Chris first joined Balfour Beatty as a graduate placement in 2000. Midway through a Construction Management degree at Oxford Brookes, he needed to gain practical experience and leapt at the opportunity of a 12-month placement with Balfour Beatty, secure in the knowledge that, if he performed well, he would have a good job when he graduated.
Three years into his career, Chris is working on the London Underground Metronet project as Site Manager for Turnham Green station. His current position allows him to combine a supervisory role, overseeing subcontractors on site, with many of the day-to-day programming and procurement issues typical of a construction works.
Already, he has amassed a wealth of experience, learning from colleagues and subcontractors alike. “The more positive and enthusiastic you are to learn,” explains Chris, “the more others are willing to share their knowledge with you.” The results speak for themselves. Chris’ confidence has grown markedly and he now feels much happier taking responsibility for works on site. He has still got a way to go though, as Chris would be the first to admit. “It’s a job where you never stop learning. For me, that’s a positive element that helps to make up for the early mornings and long hours.”
Chris has been on several Balfour Beatty in-house management courses, covering everything from dealing with others to winning major contracts. As well as being extremely informative, he has found these to be a great way of staying in touch with other areas of the business, not to mention meeting fellow graduates. Chris is also working towards professional accreditation with the Chartered Institute of Building.