Throughout the month of October, Balfour Beatty hosted its fourth “Together Allies” Summit. The summit introduced the company’s Right to Respect program, which further embeds our people-first culture by clarifying the behaviors we expect and empowering our colleagues to hold each other accountable.

Take a look back at three impactful sessions and insights shared during the month-long summit:

Keynote – Introduction to Right to Respect

In the keynote session, President and CEO of Balfour Beatty US Eric Stenman sat down with Michael Dyke, CEO of HS2 Major Projects for Balfour Beatty UK, to discuss the success of the Right to Respect pilot program in the UK. 

Eric Stenman, President and CEO, Balfour Beatty US: “Respect is a key ingredient for living out our behaviors. The Right to Respect program will give everyone the tools they need to hold each other accountable and set the tone for how we behave in our business.”

Michael Dyke, CEO HS2 Major Projects, Balfour Beatty UK: “Our people now feel safe and comfortable speaking up about instances of disrespect, which is a testament to the difference Right to Respect has made.”

Panel Discussion – Building a Respectful Workplace Together

Panelists from across the business discussed how Right to Respect furthers our commitment to our people-first culture by providing employees with the tools and resources they need to navigate complex situations.

Denise Hubley, EVP and CFO, US Buildings: “Having a diverse group of people who feel free to share their ideas and opinions is always going to produce better results.”

Elizabeth Angel, Director of BIM/VDC, Northwest: “We want to empower people to speak up when something isn’t correct and celebrate when something is corrected. Be authentic, build the environment that you want to be in and don’t forget to celebrate positive moments.”

Keith McCoy, SVP of Operations, US Rail: “Even when our beliefs and opinions differ, respect needs to be the foundation of our business. None of us is perfect, but respecting each other sets us up for success.”

Daniel Luker, Project Executive, California: “When our people feel valued and respected, they have the opportunity to flourish. Ideas flow better when everyone feels they can speak up, and we communicate better when we prioritize respectful relationships.”

Christine McAnney, VP and General Counsel, US Civils: “Being a true leader isn’t about what we do in front of others; it’s what we do in the shadows. We should always respect each other, whether someone is with us or not.”

Panel Discussion – Right to Respect: A Look into the Future

Presidents of our Buildings and Civils operations discussed how they plan to embrace Right to Respect and how they believe it will further embed our people-first culture, differentiate us as the partner-of-choice and advance positive change for the industry overall.

David Hodnett, SVP and Chief Legal Officer, Balfour Beatty US: “The Right to Respect program is a key ingredient in living out our people-first culture. Respect doesn’t mean agreeing on everything; it’s about learning and growing together despite our differences.”

Michelle Reiner, Vice President, California: “The cultural shifts we’ve made during my 20 years with Balfour Beatty have allowed me to go from feeling like I’m on pins and needles to feeling truly at home in my workplace.”

Brian Cahill, President, California: “We cannot allow disrespect on our jobsites. It’s not just unappealing or unfavorable; it’s unacceptable.”

Troy Dickson, President, Northwest: “Our behaviors are traits of high-performing people. Our clients and industry partners are very aware of how we behave.”

Mark Konchar, President, US Civils: “To be a builder of choice for our clients, we have to invest in our people first. Great people operating in an environment in which they feel seen and respected creates a culture that allows us to succeed.”

Pleas Mitchell, President, Texas: “Culture is not an accident. Culture is managed and maintained by each and every one of us.”

Dan Novak, President, Mid-Atlantic: “Our clients want positive experiences on projects just like we do. We want to work with owners that value a strong company culture.

Scott Skidelsky, President, Southeast: “The generation of people just entering the workforce have strong values and core beliefs, and they look for that in the companies they join. Keeping our culture at the forefront is imperative for recruiting the future of our industry.”