CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > February 2025 19 In his experience, many owners would find it difficult to determine exactly where the strengths really lay that would appeal to a new owner: hidden gems might lie in an unsuspected area of the business. An outside consultant with expertise, he said, could smooth negotiations between a keen seller and a willing buyer. Chris Harvey said most businesses do not consider their exit strategy until very late on. And many firms have been run with an emphasis on areas like minimising taxation, which might not ultimately put them on an ideal footing for sale. Having the right data about the business to present to a possible buyer was key; they would be interested in future growth potential rather than past performance. Ian McMillan highlighted the importance of keeping personnel informed as far as practically possible during a sales process. If people were told suddenly about a transfer of ownership on the day it happened, they would be understandably apprehensive; a better approach might be to float the idea in advance that a future sale was being explored but with minimum disruption. This could help preserve staff confidence and loyalty. Dani Saveker, who as a fourth generation CEO of a family business had to effect a management buyout and make several relatives redundant to preserve the company, said that while some 90% of the world’s businesses are family owned, many find succession planning hard. Yet the need for such conversations having taken place would be vital if a time came when a company found itself not moving forward. The final panel session considered ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Construction Sector’ with participants comprising Steve Kerslake , Trustee and Founder of Construction Sport which enables industry workers to participate in rugby tournaments, walks and other group activities promoting camaraderie and wellbeing; Gary Higgerson , a Charity Advocate with the Lighthouse construction charity; and Matt Hartill , Head of Wellbeing and Mental Health Support at Lyndon SGB, who told Conference delegates movingly about overcoming his own serious mental health challenges. Matt, an ex-army professional and an advanced scaffolder by trade, had suddenly found himself in a severely depressed state after a series of close family bereavements, during which he felt he had no-one to share his feelings with objectively. Furthermore, being a male and traditionally expected to ‘man up’ compounded the issue. In an emotional address to the audience, Matt described how he had ultimately started to plan taking his own life. However, a work colleague thankfully noticed that he was not his normal self. They contacted another teammember who was trained in suicide first aid; they rang Matt and invited him to go for a coffee. When face to face, he asked Matt if he was feeling suicidal and it was a breakthrough moment: Matt knew he could ask for help. Matt said his experience showed the immense value of training people as mental health first aiders and also suicide first aiders, because they know what to look for and how to elicit meaningful responses so they can coordinate help. Steve Kerslake said that group activities like those provided by Construction Sport helped promote togetherness and overcame the sense of isolation that was a common precursor to mental stress and suicidal feelings. Gary Higgerson pointed out the importance of asking the right questions, in the right way. He poignantly observed that many people tell lies every day by responding “I’m fine” when asked how they are, yet in reality they might be in a troubled space. One approach was to follow up the question “How are you?” with “But how are you, really?”. And this demonstrates the immeasurable value of people working together, looking out for one another as we move forward. It also showed the ongoing importance of human interaction and intervention in a perhaps more AI-driven world. Indeed, earlier in the Conference and in a more light-hearted vein, CPA President Brian Jones recounted an incident when visiting Paris last April to attend the Intermat exhibition as a member of the Innovation Award judging panel. Brian ordered a beer in his hotel bar and was taken aback when it was brought to him by a robot waiter, which then asked him in a digital voice if the beverage was to his satisfaction; when Brian said it wasn’t really cold enough, the robot promptly malfunctioned and he was left with the warm drink. So, while plant-hire’s future might be increasingly digitised and computerised, the CPA Conference showed that the human touch will remain vital for the foreseeable future and beyond. Alan Guthrie is a journalist and founder of the industry blog Alan Guthrie On Hire . CPA CONFERENCE REVIEW: 5