Construction show London Build - which welcomes over 35,000 attendees and more than 500 speakers each year - praised Leo for his significant contribution to the construction and infrastructure industry.

Since Leo took the helm, Balfour Beatty has seen a dramatic transformation with a robust balance sheet supported by a £17.7 billion order book. In addition, the company saw its highest ever employee engagement score this year, which now sits at 79%, and is testament to the group’s evolved culture.

As well as reshaping Balfour Beatty and positioning the company to capitalise on the growing infrastructure market, the award also recognises Leo’s leadership of the sector. Leo represented the industry on the Government’s Build Back Better Council which ran throughout the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on unlocking investment, boosting job creation and levelling up the whole of the UK.

During the pandemic, Leo also led the Tier One industry group and was instrumental in navigating Balfour Beatty and its stakeholders through the pandemic, keeping sites open for business as employees and supply chain partners continued to execute contracts safely with secure employment, whilst also ensuring maintained liquidity for the company’s valued supply chain partners.

In addition, Leo was commended for founding The 5% Club in 2013, a dynamic movement of employers committed to providing ‘earn and learn’ positions. The movement now boasts over 750 member companies representing more than 1.6 million employees, 70,000 apprentices, 16,000 graduates and 7,500 sponsored students. Today, Balfour Beatty has over 6% of its UK workforce comprising apprentices, graduates and trainees.

In recognition of his contribution to business, Leo was appointed as a Visiting Professor at the College of Business and Social Science at Aston University in Birmingham in 2021.

Leo Quinn said: “Having started my career as a graduate at Balfour Beatty over 40 years ago on the New Haw Viaduct in Surrey, and now as group chief executive, my career is an example of the prosperous, lifelong opportunities that our industry can generate.

“But I would not be here today without the incredible people I work alongside every day, those who make up our company and our supply chain – those who work tirelessly every day to shape our skylines, connect communities and grow the great leaders of tomorrow.”

Selena Moseley, London Build event director, said: “It’s our absolute pleasure to hand this award to Leo for his outstanding support in developing opportunities for young people across the industry and for driving the incredible transformation of the UK’s leading infrastructure group.”