Army veteran who forged new career in construction is in line for national leadership award

An Army veteran who has settled in Stamford with his family has been shortlisted for a national award in recognition of his leadership skills.

Andy Pearce, 42, has forged a successful career in construction, working his way up from being a labourer to becoming regional build director for Vistry East Midlands.

He has been named as a finalist for ‘Team Leader of the Year’ in the Ex-Forces in Business Awards 2023, which will take place in London next month.

The Ex-Forces in Business Awards is the world’s largest celebration of the role former military personnel fulfil in their second careers. The awards recognise the valued contribution of veterans in workplace, along with

the employers who welcome them. The aim is to identify the role models who can inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

Andy oversees the construction of 13 new homes locations for Vistry East Midlands, which has its head office in Peterborough. It is part of Vistry Group, one of the country’s leading housebuilders which builds under the Linden Homes, Bovis Homes and Countryside Homes brands.

Andy said: “It is humbling to be put forward for an award of this magnitude for what I view as just doing my job. It will be a privilege to attend the ceremony as my personal values and those of the awards are very closely aligned.

“I strongly believe it is important that there is increased visibility of ex-forces personnel who have successfully moved into second careers. This could help others who are thinking about it, struggling with it or those who previously failed but are trying still to find the right employer.

“These awards can show people that a successful career change is achievable – if I did it, then there is hope for everyone.”

Andy spent six years in the Army, having joined straight after leaving school.

He said: “Everything that I am today has grown from the great foundation laid whilst being a Royal Engineer.

“I worked hard and dared to dream of a better future. I have had support along the way and there are many people to thank, more recently my mentor Rob Spittles and my managing director Fraser Hopes, for believing in me.

“Joining the Army at 16 gave me a strong foundation for developing myself and learning transferable skills. Meeting my wife and starting a family gave me an anchor to a new life and a deeper meaning to existing, so I naturally wanted to be more for them. The construction industry and Vistry gave me the chance and support to do that – to show everyone what I am capable of.”

Andy was nominated for the award by his colleagues, led by Fraser Hopes.

Fraser said: “Andy’s modesty is typical of his character but he is so deserving of this recognition. He is a natural leader who has the respect of his whole team, and of colleagues across Vistry Group.

“Andy’s door is always open to anyone who needs support or encouragement. He has helped to nurture talent within the business and volunteers as a Mental Health First Aider. He has welcomed other ex-forces personnel to our fold, helping them to adapt to their new civilian careers.

“Andy is already a role model and would be a worthy winner of this award.”

Kieron Pittore is site manager at Springfields, which is being built under the Linden Homes brand in Deeping St James. He said: “Andy is a brilliant manager. He’s worked his way up from the bottom, he leads by example and has a brilliant work ethic. I see him inspiring and motivating everyone around him.”

Lt. Gen. Sir Andrew Gregory, CEO at SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, said: “As a former Chief of Defence People, I know just how important it is to have strong visibility of forces friendly employers and of veterans who have transitioned into meaningful second careers. These awards lead the way in amplifying that visibility, which makes us very proud to once again be the official charity partner of this important awards programme.

“Our warmest congratulations and sincere thanks go to all those who have been shortlisted for this year’s British Ex-Forces in Business Awards. They set such a tremendous example for how military-gained skills and values can be successfully applied across all sectors.”

Ben Rossi, founder of the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards, said: “Six years ago we set out a vision for a grand showcase of veteran talent to promote to all UK employers the business case of hiring from the Armed Forces community, while also giving service leavers the confidence to dream bigger.

“Each year we are even more blown away than the last at the response to this programme. The extraordinary achievements displayed through the 800-plus nominations received for this year’s British Ex-Forces in Business Awards should leave no doubt in anybody’s mind that the veteran talent pool must never be overlooked.”

The winners of the awards will be announced at a ceremony at Grosvenor House, in Park Lane, in London on Thursday 29 June.

For more information on careers with Vistry Group, see www.vistrycareers.co.uk