In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Iris Chan, Head of Corporate Risk and Broking, Hong Kong & Macau and Executive Director, Construction Hong Kong & Macau, is joined by Mike Wyatt, Associate Director, Global Marine, International Trade & Logistics. Our experts take a deep dive into the what is modular construction, the drivers behind its significant growth, the associated risks and how companies can mitigate those risks.  When thinking about modular construction, it’s important to take into consideration factors such as transportation and project delays, which is why in this episode we also explore project cargo insurance, which is insuring goods in transit from the supplier through to the project site. 

Some construction sites might falsely believe that since narcotics are forbidden at the work site, this just simply shouldn't be a problem, or they might even think that having Naloxone might make people feel more of a sense of license that they can misuse narcotics at or near the workplace.  In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Jonathan Oppenheim, North America Regional Construction Leader, is joined by Jeff Levin Schurz, a Physician, Managing Director at WTW, and our North American Population Health Leader.  In the podcast, we explore the use of Naloxone as a potential life saving practice in the construction industry. This is an incredibly important topic as fatal drug overdoses have doubled in the U.S. since 2015. For more information on the topic discussed in the podcast, please visit the following sources: Surgeon General Advisory on Naloxone and Opioid Overdose (2022)

The economic and societal impacts of secondary perils has become a concern for risk managers following a year dominated by extreme weather conditions, wildfires, droughts and floods. Beyond economic damages, numerous disasters in 2023 highlighted the need for a proactive approach to risk identification, mitigation and adaptation. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, John Marsicano, Senior Director of SDI Claims and Financial Advisory Services, is joined by Kishan Dasan, Director of Strategic Growth – Construction and Natural Resources, and Todd MacDermott, Regional Construction Claim Director, to discuss the shifting dynamics of natural catastrophe coverage in Australia and how we can draw lessons from more established Nat-Cat markets like the US.

Since the CHIPS Act of 2022, the activity in the technology sector has seen a significant increase. Undoubtedly, the global chip shortage in 2021 and 2022 disrupted a lot of supply chains and it caused subsequent product shortages in many industries. Naturally, the size of tech projects has mostly impacted the construction industry. These mega projects will take years to complete and they are going to be repositioning a lot of the major technology players’ entire supply chain and distribution model. The construction industry has quickly adapted to the changing demands and requirements of these mega projects. In the insurance marketplace, we are seeing capacity being both provided by domestic markets and international markets as they see it as a great opportunity to support this rapidly expanding sector. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Bill Creedon, Global Head of Construction, is joined by George Haitsch, Technology, Media and Telecom Industry Leader, as well as Jennifer Cate, Senior Construction Casualty Leader, and Edward Holland, Lead Technology Broker. Learn more about the 2024 outlook of the technology sector and the mega projects which are impacting the construction industry.

Professional liability (PL) markets have experienced dramatic changes in recent years and the construction industry was significantly impacted by those shifting market conditions. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Maria Sanchis, Global Construction Broking Leader, Roberto Felipe, Client Management Director, and Cynthia Olinger, North American Construction Professional Liability Practice Leader, discuss the current state of the PL market and the latest trends impacting construction projects.

Historically, the construction industry has been behind compared to other industries in terms of embracing technology. But things are changing, and construction companies are starting to utilize technology in a variety of different ways and creating their own intellectual property, their own solutions, leveraging technology in a variety of different ways. By definition, intangible assets are those that are not physical in nature, or identifiable, and can be bought and sold independently of the owner. In this podcast, we discuss a first party product that is meant to ensure the intangible assets themselves and the specific intangible assets that we're focused on are the non-public proprietary intangible assets owned by companies. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Tom Grandmaison, Construction Chief Client Officer, is discussing with our special guest Kim Cauthorn, Global Intellectual Property Leader, how organizations can protect themselves against financial loss resulting from accidental or malicious insider actions that cause loss, or leakage, or damage, or destruction of those intangible assets. You will also hear more about WTW’s new construction offering - an intangible asset protection solution.

High inflation is undoubtedly putting more pressure on all businesses and the construction industry is no different. We’re starting to see a gradual upward trend in disputes driven by high inflation. Naturally, inflation impacts require more attention to the level of current and requested escalation and final adjustment clauses to assure proper recovery in the event of a claim at any point in the construction schedule. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Philippa Pearce, Project Management Lead, GB Construction, is discussing with our special guest Dr Kieran Dineen, Civil Engineer and an independent consultant, the impact of inflation on construction contracts and disputes. Dr Kieran Dineen also provides helpful perspective on the effect of inflation on pricing and explains the three key ways contracts are priced. We also dive into the methods that can help deal with inflation outside contracts such as better design phase, offsite construction, modular build options and more.

It’s no surprise that many industries are experiencing severe labor and skills shortages on a global scale. This of course is a complex issue with multiple root causes, some of which are shorter term and others more structure in nature.  In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Julie Ragsdale, Director, Construction and Real Estate, is joined by Adam Hall, Senior Director, Employee Experience, to discuss some of the more specific causes of labor shortage that are impacting the construction industries. Dr Adam Hall also provides helpful perspective on the potential solutions that are driving transformational change such as shifting the immigration restrictions in some markets.

As industry leaders we need to think proactively about how women within construction can feel supported and encouraged to build their long-term careers. Creating a more diverse and inclusive construction workforce takes time but there are actions we can take now to inspire the next generation. The industry has a great number of career and educational pathways that lead to success.  In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Jennifer Cate, Midwest Construction Broking Leader, is joined by Manuela Spyrka, Canadian Construction Broking Leader, and Jessica Rasulo, Northeast Construction Practice Growth Leader, to discuss why representation and diversity in construction are so important. Hear what actions organizations can take to help nurture an inclusive workplace culture.

As we continue our journey towards net zero, the energy industry is evolving at a faster rate than ever to get us there, by producing and connecting more clean energy. This means more innovation, more technology and a lot of creativity. In this episode of Construction Blueprints, Michael Venables, Head of GB Broking Construction, is joined by Maria Sanchis, Global Construction Exec, Steve Munday, Global Renewable Energy Leader Natural Resources, and Alan McShane, Global Head of Engineering Natural Resources, to discuss the challenges in the Renewable Energy Sector that wwners, operators, underwriters and brokers alike experience from both a technology and project risk standpoint.