ACT Discusses Why Safety Starts with Leadership at London Build 2026

Alister de Wys, Founding Director of super-prime main contractor ACT, will join industry leaders at London Build 2026 to discuss the critical role of leadership in driving health and safety performance.

Taking place on Wednesday 25th November 2026 from 10:00 - 10:50am on the Health and Safety stage, the session “Why Leadership is Essential to Health & Safety Success” will consider how leadership shapes safety culture, influences decision-making and supports safer working practices across the construction industry. The panel will explore how leaders can prioritise health and safety amid tight project deadlines and rising client expectations.

Alister will bring a personal perspective shaped by the bespoke demands of super-prime residential construction, where projects often involve listed buildings, constrained central London sites and teams of artisan subcontractors. He will share ACT’s experience of establishing safety as its foremost company value, creating a clear framework for decision-making and reinforcing the principle that exceptional workmanship and client service must never come at the expense of wellbeing. ACT has recently retained RoSPA Gold recognition for its health and safety performance.

The discussion will also consider how construction businesses can sustain and enhance their safety performance over time. Key topics will include investing in training, strengthening risk assessments, supporting specialist subcontractors and monitoring working practices on site to embed continuous improvement.

Commenting on his participation, Alister de Wys, Founding Director at ACT, said:

“Leadership is tested when working safely takes more time, demands additional planning or requires a difficult conversation with a client. As an industry, it’s important that we have open conversations about health and safety best practice, share our experiences and learn from one another to keep raising standards. Leaders have a responsibility to equip their teams with the knowledge, resources and support to make sound decisions, particularly when circumstances change and the pressure is on.”

Alister will join fellow panellists Rachel Price, Director and Head of Health and Safety Advisory UK&I at AECOM; Chris Linfoot, Director at Willmott Dixon Interiors; Neil Rosiak, Director of Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Tilbury Douglas; and Sophie Bevington, Head of Health & Safety for the Americas, UK & Europe at Mace Consult.

London Build (https://www.londonbuildexpo.com) takes place at ExCeL London on 25–26 November 2026, bringing together construction professionals for two days of industry discussion, networking and knowledge-sharing. For more information about ACT, visit www.act-developments.co.uk