ANNA Shephard has been elected president of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) for 2026/27.
During her inaugural speech to members, guests, and leading industry figures at the BESA President’s Lunch in London, she urged everyone working in the building engineering sector to ‘take pride’ in the role they play in improving the built environment.
With building services now accounting for more than 50% of the value of most construction projects, she believes there has never been a better time to be part of the industry.
“We are heavily involved in some of the fastest-growing sectors, including digital infrastructure, healthcare, life sciences and the energy transition. This creates a positive outlook for the future,” said Ms Shephard.
During her speech, she drew attention to BESA’s newly published Top 30 M&E Contractors Report, which she said showed that M&E contractors were innovating, collaborating and raising standards ‘to keep our industry moving forward…and that culture change, competence, compliance and better behaviours are foundations for business success’.
Ms Shephard added that the sector’s collective turnover had risen from £4.7 billion to over £6 billion since the pandemic. “That is worth celebrating because it was achieved in the face of considerable economic pressure and during a period of global upheaval.
“Our businesses are embracing the benefits offered by automation, artificial intelligence, integration and better use of data – not simply to cut costs, but to improve quality and make better technical decisions earlier. More of us are also making collaboration a practical way of working because the scale of the challenges ahead means none of us can succeed alone.”
Alongside inspiring the existing workforce, Ms Shephard said she wanted her presidential year to be marked by a renewed effort to attract the next generation into the industry.
Having run a family business for many years, she said she was acutely aware of the commercial challenges facing companies of all sizes. Her experience of retentions and other unfair payment practices encouraged her to become more closely involved with BESA and she chaired the organisation’s legal and commercial committee for many years.
“That experience showed me the value of working through our trade association to tackle challenges no single business can solve alone. It will also be another source of pride if my presidential year coincides with long-awaited legislation that finally outlaws retentions.
“I want to congratulate and thank everyone at BESA who has worked for decades to remove this unfairness from our industry…because making our industry fairer also makes it better and, therefore, more attractive to future generations.”
