Gareth Neal
- Job Title: Surveying Manager
- Business Area: Construction
Introducing Gareth
In his role as a surveying manager for our construction business, Gareth has the responsibility of overseeing the commercial aspect of a number of projects in the prison sector.
Personal Statement
When I was looking for an employer when I left university I heard good reports from other graduates about Wates approach, the support provided for young staff and the career progression. The family ownership was also appealing to me as you feel more of a name than a number. I’ve been with Wates 11 years now progressing from graduate surveyor through to surveying manager and if anything the company has exceeded my expectations.
My Week
I’m currently overseeing 5 projects so my week will involve a number of site visits to monitor progress and deal with any issues that crop up. I’ll support the on site teams in areas such as internal reporting, commercial strategy and resource management as well as helping to resolve any disputes before they occur. I also work at customer management at the front end of projects to ensure that we are consistent in our approach and we secure new business. To do this role well you need to be mathematically minded and diligent but you also need to be a communicator and be able to talk to people at all levels.
Focus is important as there is an ever changing agenda that draws on your time and a diverse business landscape that you need to adapt to and this can sometimes be challenging but overall it’s a great career. One of the areas I really enjoy is supporting colleagues through their training and development. I’m an assessor for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and it’s really rewarding seeing colleagues reach their full potential.