Built on Collaboration

Leigh: We like this title for our blog because it reflects that both construction projects and our business have been built by collaboration between people and teams.

Rob: Exactly. For a construction, or mining, or any project to be completed successfully - on time, on budget, safely and to a high standard - effective communication and teamwork are essential. Globalization and the scale of projects now being undertaken have made this more difficult, leading to demand for technologies that help link project teams - such as online collaboration solutions, the business that we're in.

Leigh: And collaboration is also essential for a business, where teams, functions and individuals - often with very different roles and backgrounds - need to work together to achieve the goals of the organization. So we find there are a lot of parallels between the challenges faced on projects and those found in managing and leading an organization. So there you have it: Built on Collaboration.

Rob: Plus the domain name was available, which is rare these days! So, in this blog, we want to provide a platform for discussing how collaboration - technology, people and businesses - can help deliver successful projects.


Bloggers

Leigh and Rob are co-founders of Aconex, the world's largest provider of online collaboration solutions to the construction and engineering industries. Since they founded the company in 2000, the business has doubled in size each year. Aconex currently has more than 30 offices worldwide that service projects with a combined value of $180 billion.

Prior to Aconex, where he is CEO, Leigh worked for management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company, advising clients on strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and business growth issues, with a particular focus on the emerging impact of the internet. Away from the world of work, Leigh enjoys skiing and savoring a glass of red from his family's winery, although rarely at the same time.

Rob previously worked for accountancy firm Deloitte before moving into a site based role with builders Multiplex. His role as Director of Business Development at Aconex involves him closely in corporate strategy. In his spare time, Rob can be found surfing and hiking, or hunting - particularly for the latest gadgets.