Meet Muir Group CEO, Martin Smith

Tell us about your role.

My role is really diverse, covering all aspects of the Group from creating the vision, the values to driving the strategic objectives that are improving our business culture and performance day by day. The most enjoyable part of my role is working with our people. By making the time to listen and to develop their talents, we are able to help them thrive in their careers and successfully deliver the quality projects for our customers.

How did you?get into the world of construction?

My father was a steel erector early on in his career and latterly ran the Scottish operation of a company called FEB, an international construction chemicals manufacturer. This gave me many opportunities to develop my interest in chemistry by engaging with the company chemists. We discussed various technical issues such as concrete decay and capillary action in building materials. I was fascinated by it and this spurred me to go to the University of Strathclyde where I graduated with a BEng (Hons) in Building Design Engineering. Thereafter, I joined Muir in 1994 as a Site Engineer and now 30 years later, I am delighted to be back where it all began.

What is the best advice you've ever received?

The best advice I received was from my father. “Keep your feet on the ground, act with integrity, get down in the trenches with the groundworkers; ask questions, listen and learn from them. Most importantly…respect them.” I did exactly that.

What's your go-to office beverage?

I normally try to grab a Starbucks (or Costa) to set me up for the day!

Tell us something we don't know about you.

I led a team which came 3rd place in “The Times” Leadership Challenge in Malawi in 2010. Over 600 UK companies participated and it was one of the best learning experiences in leadership I’ve ever had. We had a fantastic team who have all since, excelled in their careers.