The Building Podcast with Mark Wakeford

Mark talks to Tabassum Hussain - Stepcare India

Send a Text - Feedback Welcome [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2394957/fan_mail/new] The corporate mantra that our employees are our biggest asset is often said, but it is unclear how far companies ought to go to protect these assets.  If a company is to get the best from its staff then they need to be competent and motivated to do their job over a long period.  To achieve this, companies are increasingly supporting the health of their staff, providing health insurance, mental health first aiders and other group support to ensure that their greatest asset can perform. This is a worldwide challenge and is particularly prevalent where competent staff are in high demand and healthcare is used as a bonus to demonstrate the lengths that an employer may go to, to support their employee.  The Building Podcast has gone to Bengaluru in India to hear how one company is providing this health support to both corporates and individuals.  In a country where there is some national health provision it is fascinating to hear how a successful company provides proactive healthcare to prevent staff from becoming ill in the first place and how this care includes mental health and dermatology. Tabassum Hussain is a qualified nutritionist and the Business Development Manager for Stepcare Pvt.    Stepcare is a health company that provides primary healthcare and diagnostic services within Whitefield, a sub-region of Bengaluru in India.  She speaks to employers on a regular basis to understand their needs and to demonstrate the value of investing in their employees’ health and wellbeing. Listen to this podcast if you want to hear of the benefits of proactive healthcare  and the value this investment can bring in terms of reduced days off ill and an improvement in well-being that this security can provide.  Listen to hear the sorts of services that are available to keep Indian businesses working and the reasons why this is so important. Stepcare: Preventive Health Care Services in Whitefield Bangalore [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstepcare.co.in%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdinah.downes%40evoenergy.co.uk%7C038822f2d27243fa6fbf08deb2d9b834%7C12a84287d6ce4381a843cd0fdc9bbb1f%7C0%7C0%7C639144845331179333%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dg6UwHdnuKmq%2FLg%2B444S%2Fb2hOL63Zh0brn9BxW7Ynd4%3D&reserved=0]

Mark talks to Dr Olga Kozlova - Oxford University

Send a Text - Feedback Welcome [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2394957/fan_mail/new] The rate of change that businesses face continues to increase.  Whether this is due to technology from iphone to AI, Covid-19 and the rise of the mental health challenge, wars in Europe and the Middle East, or climate change.  Each issue demanding an intelligent and definitive action from corporate and industry leaders.  One essential solution is innovation, innovation in products and services and innovation in process and culture in how we run our businesses. Dr. Olga Kozlova is the Director for Innovation and Engagement at Oxford University.  She works on the interface between Government, Industry and Academia and is one of the leading lights on how to generate and then benefit from new ideas.  She is also responsible for promoting the ideas that Oxford University and other universities in the Arc between Oxford and Cambridge and making them commercially viable. Listen to this podcast to hear the importance of leadership and collaborative management styles to enable a culture of risk-taking that fosters innovation.  Dr. Kozlova talks about the need for entrepreneurs within a business, coining the term intrapreneurs for those who will improve businesses from within.  Once the culture is right some of the best ideas will come from staff trying to make their processes work effectively.  Dr. Kozlova encourages networking to better understand the wider context in which your business operates and the ability to join dots that such exposure can generate.   She also explores the fundamental importance of listening to you customers.  They are the ones that pay the bills and who you need to be able to support to make them more efficient and effective. The podcast finishes on the importance of education and training communication and risk taking within our schools.  Dr. Kozlova believes that businesses need to take control of these interactions, with support from Government. Dr Olga Kozlova | LinkedIn [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Folgakozlova1%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdinah.downes%40evoenergy.co.uk%7C96fdfde3c1b243abc94708de97a58cb1%7C12a84287d6ce4381a843cd0fdc9bbb1f%7C0%7C0%7C639114934441620751%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zVblMFPm%2FUhDt%2FeZWx%2BHzjilFG3e2yd6wLLYRzVslFM%3D&reserved=0] Oxford University Innovation [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Finnovation.ox.ac.uk%2Fabout%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdinah.downes%40evoenergy.co.uk%7C96fdfde3c1b243abc94708de97a58cb1%7C12a84287d6ce4381a843cd0fdc9bbb1f%7C0%7C0%7C639114934441646062%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=9q4h8nfHcEEW8VOJHmWjyUtQ5kMD71l1VssSEUBJ7pY%3D&reserved=0] arcuniversities.co.uk [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farcuniversities.co.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdinah.downes%40evoenergy.co.uk%7C96fdfde3c1b243abc94708de97a58cb1%7C12a84287d6ce4381a843cd0fdc9bbb1f%7C0%7C0%7C639114934441663789%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bCImItpogpak4Uu96DifcAm%2FLkhiJuskU34gO9FAAow%3D&reserved=0]

Mark talks to Kamil Kluza - Climate X

Send a Text - Feedback Welcome [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2394957/fan_mail/new] Climate change is creating risks for construction clients around the world.  What do we build?  How do we make it resilient?  Where do we build and what are the long-term risks from climate change that I need to take into account?  The same challenges face the banks when they look to see what is fundable and what is not?  Construction companies, dealing with projects rather than operations that are rooted in one location are also not immune to climate change.  Construction and energy companies need to assess their serves and their supply chains against climate risk to ensure their long-term viability. Kamil Kluza is the Chief Operating Officer and founder of Climate X – A platform that can provide a strategic risk rating for a company’s exposure to climate change over a period of time.  The platform assesses discrete locations against climate change effects, such as flood and storm, together with an assessment of supply chain risk.  These risks are quantified in terms of potential costs against the cost of measures to mitigate any risks.  This allows the company to then make high level decisions on what is worth an investment and what to manage, or divest from, if the costs outweigh the value.  The tool is also used by banks to assess the risk of a company defaulting investment or debt repayments as a result of climate change. This is a powerful tool, that can inform customers of risks and mitigating resilience measures that can then be delivered by their construction partners.  Listen to Kamil if yo would like to understand how financial risks are managed by banks, how climate change risk and opportunity can be managed strategically by companies and the ease of which these tools can now be deployed. Climate Physical Risk & Resilience Solution | Climate X [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flanding.climate-x.com%2Foverview%3Futm_source%3Dbing%26utm_medium%3Dpaidsearch%26utm_campaign%3Dbrand%26utm_term%3Dclimate%2520x%26utm_campaign%3D%26utm_source%3Dbing%26utm_medium%3Dppc%26hsa_acc%3D9950716929%26hsa_cam%3D570589461%26hsa_grp%3D1267738584674743%26hsa_ad%3D%26hsa_src%3Do%26hsa_tgt%3Dkwd-79234176114408%3Aloc-188%26hsa_kw%3Dclimate%2520x%26hsa_mt%3De%26hsa_net%3Dadwords%26hsa_ver%3D3%26msclkid%3D7040687c8e7c122ddd8801883feb426a&data=05%7C02%7Cdinah.downes%40evoenergy.co.uk%7Ce627b1c39f644289119d08dea78a202b%7C12a84287d6ce4381a843cd0fdc9bbb1f%7C0%7C0%7C639132408858265792%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=TH8ZrXL%2BIcAf7PassunaeshCKzkGzVqSL%2FjStkyJi1M%3D&reserved=0] 🚀 Kamil Kluza | LinkedIn [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fkamilkluza%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdinah.downes%40evoenergy.co.uk%7Ce627b1c39f644289119d08dea78a202b%7C12a84287d6ce4381a843cd0fdc9bbb1f%7C0%7C0%7C639132408858307595%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=rRKzIsHvUG8MLvDa7vUngDvCZI5O%2F3xKEW77e9eVcUw%3D&reserved=0]

Mark talks to Rakesh Maharaj - Global Solar Council

Send a Text - Feedback Welcome [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2394957/fan_mail/new] The Global Solar Council is the worldwide trade body for the solar sector.  It exists to promote solar and battery storage around the world and it has members in every continent that include regional trade bodies, individual corporates and the full range of stakeholders from banks to developers.  All are united to drive the adoption of solar at scale and at pace.  This includes an aspiration to deliver 8TW of generating capacity and over 300M domestic homes with solar PV by 2030.  This is only possible as the industry matures to take its place as the central generating mechanism for energy around the world.  The Global Solar Council’s role includes unlocking the constraints on this growth to make the industry truly sustainable. This remit includes the provision of skill standards for the industry and Rakesh Maharaj, founder of ARMSA Academy and a strategy director of the Global Solar Council, chairs the Skills Taskforce for the GSC.  He talks to Mark about the aspirations of the Taskforce and the need for standardisation of skills to ensure that installations are designed, installed and maintained by skilled professionals, regardless of where in the world solar is deployed.  This will provide confidence in the product and energy security within the power network.  Both crucial for investors, operators and ultimate beneficiaries of our energy networks around the world. Listen to this podcast to hear about the Skills Taskforce work and the application to countries around the world.  Hear why the balance between capacity and capability is so important, as is the need to train our corporate leaders in the Board rooms around the world.  Listen to this podcast to hear how to overcome regional variations in training and to recognise a competent workforce as an enabler in a vibrant and exciting industry.  Rakesh believes that those economies that grasp this opportunity now will hold this position for the next twenty years as they control the market for safe, reliable and efficient installations in a global market. Rakesh Maharaj | LinkedIn [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Frakeshm%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdinah.downes%40evoenergy.co.uk%7Ce8c5560d353c479e290608deab92313e%7C12a84287d6ce4381a843cd0fdc9bbb1f%7C0%7C0%7C639136841537603231%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5FW5%2BYdbCHsTHcTT6NUI7EHAwr5Fdcm3ZH3JHYu792M%3D&reserved=0] Digitising Organisational Development and Learning in Renewables [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farmsa.academy%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdinah.downes%40evoenergy.co.uk%7Ce8c5560d353c479e290608deab92313e%7C12a84287d6ce4381a843cd0fdc9bbb1f%7C0%7C0%7C639136841537636577%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=iDR6hNhbbkyb1TdIdwblMqYd9ty2ibO%2FwV71SV4e3mc%3D&reserved=0]

Mark talks to Simon Berry - Anchor

Send a Text - Feedback Welcome [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2394957/fan_mail/new] When responsible for 56,000 dwellings that are almost exclusively for vulnerable people towards the end of their lives, security and maintenance of building assets becomes a vital service.  Your customers depend upon an effective and affordable service that is understandable and does what it says on the tin!  Simon Berry is the Technical Standards and Specification lead for England’s largest housing provider for the elderly, Anchor.  He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building.  In his role he must ensure that all Anchor’s properties are safe, secure and properly maintained.  This includes the solar and battery installations that are common across his portfolio. Listen to Simon if you want to understand the governance and care with which he and his team approach this crucial element of Anchor’s services.  Hear how successful oversight has led to zero fires in either solar arrays or Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).  Hear the important role that this plays in supporting Anchor’s drive to net-zero. Simon Berry MSc FCIOB MIFireE | LinkedIn [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fsimon-berry-msc-fciob-mifiree-4148722b%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdinah.downes%40evoenergy.co.uk%7C01c3e0b8e63c47b74db808dea78d61db%7C12a84287d6ce4381a843cd0fdc9bbb1f%7C0%7C0%7C639132422830047477%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2BJGCEbys6x%2FqalXd8e%2BdaOmAhsy95MrZq5UR32EaLGI%3D&reserved=0] Anchor - Later Life is for Living [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.anchor.org.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cdinah.downes%40evoenergy.co.uk%7C01c3e0b8e63c47b74db808dea78d61db%7C12a84287d6ce4381a843cd0fdc9bbb1f%7C0%7C0%7C639132422830077866%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=1KI2rVS6CT5aeRuhKZrVZyWzqDOjgcs66uJSi89qcEc%3D&reserved=0]