Ashfords Partner Jessica Taylor chairs CIC Diversity in the Built Environment Working Group set up to create Umbrella Body for black construction professionals

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) is delighted to be forging ahead in their work to create an Umbrella Body specifically focused on creating a more diverse leadership and increased representation within CIC and the industry from black construction professionals.

This new Umbrella Body is being driven by a CIC working group, the Diversity in the Built Environment Working Group (DIBE) which comprises Chair Jessica Taylor (Partner, Ashfords LLP), Vice Chair Gail Royston (Senior Cost Manager CBRE), Nike Folayan (AFBE UK Co-Founder and Chairperson), Bola Abisogun (DiverseCity Surveyors Founder and Chair), Amos Simbo (BPIC Founder and CEO).

The Working Group has collaborated to create a set of goals for itself and will make recommendations to the CIC Board and Council on the setting up and operation of the Umbrella Body.  The group will take all reasonable steps to identify and meet with relevant and appropriate organisations and parties within the industry.  Candidates for nomination onto CIC committees and panels will be initially provided from within DIBE Working Group Member organisations.  The group will also work towards raising the profile for DIBE to both CIC members and externally to the industry as a whole and recommend a name and identity to be used by the Umbrella Body.

Once the Umbrella Body is established it will itself field candidates for the CIC Council and will have voting rights for the election of the CIC Chair as well as establishing its own sub-groups and working groups.

Working Group Chair, Jessica Taylor said: “I am honoured to have been invited to chair the CIC Diversity in the Built Environment (DIBE) Working Group and I look forward to seeing this work develop into a comprehensive and successful Umbrella Body in the future”

CIC Chair, Justin Sullivan said: “I'm delighted to be able to confirm that the DIBE Working Group has been formally set up. This is very important work for CIC and the wider construction industry and something I have been passionate about during my time as Chair of CIC.  I eagerly look forward to this group realising their goals and impacting on the industry with the support of CIC.”