Left to right: Allison Gifford, Director, Marketing & Communications; Emma van Rooyen, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer; Les Hiscoe, Chief Executive Officer; Randy Shelly, Vice President, Hospitality; Kevin Corsino, Manager, Marketing & Public Relations

The University of New Hampshire inducted five alumni into its 2019 Hall of Fame, including Shawmut CEO Les Hiscoe '87, who have demonstrated honorable successes and contributions in the industries and communities in which they work.

Selected based on his remarkable achievements, Les was elevated to CEO after working at Shawmut for more than two decades. Throughout his tenure, Shawmut has grown exponentially, embarked on a complete enterprise transformation, became 100% employee owned, and grew the number of women in the workforce to 35%—more than triple the industry standard. Shawmut has been named a Fortune Magazine Best Workplace three years in a row and a Best Employer by Forbes Magazine.

Excerpt from UNH Alumni Hall of Fame

Les Hiscoe is the CEO of Shawmut Design and Construction, a company to which he has dedicated the past 20 years. His resume charts a meteoric rise through the ranks of construction management, from project manager, to vice president, to president and COO, finally arriving at CEO. During this time, revenue grew from $100M to $1.5B, elevating Shawmut from a Boston firm to a leading national player with nine offices nationwide, currently ranking 52 on Engineering News Record’s Top 400 Construction Firms.

Shawmut’s growth is impressive, and so too is the innovative course Les chartered to achieve it. Since taking office as CEO, he embarked on a complete enterprise transformation. Shawmut became 100% employee-owned in 2005, and currently has 1,400 employees managing a robust client portfolio.

As part of this cultural transformation, Les invested in creating a diverse environment where great ideas flourish. In an industry where women represent only 9% of the workforce, Les recognized the importance of partnering with experts to develop an effective and equitable structure, and as a result, women represent 35% of Shawmut’s workforce demographic, more than triple the industry standard. Les also drove exponential growth across the company and increase revenue by 168%.

As a result of his leadership and vision, Shawmut has been named one of Mogul’s “175 Top Companies for Female Leaders,” “Diversity Champion” by Providence Business News, “Diversity and Inclusion Citizen of the Year,” by Procore, and “Top Employer to Work for All,” by Great Places to Work. He is a frequent business expert contributor to a number of media outlets, and a guest lecturer at MIT.

Les is an avid cycler and leverages his passion – and his team – to raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Shawmut’s Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) team has contributed over $1.4M to date. He also sits on the Board of Directors for Rebuilding Together, a non-profit focused on improving the safety and health of low-income communities and was named the national 2015 Board Member of the Year. Staying true to his construction roots, Les regularly volunteers his time and skills to rebuilding homes and community spaces throughout the five boroughs. Les also sits on the ACE Mentor Board of Directors with the goal of inspiring high school students to pursue careers in the architecture, construction, and engineering industries.