Raine Selles

Raine Selles, Andy's first female guest and the person who directly catalysed Strategic Planning Co's existence by offering Andy his first consulting gig, brings a dual QS / construction-law perspective forged on the world's biggest infrastructure projects: Jubilee Line Extension, CTRL, Palm Island, Taiwan High Speed Rail, Berry International Airport, motorways and bridges from CMC London, James R Knowles, and Hill International. She founded the Auckland branch of NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction). The 2011-2012 NZ-arrival anecdote that anchors the episode: PQS practices interviewed her in 2011 and told her on no uncertain terms that she was not needed in New Zealand, that contractors knew where their bread was buttered and would be removed from tender lists if they made noise. Her response: "I went home thinking, they really need me." She's been practising claims and contract training in NZ for 10 years at recording. The conversation crystallises the NZ contractual literacy gap as a systemic indictment: PMs with contracts in the bottom drawer never on the desk; subcontracts without completion dates; "as per the contract programme" referenced in subcontracts where the programme is six months out of date when work starts; an industry "quite under-skilled" compared to the UK where everyone understands contracts, programming, and claims. Raine + Andy's combined contract + planning training for subcontractors is the operational answer they've been building together. Foundational episode for the entire podcast, Raine remains the only person Andy publicly credits as the SPC formation catalyst, and the episode anchors his 2026-04-25 cross-Cortex bidirectional-link pattern (see Raine Selles guest page §Cortex / SPC engagement linkages).

Key Topics Discussed

• The SPC genesis moment. "Rainy came onto my project and asked me if I'd want to do some Consulting work for her, across my employers, and they said yes, and that's how strategic planning was born." Andy's verbatim attribution. Foundational Andy's Arc entry.
• Dual QS / construction-law qualification. Raine is "probably the first dual-qualified person right here in New Zealand" at the time of arrival 2012. Started as a QS, did a law degree (sponsored by boss John Webster) during a 10-year apprenticeship doing LPA receiver work + construction claims for both subcontractors and main contractors.
• Career projects portfolio. CMC London → on-site putting claims together for Jubilee Line Extension + CTRL + motorways + bridges → Masters in Construction Law and Arbitration from King's College London (CMC sponsored) → James R Knowles (UK's biggest claims consultancy) → Hill International (American) → Palm Island, Taiwan High Speed Rail link, Berry International Airport as expert witness.
• The 2011 "you are not needed" interview. PQS practices in NZ told Raine claims specialists weren't needed; contractors knew their place; would be removed from tender lists if they made noise. Reaction: came back thinking "they really need me." Now 10+ years practising in NZ.
• Contracts / contractual literacy gap, "contract in the bottom drawer". Andy's signature Raine-quote pattern: PMs walking the site with the contract in the desk drawer rather than on the desk. Subcontracts without completion dates, common and dangerous; "how do the subcontractors know when they're supposed to complete?"
• "As per the contract programme", programme 6 months out of date. Subcontracts referencing a programme that's already obsolete when subbie work starts. The contractual reference becomes meaningless.
• NZ industry "quite under-skilled" vs UK. UK is litigious; everyone understands contracts, programming, claims. NZ doesn't. The combined contract + planning training Raine + Andy deliver is the operational gap-filler.
• Subcontractor vulnerability. Subbies given 3-week look-ahead programmes with no context of the full programme. No idea of drop-dead dates or who follows them. Main contractors have a structural responsibility to run subbies through the programme.
• Founded NAWIC Auckland Branch. Raine + a few other women set up the Auckland branch of the National Association of Women in Construction (UK origin organisation).
• Combined contract + planning training for subcontractors. Raine + Andy's joint training programme for subbies, addresses both the contract-literacy gap and the programme-literacy gap simultaneously.

Notable Quotes

Raine: "Lots and lots of us in the UK with a law degree and with a background in project management quantity surveying architecture… I'm probably the first dual qualified person right here in New Zealand."

Raine: "I was told on no uncertain terms that I was not needed in New Zealand. So I went home thinking, they really need me."

Raine: "I walk into the PM's desk and I'm always looking, where's the contract? Never. Always in the bottom drawer."

Raine: "Subcontracts without completion dates, how do the subcontractors know when they're supposed to complete?"

Raine (NZ industry diagnosis): "It's a really under-skilled industry here. I'm used to working in the UK where it's quite litigious, everybody seems to understand contracts, everyone seems to understand programming, everyone knows how to write an extension."

Andy (verbatim SPC genesis): "Rainy came onto my project and asked me if I'd want to do some Consulting work for her, across my employers, and they said yes, and that's how strategic planning was born."

Guest Background

Raine Selles MSc, at time of recording, leading construction claims and contract-training practice in NZ; Director of Concordia Resolution (the firm that later becomes SPC's instructing intermediary on INTC_TWINRIV_IDN adjudication and on ALIN_WGTSAFE_IDN CCA 2002 multi-respondent adjudication, see 2026-04-26_Engagement_instruction_patterns §Pattern 3 + 3a + 3b).

Career arc: QS by training → 10-year apprenticeship under John Webster (LPA receiver work + claims for subbies + main contractors), Webster sponsored Raine through a law degree during the apprenticeship → CMC London → King's College London Masters in Construction Law and Arbitration (CMC-sponsored) → James R Knowles → Hill International → relocated to NZ 2012 → founded NAWIC Auckland Branch → 10+ years practising claims and training in NZ → now Director of Concordia Resolution.

Returning guest, appears as panellist on Ep 28 Procurement Panel (Raine's "700 disputes in 11 years, ALL on lump-sum contracts" stat) and upcoming third appearance in pre-production per 07_PODCAST/Guest Topics and Questions/ (Teak Construction liquidation + retention misuse + SA-2025 + NZS 3910 contract trends + Salter Cartage Proceeds-of-Crime precedent).

Bidirectional Cortex cross-references, see Raine Selles guest page §Cortex / SPC engagement linkages, points to Concordia_Resolution_Services + INTC_TWINRIV_IDN + Andy_Alagappan + disclosure-question Open Question on Andy / Raine relationship per Schedule 4 HCR Code-of-Conduct cl 4-5.