PROMOTED
That Kevin Duke (pictured) has a forte for overseeing the building and delivery of major developments is beyond dispute.
The continued growth and success of the company he co-founded in 2015 – Dublin-based construction consultants Duke McCaffrey – provides substantial evidence of the qualified chartered surveyor’s expertise.
Alongside business partner Joe McCaffrey, he has steered the firm to a position of strength, expanding its core team of specialists to more than 20 and establishing an international footprint of clients.
The Duke McCaffrey chairman is not, however, one to rest on his laurels and has ambitions beyond helping to deliver projects for a diverse range of industry sectors that includes commercial and residential property, hospitality, education, health, retail, care settings, student accommodation and data centres.
In addition to sharing best practice, Kevin is keen to focus on building the relationships crucial to construction.
In Association with
“The dispute resolution aspect of the industry has always interested me,” he explained. “Without wishing to sound immodest, my experience in project management, procurement, due diligence and as an expert witness means I am able to take a ‘helicopter view’ of disagreements.
“I can get to the nub of issues quickly and am good at spotting the opportunities to push through subjects of contention and commonality. There is always a middle ground to be found and it’s important it is – the construction industry is a lot smaller than people perceive it to be so finding amicable solutions is crucial as paths will inevitably cross again.”
Kevin, who is planning to further enhance his knowledge of construction law and dispute resolution in the short term, stressed that speed is of the essence.
“Whether as a result of Brexit or the pandemic, many are feeling the pinch of rising costs on what were already tight profit margins,” he added. “The need to recover every euro is bound to make disputes more commonplace but long and torturous deadlocks will only add to the pain; I want to help parties to avoid getting stuck in the quagmire of a perhaps unnecessary legal battle.”
Aside from watching out for the fiscal welfare of others, Kevin conceded there was a personal motivation for pursuing peacekeeping.
“Companies and consultants folding as a consequence of disputes is not just damaging for those involved, but economies and communities,” he concluded. “In Ireland in particular, it is important there is continued development of the education and health sectors.
“I have kids growing up here and I want them to have the option to be able to stay in Ireland and thrive. While emigration is not a bad thing, I want it to be a decision not a necessity.”
