好色先生TV

If you want to grow a building consultancy by 50% within five years, Steve McGuckin is a useful man to have on board. When it comes to the construction business, McGuckin knows his stuff. He has a first-class degree in architecture and qualifications from the London Business School and MIT. Add to that a 20-year career spanning Mace, Land Securities and now Turner & Townsend, and he has most bases covered.

He was promoted to UK managing director of T&T three months ago and is responsible for reshaping the group in the UK. Here, he talks about the potential impact of the consultant鈥檚 international growth plans, as well as commenting on this week鈥檚 rumours of US firms circling UK consultants, such as Scott Wilson.

International plan

McGuckin believes T&T has 鈥渁 good base to bounce off鈥� for international expansion. The group鈥檚 turnover outside the UK amounts to 拢84m - almost 35% of its 拢245m overall turnover - and it operates in 21 sectors in 29 countries from 63 offices.

This reshaping is the right thing. we are facing the world as it is seen through the eyes of the client

Steve McGuckin

But despite already having this global presence, the growth strategy is ambitious. 鈥淭here is no reason why it shouldn鈥檛 be 50% bigger within five years,鈥� McGuckin says. 鈥�100% even, as a stretch target.鈥�

The plan is to reshape the international business鈥� three focus areas to reflect the changing shape of the global economy and emerging markets. This will involve a move away from traditional property services towards infrastructure and natural resources.

At the moment, 23% of the business focuses on infrastructure, 15% on natural resources and 62% on property. By 2015, McGuckin says, the split will be closer to 35:25:40.

The key growth areas will be South America - especially Chile, Brazil and Argentina - the US, Canada and the Middle East, and it will be a mix of organic growth and acquisitions. Turner & Townsend Canada merged with Toronto-based CM2R in April, for example, and now has offices in Toronto and Calgary.

鈥淥ur strategy is not to arrive in a country with a man, a desk and a phone but to build alliances with clients and local firms as a way of establishing offices,鈥� says McGuckin.

He points to one of the factors that sets Turner & Townsend apart: it offers joined-up services in different sectors rather than separate disciplines. 鈥淔or all the key sectors - oil, gas and energy, to name a few - we have excellent programme managers, cost managers and management consultants,鈥� he says. 鈥淧lus we have 25 years鈥� experience working overseas, which helps.鈥�

On this week鈥檚 rumours of US firms closing in on UK acquisitions, he says: 鈥淯K based companies with quality people and clients will be an attractive target, particularly while infrastructure investment remains strong.鈥� However, he dismisses the suggestion that T&T will be bought, saying that flotation is still the preferred route to fund growth when 鈥渢he conditions are appropriate鈥�. The company has already attempted such a move but was forced to abandon it in February 2008 due to the turmoil in the financial markets.

The home front

It is the firm鈥檚 UK strategy that lies at the heart of McGuckin鈥檚 role. The business is turning over about 拢127m, an 11% increase on 2008. As well as overseeing the group鈥檚 work on the Shard at London Bridge, McGuckin is responsible for pushing ahead with a revamped company structure aimed at aligning services better with client requirements.

The driver behind this mirrors the international strategy - a move away from traditional skills towards specific sectors. So rather than offering teams of cost or project managers, the consultant will provide teams of people with a mixture of skills, focusing on key growth areas.

鈥淎t least a quarter of the UK business is now in infrastructure,鈥� says McGuckin. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 one of the areas we will be focusing on - looking at transport and utilities.

鈥淭his reshaping is the right thing to do. It means we are facing the world as it is seen through the eyes of the client. Clients want to buy a ready-made team that will provide cradle-to-grave services.鈥�

He believes it is not just clients who will benefit from the new shape of the business. It should also drive recruitment within the consultant in the coming months.

鈥淲e are planning to recruit again this year. There is still a bit of pressure on margins but now is a great time to be bringing in new talent. I haven鈥檛 seen such a good pool in 20 years,鈥� he says.

鈥淥ver the next five years the UK will be on a growth trajectory, though over the next year the emphasis will be on a smooth reshaping of the business. So maintaining revenue rather than growing it might be a more realistic ambition. But there will be some recruitment in our growth sectors.鈥�

McGuckin is clearly intent on making sure the UK doesn鈥檛 get left behind in T&T鈥檚 whirlwind international expansion.