Luke Vanner

As a product owner, I’m working as part of our internal software development team delivering bespoke cloud-based web applications to our cost managers. I’m responsible for two web apps, both of which have been built from scratch to help users at Turner & Townsend advise our clients on the cost of their construction projects. I ensure we deliver software that meets their requirements, providing advice and guidance, as well as problem solving and technical knowledge.

I joined Turner & Townsend’s graduate programme as an Assistant Cost Manager in infrastructure. Working with our Cost Assurance team, I deliver cost verification audits and data visualisation before joining our digital transformation programme to work as a product owner. 

Q. How has your career at Turner and Townsend developed?

A. It’s been an interesting journey – the opportunities given to me went above and beyond what I was expecting when I joined. I think a large part of that is down to working with a great group of people who have helped me find a role that I really enjoy. I certainly wouldn’t have ended up being a Product Owner without them!

Q. Describe your typical day.

A. One half of my day is spent talking to Cost Managers from around the UK about their daily tasks and working with them to identify how we could do things more efficiently. The other half is spent with a brilliant team of software engineers and graphic designers turning cost managers’ ideas into cloud-based web applications. I also drink quite a lot of tea!

Q. What is the emerging trend in your industry specialism and how are you responding to this?

A. We’re employing best practice agile software development and DevOps to help us bring our users, software engineers and technical infrastructure closer together. This gives us the ability to build and run all our products from a single internal development team, which isn’t dissimilar to an owner-operator model in construction.