Army veteran who built new career in construction in line for coveted national award

A former soldier who has constructed a new career in the building industry has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award for his achievements.

Keiron Pittore is the site manager at Linden Homes’ Kings Newton development in Grantham.

In 2018, Keiron started as an assistant site manager with Linden Homes, which became part of Vistry Group in 2020. He was promoted to site manager a year later.

The 44-year-old has been named as a finalist in the ‘Outstanding Achiever of the Year’ category in the Ex-Forces in Business Awards 2024, which will take place in London later this 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 the 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.

Keiron, a father-of-two who lives in Lincoln, said: “I genuinely cannot believe that I was even nominated for this incredible award, let alone short-listed for the final. To be in with a chance of actually being chosen as the winner as an outstanding achiever is wonderful and I am very excited about the prospect of going to London to take in all the glitz and glamour of the awards ceremony.

“I hope that this exposure and publicity will only help to encourage ex-Forces personnel to reach out to housebuilding companies like ours to start a second career. The construction business is a great industry to be in as a lot of the skills people learn in the military are transferrable to the building sector. I am proud to be an example of that.”

Keiron was in the Army for five years after he joined the Royal Engineers at the age of 17. He spent most of his service with the 39 Engineer Regiment, 53 Field Squadron and was deployed to Kosovo in 1999 and Belize in 2000.

He said: “My military experience has enabled me to feel comfortable dealing with people from different cultures and given me the skills to adapt my management style to suit their individual needs. My abilities to lead a team and to build strong relationships with people from different backgrounds have been invaluable in getting the best out of the diverse workforce I encounter during my working life.

“Before I joined the construction industry, I was a bit lost and not really going anywhere in my career. A good friend of mine, who had also been in the Army, was in the business and he recommend that I give it a go. It is the best move I have ever made.

“Vistry has been incredibly welcoming and supportive and I love the fact that the company does not just pay lip service to helping veterans, it really does make a difference through its actions. The company is a gold award supporter of the Armed Forces Covenant and this year’s chosen charity is SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, which provides support for all members of the Armed Forces, including retired veterans and those struggling with life after leaving the military.”

Keiron was nominated for the award by a number of his colleagues, including Andy Pearce, construction director at Vistry East Anglia.

Andy, himself a former soldier, was shortlisted in the same awards in 2023 but in the ‘Team Leader of the Year’ category.

He said: “Keiron’s management style has led to outstanding achievements, including his promotion from assistant site manager to site manager. Under his leadership, our Springfields development in Deeping St James – the first development where he was site manager – received national recognition from Premier Guarantee warranty providers for the high standard of work on site.

“On more than one occasion, Keiron has gone above and beyond, sacrificing his own time after hours or at the weekend to ensure that the standards at the site don’t suffer. For example, when a single mother was let down by a removal company, which left all the family belongings outside their home, Keiron rallied his team and within an hour, helped her move in.

“I know how proud Keiron is, as an ex-Services man, to be in the running for this top accolade. He richly deserves to win and I hope he goes one better than I did last year and comes back from London with the award.”

The winners of the awards will be announced at a ceremony at Grosvenor House, in Park Lane, London, on Thursday 27 June.

Vistry East Anglia is building 228 new two, three, four and five-bedroom homes at Kings Newton, which is located off Barrowby Road in Grantham. Work started on site last year and the first homes went on sale earlier this year. To find out more, visit lindenhomes.co.uk.