How the builder of the Sydney Metro is adapting to Donald Trump
Five years after a $1 billion loss, Juan Santamaria has changed the way construction giant CIMIC works to avoid US tariffs and ride the data centre boom.
It’s been five years since Australia’s biggest construction company posted a billion-dollar loss and a Spanish engineer was dispatched to clean up the mess.
Now the company, known as Leighton Holdings before it was acquired by Spanish construction giant Grupo ACS and renamed CIMIC, is back in the black. And the engineer, Madrid-born Juan Santamaria, is home in his birthplace, running ACS’ global empire and flitting between countries as he pitches a “one group, one team” approach to employees around the world.
Jenny WigginsSenior companies reporterJenny Wiggins writes on business, specialising in infrastructure, telecommunications and transport. Connect with Jenny on Twitter. Email Jenny at jwiggins@afr.com
