Tom Burke named Stonbury Employee of the Year
Project Manager Tom Burke has been awarded Stonbury’s Employee of the Year 2021 after being recognised by colleagues as a shining ambassador for the company's core values of Passion, Respect, Integrity, Quality, and Innovation.
Tom began working for Stonbury six years ago and now manages several projects for the Environment Agency and other valued water industry clients, whom he has built a fantastic working relationship with.
Tom was nominated by colleagues several times during 2021’s 'Employee of the Month' competition, showing that his work is being consistently recognised amongst fellow employees. He shares some insights about his career with Stonbury and how he got to where he is now.
Why did you choose to work for Stonbury?
I knew Stonbury was a construction company operating in the water industry and that was something I was interested in. I found out about opportunities at Stonbury through a friend who worked for a concrete repair specialist which was subcontracted to Stonbury at the time.
How long have you been at Stonbury? Where did you start and how did you work your way up to where you are now?
I have worked for Stonbury for around a decade. I worked as a sub-contractor for four years, where I was promoted to Supervisor. It was a great way to see new places and meet new people.
Eventually I was approached by Stonbury to join the business directly and have been here for almost six years. I started as a supervisor and was promoted to Site Coordinator after six months. The business was expanding, and I had the knowledge and people-skills to develop new teams. I worked as a Site Coordinator for a few years before being promoted to Project Manager.
Where do you hope to be in 5–10 years?
I owe a lot to Stonbury. They are a great company to work for and have provided me with the time and tools to develop my career, which has enabled me to recently purchase my first home. My next step is to become a Senior Project Manager.
What influenced you to specialise in the water industry and water environment sector?
I knew the water and construction industry was a strong sector with good job security. I also wanted to learn new skills and develop a specialism. I’ve had the opportunity to broaden these skills further in the water environment through my involvement delivering Environment Agency projects. Stonbury has secured a broad spectrum of work and built up a great reputation with its various clients.
What three things do you enjoy most about your job?
Problem solving, learning, and working with people.
What’s been your favourite project to work on so far? Why?
The Stonbury Hatch and Upstands Programme, otherwise known as ‘H&UP’. I was promoted to Project Manager and responsible for the Hatch and Upstand Live Working Project, which began in 2018 and is still running now. I manage a great team who pride themselves on quality, safety, and superior workmanship.
I built the team up and trained them to work in a way that puts water quality and risk aversion at the forefront of our delivery strategy. We are proud to improve water quality on each site we complete. Our team has worked in every region for Severn Trent Water and we enjoy meeting some great people along the way.