2011 BCIT Distinguished Alumni Awards - Peter Hrdlitschka, Professional Leadership

President, Ledcor Construction Limited, Western Canada
Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Leadership
Building Technology DiplT '78

The Team Builder: Redefining Canadian cityscapes is all in a day's work for Peter Hrdlitschka. The president of Ledcor Construction has overseen stunning leading-edge developments such as The Bow in Calgary, the Edmonton Art Gallery, and the Shangri-La in Vancouver, the city's tallest structure at 196.9 meters.

But behind the steel, glass, and concrete, Peter attests that the company's greatest assets are the people who work on Ledcor sites every day. Day-to-day, he manages Ledcor's overall strategy for sustainable success, which means ensuring the right people are assigned to the right jobs on the right projects.

With more than 500 employees in his group and active projects in several provinces and Nassau, Bahamas, Peter strives to spend as much time as possible out of the office visiting project work sites, meeting employees and sharing in their successes and accomplishments.

Peter is most proud of Ledcor's mentoring program, which mitigates risks and promotes safety to employees and partners, including BCIT students.

Peter's passion for building developed at an early age, as he liked drafting and aspired to be an architect in high school. Soon after, however, he learned that the business side of construction appealed to him, so he started estimating buildings after his graduation from BCIT.

As Peter says, "the ability to apply numbers and visualize how a building gets constructed is a huge advantage in your career."

Peter balances his packed work schedule with a variety of sports and activities -- he was a record-breaking competitive swimmer in his youth and he continues to swim regularly; he plays defense on Ledcor's hockey team, the Ledcor Lightning; and he is an avid cycler, participating in the RBC GranFondo Whistler in the fall of 2011.

In addition, Peter actively gives back to the community, participating in various charitable organizations including Kids Help Phone, BC Children's Hospital, United Way, The Zajac Foundation, and The Looking Glass Foundation.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• 2011
• BCIT
• Distinguished
• Alumni
• Awards
• Peter
• Hrdlitschka
• Professional
• Leadership
• Ledcor
• Construction