For Tim Byles, this is his last SOLACE conference as chairman now he is heading up Partnership for Schools. But you haven't seen the last of him yet, as he explains to Michael Burton

Tim Byles must possess a substantial hatstand at home, judging by the number of different hats he has worn in his career. Before his most recent appointment, he was chief executive of Essex CC, chairman of SOLACE, chair of the chief executives' task force [on procurement], procurement ‘champion', a member of DEFRA's sustainable procurement taskforce, chair – until this year – of the local government task force on rethinking construction, and last but not least, regular columnist for The MJ.