Contractor poaches top Leighton exec

The head of Leighton Contractors’ west division has been poached by Brisbane-based construction company Seymour Whyte as its new chief executive.

In a statement today, Seymour chairman Mac Drysdale said Leighton general manager west John Kirkwood had signed an executive employment contract with the firm, and would begin his new role in October.

Leighton Contractors is the construction arm of CIMIC Group.

“Mr Kirkwood will lead the Seymour Whyte group, as it delivers on its growth and diversification strategy and expands its client base and operational footprint,” Mr Drysdale said.

“The board is delighted to have an executive of John’s calibre to lead the company through the next phase of transformation, and his appointment is the result of a targeted search process.”

He will be paid a total fixed cash remuneration of $750,000 plus incentives, and will be based in Brisbane.

Prior to his tenure at Leighton, Mr Kirkwood spent 26 years at Abigroup, and eventually became its national operations director.

He is also a member of the executive council of the Queensland Master Builders Association.