SIR ALAN COCKSHAW
BUILDING BRIDGES - CONNECTING PEOPLE
HARDBACK £25 & UK postage £4.50
By Email memoirclub@msn.com OR MOBILE 0755 2086888
Sir
Alan Cockshaw is a highly respected figure in the business world. Born in
Manchester he spent his early career in both the public and private sectors. He
became the Chief Executive of Fairclough Civil Engineering in 1978 and a
Director of Amec in 1982 before his appointment as Group Chief Executive in
1984. In 1988 he became Chairman until his retirement in 1997.
He became a Director of Pidemco, Singapore (1991-2001), Director of CapitaLand, Singapore & UK, and the International Advisory Board (2001-2007).
He was Chairman of the Governors of Bolton School (1997-2007) and Chairman of the Major Projects Association (2005-2010).
He was knighted in 1992.
FOREWORD
by
The Rt Hon. the Lord Heseltine CH
It is a curiosity of ministerial
life that there is no formal process of training. One day you are a backbencher
with a constituency to look after aided by whatever public or private sector experience
that preceded your election to the House of Commons. A day later you are seated
behind a desk appropriate to the dignity and status as one of His Majesty’s ministers
responsible for policy direction over a myriad of issues about which you may have
little knowledge or experience. You will of course, have a feel for what your party
expects of you! An outside observer may feel that there must be a better way to
run a whelk stall.
I revert to the concept of training ministers. If I were to design such a scheme Alan’s book would be required reading. He brings the objectivity of a trained professional to the multi-disciplined challenges of public policy. I share his view that once an objective has been set the first essential is to put someone in charge and create a mechanism to deliver. Results will invariably depend on cooperation between the public and private sectors based on an understanding of the essential contributions that both can bring. He makes the important point that as many of the problems to be solved have similarities abroad it makes sense to see how other countries cope.
There is a fashion to promote recently graduated party enthusiasts
to act as political advisers to ministers. I never did that but time and again I
appointed advisers to bring their specialist expertise into the heart of the civil
service. Alan’s story is a role model of how men and women with proven track records
can be attracted into public service for the enrichment of us all.
REVIEWS
The best book I have ever read... what it says about leadership is astonishing. In my view, nobody has ever written a book about the construction industry like it.
It’s also the best love story I have ever read. PC
Sir Alan and his wife Brenda have four adult
children and live in the Manchester area.
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