Lessons in Leadership: Taylor Rail CEO Peter Kessler on The New CEO Toolkit

Taylor Rail CEO Peter Kessler recently joined Adelle Howse from Howse & Rivers that have created a LinkedIn series, "The Making of a CEO: Strategies for Success." In a conversation on The New CEO Toolkit, he shared reflections from 25 years leading large-scale construction and infrastructure organisations, operating in Australia and abroad.

When Peter stepped into his first CEO role, he didn’t aim to have all the answers. Instead, he focused on asking better questions, empowering his team, and guiding the business through a bold transformation. Under his previous leadership at Fulton Hogan, a more roading-focussed business grew into a diversified market leader across five engineering sectors.

In the interview, Peter shares what he’s learned - what worked, what didn’t, and what he’d do differently. Highlights include:

• Building a collaborative, high-performing executive team
• Approaching diversification with purpose and profit in mind
• Managing the board as a partner, while maintaining focus as CEO

For anyone stepping into senior leadership, Peter’s message is clear: leadership isn’t about doing it all yourself, it’s about creating the space for others to succeed.