Robin MacLennan
Ontario Construction Report staff writer
John M. Beck, founder and chairman of Aecon Group Inc., has been appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest civilian honour bestowed by the Lieutenant Governor.
The Order of Ontario recognizes exceptional leaders whose impact and lasting legacy have played an important role in building a stronger province, country and world.
“I am incredibly proud and honoured to be appointed to the Order of Ontario,” Beck said. “Thank you to my family, the thousands of dedicated Aecon employees, our valued clients and the many business and community partners across the province whom I’ve had the privilege of working with to create sustainable communities and a stronger Ontario.”
An accomplished businessman and community builder, Beck has been at the forefront of building Aecon into a national construction and infrastructure development company with global experience over his career spanning six decades.
He transitioned to the role of chairman in 2020 and has previously served as CEO and executive chairman, steering Aecon’s strategic growth from the company’s inception as a precast concrete business through its evolution into a fully integrated and diverse publicly traded infrastructure company.
Under his leadership, Aecon has developed some of Ontario’s greatest infrastructure landmarks and Beck has played a pivotal role in pioneering innovative financing models, forming sucessful corporate and community partnerships, championing sustainability and Indigenous partnerships, and supporting a green economy.
Beck received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 Award in the Manufacturing and Construction category for Ontario and the LiUNA Builder’s Award at the 2018 Ontario Business Achievement Awards. In 2013, Mr. Beck was inducted as a Fellow into the Canadian Academy of Engineering and was honoured as P3 Champion of the Year by the Canadian Council of Public Private Partnerships.
The Order of Ontario is the province’s highest civilian honour. It is reserved for Ontarians from all fields of endeavour and backgrounds, whose excellence has left a lasting legacy in the province, Canada and around the world. Members of the Order are a collective of Ontario’s finest citizens, whose contributions have shaped – and continue to shape – the province’s history and place in Canada. Further information is available on the Province of Ontario’s website.