Stanley Ellis Leighton (1898 – 12 June 1991) was a construction entrepreneur. He was the founder of Leighton Contractors, later known as

CIMIC Group CIMIC Group Limited (formerly Leighton Holdings) is an Australian construction contractor. It is active in the telecommunications, engineering and infrastructure, building and property, mining and resources, and environmental services industries ...

, which is Australia's largest contracting business.

Biography

Born in the United Kingdom, Leighton served as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in the

Suffolk Regiment The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army with a history dating back to 1685. It saw service for three centuries, participating in many wars and conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars, before bein ...

during the latter stages of

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He joined his father's house-building business, D. Leighton and Sons, in 1920. He succeeded his father as managing director and, after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, when contracting margins tightened in the UK, he emigrated to Australia to establish and expand the Australian Branch of the business. Under his leadership, the company became a major contractor in Australia and was the subject of an

initial public offering An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investment ...

on the Melbourne Stock Exchange in 1962. He retired in 1972 and died in 1991.

References

{{reflist 1898 births 1991 deaths Australian business executives 20th-century English businesspeople