Suffolk Construction hires Torres as chief people officer

Suffolk Construction has hired Weber Torres as its new chief people officer. Torres brings over 30 years of human resources and employee development experience to this new role. This hire is part of the organization's ongoing commitment to hiring and retaining the industry's best talent, providing learning and development opportunities for employees, and reinforcing its strong corporate culture and reputation as one of the best places to work in town. As chief people officer, Torres will serve on Suffolk's executive committee and will oversee the human resources and training departments. He will work closely with Suffolk's existing vice president of human resources and vice president of learning and development to outline a vision for Suffolk's long-term plan for people development. "I am thrilled that Weber Torres is joining the Suffolk team as our new Chief People Officer," stated Suffolk CEO John Fish. "Weber understands that people are the most important asset of any growing organization, and that continuing to invest in people, regardless of the economic circumstances, is the key to long-term success. We are confident that Weber will take our commitment to and focus on human resources to a new level." "To develop and maintain a culture of passionate, dedicated employees, an organization must provide more than just monetary benefits; shared values and a commitment to helping people achieve the highest standards of excellence, both professionally and personally, are tremendously important," said Torres. "Suffolk understands this, which is why I am very excited to help the company achieve its ambitious human resources and people development goals." The hiring of Torres is the culmination of a multi-year plan to strengthen Suffolk's standing as one of the best places to work in New England. This plan has included company-wide focus groups, the hiring of outside consultants to enhance benefits and learning opportunities, instituting formalized Individual Development Plans, revising performance management systems, and formulating a Work/Life Balance Committee. For seven years straight, Suffolk has been named a "Best Place to Work" by the Boston Business Journal, and the company has also been ranked on The Boston Globe "Top Places to Work" list. Prior to joining Suffolk, Torres worked in various human resources roles at national, well-established companies. After a 15-year tenure with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, where he was eventually promoted to Corporate Director of Employee and Labor Relations, he joined Victoria's Secret Stores in 1992 to direct all field human resources as Director of Human Resources and Benefits. In 2000, Torres became Vice President of Human Resources Services and Development at Staples Inc, where he led the corporate HR team that successfully executed the $8 billion acquisition of Corporate Express. Most recently, he served as Chief Human Resources Officer of the Harvard School of Public Health.