I have been involved in some aspect of the construction industry or other since I was 16, except for about ten years when I was either studying engineering, selling computers, writing The Face on Mars, teaching karate, and working in armed close protection. So about 30 years as of 2026. I studied Civil Engineering, graduating in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1993, but I was already managing sites in Africa previously, by age 19, and have been involved in some prestigious projects around the world. From microwave towers in Botswana, back in the 1980s, to various prestigious hotels in London, including The Grosvenor Hotel in Park Lane, and iconic buildings, like the Shard, Embassy Gardens, and Apple HQ in Battersea Power Station, all in London. The Aviano Airforce Base in Italy, and Talan Towers in Astana, Kazakhstan.

I primarily worked starting as a site manager, then working my way to project management and quantity surveying, and eventually as a more generic ability to be a commercial consultant on various construction projects. Most of my work for the last 20 years was done in the UK, but also some abroad. I have an excellent track record especially for claims and forensic accounting, but also as maximising general commercial opportunities, be it at the design, value engineering, or construction phase. You can see part of my CV at Filotto.org.