Join us for an online lunch session with Dr Doug Forbes, Director of Whole Life Consultants Ltd, as he shares the company’s journey from a University of Dundee spin-out in 2004 to a leading advisory firm working with major businesses and governments. With a team of fewer than 10 people, Whole Life Consultants Ltd is a great example of how a small business can achieve sustainable growth and deliver large-scale projects.

Drawing on over 20 years of experience, Doug will share practical insights on improving efficiency, boosting productivity, and managing growth. He will also offer his top tips on project management, including how to plan effectively, anticipate challenges, and take a proactive approach to problem-solving, providing valuable takeaways for businesses looking to grow and succeed.

Dr Doug Forbes, Director, Whole Life Consultants Ltd

Doug Forbes is Director of Whole Life Consultants Ltd and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Dundee. A Chartered Civil Engineer, he holds a PhD in Civil Engineering and specialises in construction labour forecasting and infrastructure strategy, with a particular focus on how policy ambition translates into delivery on the ground.

With over 25 years’ experience across engineering, research and consultancy, Doug works at the intersection of construction pipelines, labour demand and skills planning.

More recently, his work has centred on the workforce implications of net zero and large-scale retrofit, including place-based analysis at regional and local authority level. This includes supporting public bodies and industry to understand not just the scale of demand, but when and where it will arise, and what that means for delivery.

Doug brings an evidence-based perspective to a simple but critical question facing the sector: not just what we plan to build, but whether we have the right workforce to deliver it.