Meeting the New Chief Exec

To a meeting with the incoming RIBA Chief Executive (Harry Rich) in Leeds yesterday evening. There is much talk of how London-centric the RIBA is at the expense of the regions, so it was interesting to note how Leeds centred a Yorkshire region event it was.

Is that inevitable? Like a series of league tables with the centres of power looking down on those below them in diminishing steps? What does that say about our decision to commit ourselves to Huddersfield? After listening to my fellow practitioners gathered round the table for an hour or so, and Harry Rich talking about what he had heard at other events round the country, I didn’t feel too bad. It seemed to confirm our view that it’s more about what you do, rather than where you choose to do it.

Harry seemed down to earth, practical, approachable and with the right mixture of experience and ideas of his own to make a difference at Portland Place. We shall see.