Building a career brick by brick lands Highlander dream job
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A Highland man who has spent his life in the building trade has taken the wheel as regional managing director at a large construction firm.
Ian Phillips is now the man in charge of Robertson Construction Northern after spending the last six years as its operations director. Robertson Construction Northern is part of Robertson Group – one of the largest construction, infrastructure and support service businesses in the UK.
Born in the Black Isle, Ian spent his teenage years working in the building trade, following in the footsteps of his father, who had his own civil engineering business. After completing a degree in civil engineering, Ian worked in various construction roles across three decades to develop his skills and strengthen his expertise, leading to this career defining moment to lead the well-established and successful Northern business into its next chapter.
With offices in Elgin, Inverness, and Fort William, Robertson Construction Northern is a trusted strategic partner of choice for an array of customers throughout the north of Scotland and the Highlands, delivering high quality projects across a third of the Scottish mainland.
Currently the team is delivering a diverse portfolio of projects ranging in value £150,000 to £65 million.
Speaking about his new role, Ian said: “I am delighted to take up the position as regional managing director of Robertson Construction Northern.
“Over the past year I have taken on increased responsibility to support the sustained growth of the business, which is fortunate to benefit from a loyal, highly skilled, and well-established team.
“I’ve been appointed to the role following the retirement of Frank Reid, who was regional managing director for 20 years, and has been with the Robertson business for 43 years. He has had an outstanding career and helped reinforce the reputation of the business during his tenure as MD. Frank has left a huge legacy in the region, and I look forward to emulating his success.”
Ian is quick to acknowledge the skilled and dedicated team he has behind him.
“We have a really strong team here. We have almost 100 employees in the Northern business and each is passionate about delivering high quality projects and best-in-class service.
“Having a cohesive and highly professional team that share the same vision and work to the same principles will make managing the business a pleasure. Every member of Team Robertson wants only the best for our customers, but also for each other, there is a real team spirit that helps breed success.”
The team spirit is enhanced through a supportive and collaborative work environment with Robertson committed to providing meaningful development and career opportunities for all employees.
“Our people are our most valuable asset. We have a loyal team who benefit from a nurturing work environment where health and safety is our number one priority, closely followed by the wellbeing of our teams,” said Ian.
“Our strong team ethos is grounded in having the right management structure, excellent employee benefits and well-established processes and procedures.
“The Northern business is well positioned to support our existing and new customers from our three office locations. But it’s not only our customers who benefit from our regional reach, each year we bring significant economic benefit to the region through our long-established relationships with the local supply chain and we are working hard in the communities where we have projects to improve community wealth building through our social impact activities.
“The business was established in Elgin over 57 years ago and we continue to go from strength to strength.
“We are committed to delivering high quality projects for our valued customers both established and new.”
Ian has been working closely with the Robertson Group Board to set out the strategic plans for the future of the business.
He is particularly passionate about attracting and retaining young people into the industry and providing them with meaningful opportunities to learn and gain professional qualifications to meet the labour shortage that is facing the wider construction sector.
Ian said: “There is no secret that our industry faces a challenge when it comes to attracting new talent and we are keen to show construction as a viable career option for those starting out or seeking to change their career. The industry offers a variety of roles and development opportunities for everyone. There are no barriers to entering a career in construction and when I started out over 30 years ago as a site engineer, I wouldn’t have believed anyone who told me that I would be the Regional Managing Director of a hugely successful business one day.
“We are launching a ‘Small Works’ division, which is a great opportunity to get young people involved in the industry. This will allow us the opportunity to take on more apprentices as brick layers, joiners, or ground workers who will be provided with opportunities to work across a diverse range of projects gaining experience, formal qualifications, and a trade while learning on the job.”
Robertson has been innovative with the use of technology across its projects for several years, and Ian plans to increase the use of construction technology in the region, bringing benefits for both customers and the construction teams.
Ian explains: “I want to increase the use of BIM 4D construction technology. This is a dynamic process which integrates 3D models with programmes and logistical plans to create a simulated construction sequence. It means we can do an automated process video of how a project will be constructed before we even start on site. It’s a great visual representation for our customers and allows the construction team to coordinate resource, improve communication, and make informed decisions throughout the project.”
Ian has been part of the senior management team at Robertson Construction Northern for the last six years and during that time has worked through a number of external challenges which have impacted industries across the country including the covid pandemic and more recently higher inflation and rising costs.
Ian said: “Our sector is not immune to rising material costs and inflation, however, with strategic forward planning we closely track market conditions to ensure that we are providing our customers with competitive solutions in order that we can deliver high quality projects, on time and on budget.”
Outside of Robertson, Ian is a family man and enjoys spending time in the Highlands with his family.
He said: “Three children keep my wife and I busy, but with our eldest at university, things have certainly got a little quieter.
“Having built our family home a few years ago, I have turned my attention to the garden and enjoy the time outside. When I am not tending the garden, I enjoy spending time with wider family and friends.
“I’m very much looking forward to the opportunities that will come with my new role at Robertson. I am sure that I speak for the rest of the team when I say that we wish Frank a long and happy retirement and thank him for everything that he has done.
“This role isn’t about filling someone else’s shoes, it’s about making my own way, continuing the success of the business, and helping to grow it, while providing training and opportunity for existing and new members of team Robertson.
“At Robertson, our vision is to assure a sustainable future for our people, our partners, and our planet. I intend to do all that I can to help make that vision a reality, and to have a great time with the team while we do it.”
