Balfour Beatty, the London-based construction giant and a leading infrastructure builder in the U.S., has a new CEO.
Following the March announcement that former CEO Leo Quinn would step down, the company completed its transition and elevated Philip Hoare to the new group chief executive role, according to a Sept. 8 news release.
Hoare, a civil engineer by background, brings 30 years of engineering, project management, and construction experience to the role, per the release. Prior to joining Balfour Beatty, he was the chief operating officer of AtkinsRéalis, an engineering and nuclear services business based in Montreal.
“The financial and operational strengths of the Group- including market-leading capabilities in core growth markets- place us in a strong position for the future,” Hoare said in the release. “With significant opportunities ahead and a talented team in an industry that is rapidly evolving, I am energised by both the challenge and the responsibility.”
Hoare takes over in a construction landscape both uncertain and optimistic amid a swath of infrastructure spending across the country. Indeed, construction planning is up 51% year-over-year in the U.S., which points to stronger construction activity in 2026 and 2027. However, that uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and still-rising material costs could still lead to swings in planning numbers.
Despite that backdrop, Quinn sounded a note of optimism as he stepped aside.
“I’m very confident with the momentum in the business on the rising tide of infrastructure that we’ll be actually delivering significant shareholder returns into the future,” Quinn said during the company’s Q2 earnings call on Aug. 13, his last as CEO.
