan-industry interests, which include being a CABE commissioner as well as growing the firm in North America and Asia. 鈥淗e鈥檚 not going to have to worry about making sure we have got the right people in the right places. From that angle, we have potentially got the best of both worlds.

Maybe in the past he鈥檚 probably tried to do a bit too much. We now have 1100 people with various strands in the business. It鈥檚 now demanding a different management style to get the best out of it.鈥�

Smith鈥檚 progress up the ladder at DL&E has been smooth. He joined in 1976 when the firm was in its Davis Belfield & Everest guise, and made partner in 1982. He then had tours of duty heading DL&E鈥檚 operations in London and the South-east. That kind of pedigree made him an obvious choice to take over. 鈥淎 lot of people have been saying that I would succeed. I鈥檝e not been preparing myself,鈥� he says, and pauses 鈥� 鈥渞esigning myself maybe鈥�, and adds a high-pitched laugh.