John M. Beck is Founder and Chairman of Aecon Group Inc. A graduate in Civil Engineering from McGill University, Mr. Beck has more than 60 years of experience in the construction industry in Canada and internationally. His background includes corporate leadership in numerous construction activities including heavy civil projects and public-private partnerships for the development of infrastructure, such as airports, toll roads and transit systems.
John is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, a member of the Advisory Council for the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, and a member of the Business Council of Canada. Previously, he served as a member of the Board of the Royal Conservatory of Music, and as Co-Chair of the Infrastructure & Urban Development Industries at the World Economic Forum. He also previously served as Director of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, President of the Club Canadien de Toronto, Director and Chair of the Building Committee for the Canadian Opera Company, and as a Board Member of the Ontario Financing Authority and Chairman of the Board of the Ontario Power Authority.
In 2023, John was appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest civilian honour bestowed by the Lieutenant Governor. He received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 Award in the Manufacturing and Construction category for Ontario and the 2018 Par Excellence in Business Award from the French Canada Chamber of Commerce – Ontario. John also received the LiUNA Builder’s Award at the 2018 Ontario Business Achievement Awards (OBAA) and was named P3 Champion of the Year by the Canadian Council of Public Private Partnerships in 2013. In recognition of his distinguished achievements and career-long service to the engineering profession, Mr. Beck was inducted as a Fellow into the Canadian Academy of Engineering.