The young boy on the bike stopped outside the construction site just down the street from home, his eyes wide with wonder. Fascinated by the scene before him, he watched on in curious awe – “What does that pipe do? Where do those cables go?” he asked himself as the flurry of tradespeople went about their business, scurrying back and forth across the block.
That young boy was Stephen Boulos, who finds himself a member of a much-coveted club. He’s the child who dreamt of a career in construction and today has come full circle to be Director of Piety Group.
By Year 12, Stephen had listened to a vocation talk at school given by a construction manager. Five years later, with a Bachelor of Building Degree (Majoring in Construction Management) from the University of Western Sydney, he was on a firm trajectory for success.
Having joined Piety from “tier one” firms such as Westfield and Mirvac, Stephen knows firsthand this industry has many obstacles to overcome. But, as he so eloquently states, “if you’re really passionate about something, you find solutions to overcome those challenges”.
In fact, it’s this passion to unravel issues that makes him such as asset to the Piety Group as a whole. At any time of day (or night!), he’s proactively thinking about the challenges with particular developments or projects and how they can be resolved. For Stephen, collaboration is critical. “My belief is two heads are better than one; three heads are better than two. Three of us might have a solution, but collectively we come up with the right one for the current problem in front of us. So, I’m all about collaboration and open communication with the team.”
On any given day, you’ll find Stephen navigating these matters with the appropriate teams – if it’s a design issue, he meets with the head of that team, or if there’s a cause for concern with construction, he seeks out the project manager or director to curate a solution. He’s also a go-to guy for contractual issues, project planning, negotiations with JV partners, and the management of the tender process. You’ll also see Stephen involved in assessing feasibility issues, liaising with the sales team regarding purchaser issues requiring a resolution as well as coordinating customer service operations and ensuring customer retention.
Stephen is also responsible for managing financial risk and assisting with forecasting while also keeping the budget on track. Identifying gaps in the business and formulating strategies to overcome these is another of his duties, and you’ll also find him creating and implementing processes and procedures to make the business run more efficiently and effectively. This includes formulating business strategies with the executive team, mentoring and motivating teams to achieve productivity and engagement, ensuring stakeholders understand and adhere to contractual obligations and Piety Group complies with all local laws.
Along with being a passionate problem solver and an approachable communicator, Stephen considers this career a rewarding legacy that he can share with his wife and five children. Whether it’s a walk through the Pier at Walsh Bay, witnessing the masses enjoying a glass of wine or a meal, or seeing the start of a new residential project come together (because there’s nothing like being on-site to re-live that sense of childhood wonder), Stephen is proud to have played a role in these landmark developments, sure to inspire a whole new generation.
