I'm Brian Dackers, Chairman of Rider Levett Bucknall and it's my great pleasure to present Rider Levett Bucknall's Annual Review 2009.
I am delighted to report that despite last year's challenging conditions our global practice performed very well in its home territories and also expanded further into international markets, including the Middle East, India and Europe.
Our performance was led by the strength of our core services; cost consultancy, focused project management and advisory services.
We are in a strong financial position to embark on our next stage of growth and development. We aim to strengthen our position as a leading property and construction consultant to the worldwide construction industry and help further meet the needs of our clients wherever they operate.
Although we looked to tightly control costs over the last year, Rider Levett Bucknall offices around the world also continue to invest in our greatest asset, that of our people, working diligently to recruit and retain top talent through various initiatives, one of which is the graduate program conducted in many parts of the world.
We are very proud of our people initiatives and some of these initiatives were once again honoured externally. Rider Levett Bucknall won a 2009 Australian Business Award for Recommended Employer and was the only firm to rank in both The Sunday Times and The Guardian newspapers UK Top Employers Awards for 2009.
We are also fully engaged in a range of corporate responsibility programs across the globe.
In 2009, we provided a proactive and coordinated response to projects associated with bushfires in Australia and floods in the Phillippines.
We shared our time and expertise and supported scholarship opportunities to expand knowledge and contribute to a more productive and sustainable Built Environment.
We are pleased to continue our long-term principal sponsorships of industry associations and to recognise and support excellence in the worldwide property and construction industry.
In 2009, we moved the sustainability challenge to the top of our agenda, rolling out a suite of innovative tools to help our clients make well-informed decisions that represent long-term financial and sustainable interests.
In the USA, for example, we offer our unique RElifing service through the "Gift of Life" program for Government agencies.
Leading the way in the creation of sustainable spaces, we are proud to continue our participation in award winning green buildings, such as the National Library Building in Singapore.
2010 is likely to be another challenging year. We believe that our ability to effectively engage with our customers, our industry and with our 2000+ staff in 80 offices across the world will set the stage for further shared successes.
We will continue to develop ways to help our clients be more successful and to address contemporary issues through our services.
Thank you for your interest in Rider Levett Bucknall and for taking the time to read our Annual Review.