Blog

What does a career built on opportunity look like?  

For Steve Helliwell, it meant saying yes to new experiences, stepping outside his comfort zone and continually putting his hand up for more. 

As Steve reaches the end of his 13-year journey with Balfour Beatty, he leaves behind more than a series of leadership roles. His story reflects what can happen when ambition meets opportunity – and the impact of creating opportunities for others along the way. 

Joining Balfour Beatty in 2013 as Operations Director for Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP), Steve later became Managing Director and went on to take on wider leadership roles across the business including Managing Director for Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering (BBGE), Regional Civils South, Interim CEO for UK Construction Services and Executive Sponsor of MCAN. 

But his career journey started long before that. 

Building a career from the ground up 

Steve joined the industry in 1987 as a Junior Engineer, working on major infrastructure projects and learning the fundamentals of the industry early in his career. 

Over time, he progressed through engineering and project management roles before moving into senior leadership positions. 

Looking back, Steve believes he always had a clear vision of where he wanted to go. 

“From a very early stage of my career, I mapped out my career journey and measured my progress every year,” Steve says. 

“This ambition was driven by my desire to reach a leadership position where I could add real value to business decisions.” 

But progression, he says, was never something he expected to happen by itself. 

I learned early on that it was my responsibility to progress my career and not rely on others to progress it for me.

That mindset would shape the rest of his journey.

Finding opportunity at Balfour Beatty 

For Steve, joining Balfour Beatty represented the chance to join a business that had always stood out in the industry. 

“Balfour Beatty was always considered to be an industry leader when I was growing up in the industry,” he says. “The business has gone from strength to strength and offered me the opportunity to further progress my career and get involved in some amazing projects with some amazing people.” 

Throughout his time at Balfour Beatty, Steve repeatedly took on wider responsibilities and moved into new areas of the business. 

He sees that willingness to step forward as one of the biggest factors in his own development.  

“I have enjoyed several great roles here and the business has given me opportunities to develop and learn more,” he says. 

“I consider myself very lucky, but I always put my hand up to get involved in wider business opportunities.” 

Some of those moments included taking on Managing Director roles and later stepping into the Interim CEO position within UK Construction Services (UKCS). 

While challenging, they became defining moments. 

“It took me outside my comfort zone, but that's where you learn,” he says. “I learned quickly to draw on the support of others around me.” 

Why internal mobility matters 

Steve believes one of Balfour Beatty's greatest strengths is the opportunity available across the business. 

“The size and scale of the organisation creates opportunities that few others can provide,” he says. 

“It gives people the opportunity to broaden their expertise and knowledge.” 

He believes internal mobility plays an important role in helping people build meaningful, long-term careers. 

“We have many great examples of mobility working effectively,” he explains. 

“That includes people joining BBLP from other business units and people moving on from BBLP into different roles across the business to continue progressing their careers.” 

For Steve, creating those pathways will only become more important in the future. 

Leadership, people and creating opportunities 

Across nearly four decades in the industry, Steve says the most rewarding moments have always involved people. 

“There is nothing more rewarding than leading a team to successful outcomes,” he says. 

He also reflects proudly on helping others take their next step. 

“I've taken risks promoting people into more senior roles and while they haven't always worked, the majority have.” 

“Seeing individuals progress their careers is hugely rewarding.” 

His leadership philosophy remained simple throughout: 

“Treat people with respect, be clear on what you expect and give people an opportunity to thrive.” 

As Steve reflects on his career and prepares for retirement, he says it is the people he will miss the most. 

“The teams that I have worked with and what we have achieved together. That is undoubtedly what I am most proud of.” 

And for anyone considering their own future at Balfour Beatty, his message is clear: 

“Embrace the culture, work hard, put your head above the parapet if you want to progress your career and don't hold back.  

Be bold, seek opportunities and enjoy your time working. It is such a significant part of your life.

After nearly four decades in the industry and 13 years at Balfour Beatty, Steve's story shows that careers are rarely linear. 

Sometimes they begin with simply putting your hand up.