From Concrete to Culture: Andy Trewick’s Leadership Evolution

Andy Trewick didn’t set out to become a culture-shaping CEO. Starting his career as a civil engineer in the UK, his early success was built—literally—on roads, rails, and large-scale infrastructure. But over four decades, Andy’s leadership journey took a transformative turn. Today, as President and CEO of Graham Construction, he champions a philosophy that values people over process and relationships over rigid hierarchies.

In this episode of The Heart of Leadership, Andy shares how he evolved from an expert with answers to a facilitator of others' greatness. With a blend of humility, humor, and deep operational insight, he recounts the steps he and his executive team took to reshape Graham from the inside out; proving that even in construction, culture is your most valuable blueprint.

Top 5 Leadership Lessons from Andy Trewick

1. You Don’t Need All the Answers—Just the Right Questions Andy learned that great leaders don't need to know everything. Instead, they empower their teams by creating a safe space for ideas to emerge and grow.
2. Facilitate, Don’t Dictate His leadership mantra “herder of cats” reflects his belief in guiding teams to make decisions collaboratively, stepping in only when pivotal direction is required.
3. Culture Fuels Strategy A failed strategic initiative taught him that without a strong, aligned culture, even the best-laid plans falter. Culture isn’t an accessory; it’s an accelerator.
4. Invest in Leadership Development at Every Level Graham’s leadership transformation began with a tailored leadership program. When directors asked the executive team to participate too, Andy listened—signaling shared accountability from the top down.
5. Be a Builder of People, Not Just Projects Now more fulfilled by seeing former colleagues rise into leadership than by completed buildings, Andy believes that lasting impact comes from developing others.