Gregor Craig succeeds Wates Group chairman Sir James Wates, who has been chair of the CBI construction council for three years.
Gregor Craig has been president and chief executive of Skanska UK since May 2017. He joined the company in 2003 and its executive management team in 2015.
Mr Craid said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great privilege to be taking on this role, especially at this critical time for the construction industry. We are heading towards a new relationship with the European Union and, although the pandemic has had a well-documented impact, there is also a lot to learn about what the industry can achieve when it is really focused. We need to take the best of that learning and make sure it is part of the template for the future of construction.鈥�
Sir James Wates said: 鈥淚t has been my privilege to serve as chairman of the CBI construction council for the past three years. Construction is well known for being a fragmented industry, but we have worked hard to ensure the council is clear on its remit and actively brings together perspectives from across this diverse and amazing sector that is so critical to the UK economy. I am confident that Greg will continue this good work, which is now more important than ever, as we work with the government and the entire business community to deliver what the UK needs to recover from the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic.鈥�
CBI president Lord Karan Bilimoria said: "In Gregor, the construction council has another highly-respected business leader who not only cares passionately about the future of the industry, but the professionalism and wellbeing of UK construction workers, as his own company鈥檚 commitment to mental health and diversity shows. Skanska is also a market leader in sustainable construction, which will be a defining challenge facing UK construction in the coming decades.鈥�
Gregor Craig will formally take over as chair on 1st November 2020 and remain in post until December 2023. As chair of the construction council, he will also sit on the CBI chairs鈥� committee, which is responsible for setting and steering CBI policy decisions.
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