Directorate Change

Balfour Beatty PLC
11 August 2004


11 August 2004



                               BALFOUR BEATTY PLC
                               ==================

      IAN TYLER TO SUCCEED MIKE WELTON AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE ON 1 JANUARY 2005
      =====================================================================


The Board of Balfour Beatty plc, the international engineering, construction and
services group, announces today that Chief Executive, Mike Welton, is to retire
from the company and resign from the Board at the end of 2004.

He will be succeeded as Chief Executive by Ian Tyler, who has been Chief
Operating Officer of the Group since July 2002. He joined the Group as Finance
Director in 1996 from Hanson plc, where he was Finance Director of its
subsidiary, ARC. Ian Tyler, who is 44, is a chartered accountant.

Commenting on his decision to retire, Mike Welton said: 'After eight-and-a-half 
years as Chief Executive and over 20 years with the Group, I believe that the 
time is right to hand over to Ian Tyler. It has been a privilege to lead this 
company and I am confident that under his leadership it will continue to deliver 
the reliable, responsible growth in shareholder value which we have achieved in
recent years.'

Sir David John, Chairman of Balfour Beatty plc, added: 'The company has made
enormous progress since Mike Welton became Chief Executive in 1996. It has been
transformed from a traditional contracting organisation with sales of £1.7
billion to a broadly-based engineering, construction and services company with
projected sales of close to £4.5 billion and excellent future prospects.

'During this period, Mike Welton and Ian Tyler have worked closely together in
taking and implementing the decisions which have brought this transformation
about. Ian is ideally placed to lead the company forward in its next phase of
development.

'Mike Welton has been an outstanding leader of this company and will leave with
the Board's sincere thanks and very good wishes.'

                                      ENDS

Enquiries to:
Tim Sharp
Tel: [phone]
www.balfourbeatty.com

High resolution photographs are available to the media free of charge at
www.newscast.co.uk ([phone]).




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