Episode #16
Talking with Simon Betteridge about Leadership, Productivity and Growing a Construction Business for the Long Term
Got a question about the show? Click here & Send us a text! What does it take to grow a construction business for more than two decades, build a team you can trust, and then lead it from another country? In this episode of The Building Talks Podcast, I sit down with Simon Betteridge, CEO of GVG Group, who has spent more than 20 years helping grow the business into one of South East Queensland’s leading builder-developers. We get into the Queensland construction market, leadership, productivity, building strong teams and what sustainable business growth actually looks like over the long term. We also explore a pretty unique part of Simon’s leadership role. While heading up the Brisbane business, he now lives back home in New Zealand, travelling to Brisbane every couple of weeks. Simon shares how trust, good people and the right culture make that possible, and why building a capable team means a business does not need its leader sitting in the same office every day. Takeaways: ✅ Lessons from more than two decades of business growth ✅ Simon’s perspective on the South East Queensland construction market ✅ Why productivity remains such an important industry challenge ✅ Building teams around trust, capability and accountability ✅ What long-term leadership looks like as a business grows ✅ How Simon leads a Brisbane business while living in New Zealand ✅ Why having the right people creates freedom at the top Chapters: 02:48 Growing Up Around Construction and Becoming a Quantity Surveyor 06:43 Leaving the Office for Carpentry and Running a Small Business 07:48 Trade or Degree, Building the Right Career Foundation 12:34 Taking Ownership of Your Career and Becoming a High Performer 18:38 Moving to Brisbane and Joining Gardner Vaughan Group 20:47 How GVG Evolved from Commercial Construction into Development 24:08 How Brisbane’s Apartment Market Has Changed 28:51 Why GVG Became a Builder Developer 33:19 Project Continuity and Why GVG Is a People Business 35:42 The South East Queensland Market, Olympics and Project Viability 41:38 Scaling from 30 to 100 Staff Without Losing the Culture 51:55 Building Long-Term Relationships with Subcontractors 59:13 Scaling Systems, Governance and Digital Transformation 1:04:15 Remote Leadership, Trust, Productivity and the Future of South East Queensland Tune in for a grounded conversation about leadership, trust, productivity and what it really takes to grow a construction business that can perform for the long haul. Hope you enjoy the podcast! #ConstructionLeadership #GVGGroup #QueenslandConstruction #BusinessGrowth #ConstructionProductivity #BuildingGreatTeams #Leadership #BuilderDeveloper #SouthEastQueensland #ConstructionCulture #BuiltEnvironment #AustralianConstruction #BuildingTalksPodcast The Building Talks Podcast is brought to you by Building Environs Recruitment - providing recruitment solutions to the property, construction, and related industries, here in Melbourne and Southeast Queensland. For an overview of our service, visit: www.buildingenvirons.com.au Proud to partner with Housing All Australians (HAA) and The Building and Construction Foundation. Check out their websites and join the movement! www.housingallaustralians.org.au https://www.buildingandconstructionfoundation.org.au/ The views and information shared in this podcast are for general purposes only and do not constitute legal or professional advice. Neither the host nor guests are providing specific guidance. Please seek professional advice before taking any action based on the content of this podcast. Contact The Building Talks Podcast Follow us on Linkedin , Facebook , and Instagram Visit us on our website Email us at info@buildingenvirons.com.au
