Leadership and dedication recognised as Quality & Lean Manager receives CECA Midlands Employee of the Year Award
Hard work, innovation and loyalty can sometimes go overlooked, but not in the case of our Quality and Lean Manager Ben Feltham – who was recently awarded the prestigious Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Midlands Employee of the Year award.
Ben joined McCann in 2012 and is responsible for the development, implementation, review, and continuous improvement of our systems and quality procedures – in accordance with the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and McCann’s own ISO 44001:2017 Collaborative Management System. He has also completed and passed the company’s ISO 44001 Audit for its Collaborative Management System.
Since joining the business Ben has taken on responsibilities for a number of support areas including company inductions, health, safety and wellbeing, digital transformation and social value.
As a result of his hard work and dedication, Ben was recently nominated by the business for the CECA’s Employee of the Year award for the Midlands region – an award he was presented with at the prestigious annual dinner on 16th September at the MacDonald Burlington Hotel, Birmingham.
The CECA Midlands awards celebrate the best people and projects within construction. The Employee of the Year award recognises the excellent work and dedication of individuals. Judges look at a nominees capacity for innovative thinking, as well as dedication and ability – with a clear demonstration of how they have made a real difference to projects, people, working practices and overall business performance.
Nominations are also judged on all round ability – not only academic and work related achievements – but also their enthusiasm for the organisation as well as the wider construction industry.
Our Managing Director John McCann saw Ben as a standout candidate for this year’s CECA awards for his dedication to the company, his ‘can do’ attitude and how he approaches problem solving on a daily basis.
“When I think of Ben, I think of someone that is liked by everyone he works with. He understands every area of the business and ensures that we are consistently hitting the highest standards across everything we do,” explains John.
“He has single handedly overhauled our company induction process, providing staff with all of the information they need when they join us in order to thrive and be successful,”
“He also places tremendous emphasis on health, safety and wellbeing – taking a pivotal role in helping us secure six consecutive RoSPA Gold Awards, a RoSPA Gold Medal, and being a role model for our zero harm approach,”
“There is no greater evidence of his commitment to wellbeing than his great partnership with Mental Health First Aid England. Ben took it upon himself to complete all of the necessary training so that he can support employees with their mental health. This knowledge really came into its own during the pandemic and he’s been there for everyone – making sure that those suffering from loneliness have received the support and guidance they need, including weekly outdoor socially distanced walks,”
John also has high praise for Ben’s commitment to digital transformation through his development of a bespoke software system for the business, as well as his ongoing work with young people and local groups.
“McCann’s Integrated Management System (MIMS), is entirely unique to our business and was only conceived thanks to Ben’s willingness to listen to site teams and hold focus groups with operatives and supervisors to understand their needs. MIMS allows anyone in the business to see what’s happening in real time – including safety checks and issues raised by the workforce. The system has sped up the time it takes to rectify problems and given us even greater control on health and safety,”
“Ben has also been our representative across the national Go4SET initiative – which sees students at secondary school level receive mentoring and site visits. At the same time, he regularly facilitates work experience placements for 14-17 year olds and has been recognised by STEM for contributing over 100 hours towards ambassador activities,”
Ben remains humble about his receipt of the award and grateful to McCann for allowing him to think outside of the box and solve problems.
“I have to say thank you to John McCann and the wider team for nominating me for this special award, as well as the CECA for deeming me a worthy winner – it’s a real honour,”
He continues, “I love my job. I enjoy new challenges and making a difference – whether that’s to young people, clients, or our own team. We have a fantastic culture at McCann where you’re encouraged to think differently and come up with new ideas. Without that culture, I would not be standing here right now. I am genuinely grateful to John and the team for giving me the autonomy to lead, innovate and shape how we operate to the benefit of the industry.”
John considers McCann fortunate to have someone like Ben within its team and understands how much of an impact he’s made – making him fully deserving of this award.
“It’s clear to see that Ben consistently goes above and beyond – he is an inspirational leader respected at all levels of the business,”
“Ben’s response to the pandemic was truly amazing and I can honestly say that I would have been lost without his proactive approach, as would the business,”
He continues, “Most importantly however, Ben does all of this with a smile on his face and kind words on his lips. He is a great listener and a real team player who cares about everyone – which is why he is thoroughly deserving of the Employee of the Year Award and we send our heartfelt congratulations to Ben for a thoroughly deserved win.’’
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