Own The Build
Own the Build is the podcast for Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Directors who want to sharpen their commercial edge and lead with confidence.
Hosted by Paul Heming, former Commercial leader and now co-founder of C-Link, each week’s conversation dives into the realities of modern commercial management — from procurement and contracts to digital transformation and leadership in construction.
Through honest discussions with industry leaders, forensic planners, and forward-thinking QSs, Paul explores how the best commercial teams deliver profit, performance, and project certainty in a changing industry.
If you’re serious about mastering the commercial side of construction — this is where you build your advantage.
Own The Build
Own the Build Leadership Series #3: Mark Walker, Managing Director at Seddon Housing Partnerships (£250m+ Group)
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In the third episode of the Own the Build Leadership Series, Paul is joined by Mark Walker, Managing Director of Seddon Housing Partnerships, an £85m social housing contractor operating across the North West and Midlands, part of the wider Seddon Group.
Mark’s journey is a powerful example of progression through ownership, resilience and long-term thinking. Starting in construction at 16 as a trainee QS, he worked his way through Assistant QS, QS, Senior QS, Managing QS and Commercial Director — before recently stepping into the Managing Director role.
This conversation explores what that journey really looked like.
Mark reflects on:
- putting his hand up for responsibility before he felt fully ready;
- how difficult projects build the resilience and judgment required for leadership;
- managing people older and more experienced than you;
- why bad jobs often create the best commercial leaders;
- the shift from project-focused thinking to full commercial oversight across estimating, surveying and supply chain;
- building collaborative two-stage tendering cultures that remove silos;
- why fairness with subcontractors is not weakness — it’s long-term strategy;
- the importance of transparency in reporting and contingency management; and
- why ownership and honesty are non-negotiable traits in high-performing commercial teams.
Mark also shares the mindset behind his move from Commercial Director to Managing Director — taking control of his own progression, succession planning his role beneath him, and making promotion a logical decision rather than a leap of faith.
The episode closes on a clear definition of great commercial leadership in 2026:
Create clarity. Build trust. Develop people. And take ownership.
This is essential listening for QSs aspiring to senior leadership — and for existing directors who want to sense-check what strong, modern commercial leadership really looks like.
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📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free new eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:
Want to connect with Paul?
Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at paul@c-link.com or through, C-Link.
C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.
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