Marc Burton MBE is the winner of the Chartered Institute of Building Construction Manager of the Year Award 2021.
This was in recognition for his work on The Jersey General Hospital – Nightingale Wing.
The CIOB, the world’s largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership, held their award ceremony on Wednesday 29th September at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel. The event celebrates the people behind the build environment across the UK and their achievements.
Marc, Executive Director for the Garenne Construction Group, beat 76 other finalists in ten categories to win the prestigious award. He was also bestowed an MBE in the 2021 honours list for his work on the hospital.
The Jersey Nightingale Wing, a temporary facility that opened in May 2020, provided additional capacity to alleviate pressure on the Jersey General Hospital for patients with Covid-19. It was acknowledged by the Government of Jersey as its most significant community project since the end of the 2nd World War Occupation in 1945, and it provided the Island with a vital asset in the strategy to fight Covid-19.
Marc project managed the Jersey Nightingale Wing from a field to a 180 bed fully functioning hospital in just 25 days, with no pre-existing infrastructure in place. 541 people and 83 local businesses worked a 24/7 operation for the project to succeed.
While many Nightingale hospitals were being constructed around the country, Marc’s team faced a unique challenge – no company on the island was big enough alone to cover a specific trade task. This meant that Marc had to – and did – find innovative ways of helping competing suppliers to work collaboratively. Five floor-laying companies had to work together to install the vinyl in 24 hours, and it was a similar story for carpenters, service contractors and many other aspects of the development.
Upon receiving his award, Marc said: “I’m so honoured to receive this significant award. The Jersey Nightingale was an unbelievable project to be involved in and like all great projects, this was only made possible because of the efforts of everyone involved who all contributed to the projects success and everyone should be rightly proud of their achievements”.
He added: “The Jersey construction industry is a great place to work and to represent Jersey on such a stage is an absolute privilege”.
Caroline Gumble, Chief Executive of CIOB, said: “Our Construction Manager of the Year competition has always been about highlighting the very best of leadership and talent in our sector. Every year I’m impressed by those who make it to the finals but I’m particularly delighted this year that a long-standing member of the Institute and long-time champion of the industry has been recognised for his achievements. Many congratulations to Marc Burton
“He is a truly worthy winner, someone who leads by example and understands the impact of his work, making a huge positive difference in the industry and in the community.”
