Human capital For South Africa, the 2010 Soccer World Cup coincides with a global trend of increased investment in infrastructure – a trend that many analysts predict as being the most dramatic increase in construction activity in our country’s history. Following more than two decades of decline, this will raise the profile of the engineering and construction industry and drive demand for human capital and leadership talent. The greatest human capital challenge lies not so much in basic skills, as in strategic and professional leadership. This is a global challenge. The United Kingdom, preparing for the 2012 London Olympics, faces similar challenges of leadership and capacity. Infrastructure development will be characterised by larger and more complex projects requiring more sophisticated leadership talent with the ability to manage an increasingly complex and dynamic environment. It is not the first time the South African construction industry has had to undergo a rapid transformation to meet significant new expectations. A similar challenge loomed in the 1960s and 1970s when the country experienced the last cyclical construction upturn. A new generation of leaders seized the opportunity and met the challenges posed at that time. Murray & Roberts views its leadership teams as a key source of competitive advantage and has implemented a strategy to uncover fresh solutions to prepare them for a period of sustainable growth. Many of the challenges facing Murray & Roberts are industry- wide. This limits the scope for external recruitment within South Africa. Murray & Roberts has an active recruitment programme underway to attract expatriate South African construction executives from the international community and build As South Africa’s leading engineering and construction group, Murray & Roberts is strengthening its human capacity to meet the challenges of 2010 and beyond.