Webuild employs about 7,000 people across Australia. (Images: Webuild)
Webuild partners with industry and communities to deliver the infrastructure that underpins Australia’s economy and social fabric.
Construction is a powerful economic engine. It builds the roads that carry trade, the railways that link regions, and the water systems that keep cities alive. It delivers the homes, schools and hospitals that sustain daily life, and the energy networks that power industry. Few sectors contribute more directly to national prosperity.
Marco Assorati, senior executive vice president operations at Webuild and executive president at Clough.
As Marco Assorati, senior executive vice president operations at Webuild and executive president at Clough, says, “Progress demands infrastructure”.
For Webuild, progress is measured not only by what is constructed but by what continues: the communities it supports, the opportunities it opens and the capability it leaves behind.
Legacy runs deep in the company’s Australian story. Through Clough, whose projects have helped shape the nation’s modern landscape, the group’s history spans more than a century. That lineage has become a shared purpose: delivering infrastructure that serves communities and sustains progress.
“Webuild has been part of Australia since the 1970s, delivering projects across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. We returned in 2012 and have since been involved in some of the country’s most iconic and complex infrastructure works,” says Assorati. “With the acquisition of Clough, our combined history in Australia now spans more than 100 years.”
A century of building has given Webuild and Clough both heritage and foresight, with a view to where the next era of investment and innovation will unfold. That perspective crystallises around three national priorities: transport, water and clean energy.
“Transport remains the backbone of the nation’s long-term vision,” says Assorati. “Cities must be connected, and as they continue to grow, the road and rail networks must grow with them.”
Connectivity, he believes, is the foundation on which both economic and social opportunity are built. Webuild’s role in this space includes the Suburban Rail Loop and North East Link in Victoria, Sydney Metro in NSW and the Forrestfield–Airport Link in Western Australia. These projects expand mobility, ease congestion and connect regions.
North East Link is a prime example. The project comprises twin three-lane tunnels stretching roughly 6.5 kilometres, together forming the longest road tunnel in Victoria. Once complete, it will remove 15,000 trucks from local roads each day and cut travel times by up to 35 minutes. It will also improve safety and connectivity across Melbourne’s freeway network.
Water follows transport as the next national imperative. As populations rise and climatic pressures intensify, reliable water infrastructure is critical. From treatment facilities to desalination plants, the systems that sustain supply are central to resilience.
This is illustrated by Clough’s delivery of the Bundeena to Maianbar Water Cycle Management Scheme in NSW, which is providing wastewater services to previously unsewered communities through environmentally sensitive design and construction.
Energy completes the picture, supporting every aspect of daily life, from homes and hospitals to industry and innovation. Webuild’s work on Snowy 2.0 shows its role in advancing clean energy and hydro capability, providing renewable generation that will deliver energy security for decades to come.
“If companies and contractors are to invest with a long-term view, these are the three pillars that will shape the future,” says Assorati.
These priorities reflect Webuild’s strategy, aligning national needs with the company’s global experience. They also encompass social infrastructure, including hospitals and civic assets, as well as sectors such as civil, marine, resources, housing and asset management.
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Webuild is part of the Spark North East Link Design and Construct Joint Venture delivering what will be the longest road tunnel in Victoria.
A culture of collaboration
Webuild’s expertise is evident in the scale of its projects, but for Assorati, what matters most is how that knowledge is shared. The company works in concert with clients, contractors and communities. Its reputation rests on trust and cooperation, qualities that turn complex builds into positive outcomes.
“Collaboration is key to success,” he says. “We succeed together, and if there are challenges, we face them together.”
While its projects show capability, its partnerships show character. The group has forged relationships with universities across Victoria, NSW, Queensland and WA to help develop the next generation of engineers and project leaders.
“We do not just create jobs; we create skills,” says Assorati. “We bring knowledge gained from the 50 countries where we currently operate, sharing global expertise and innovation, and adapting it to fit Australia’s environment. This exchange of ideas helps us introduce proven solutions that add real value locally.”
Each project is designed to connect with its community and leave people better equipped for the future. Between July 2024 and June 2025, Webuild spent $4 billion on procurement, of which $3 billion went to local suppliers. Wherever possible, the company prioritises subcontractors located near project sites so that investment stays within the local economy.
The impact of that approach can be seen on Snowy 2.0, where small regional contractors have developed into experienced businesses capable of delivering major works.
“When our partners grow, we grow too,” says Assorati. “It is about creating a cycle of capability.”
Webuild also works with Indigenous enterprises and social procurement programs that open doors for under-represented groups. Its focus on inclusion has seen women comprise up to 30 per cent of project workforces, above the industry average.
That culture of collaboration runs through every layer of the organisation. Transparency and shared values underpin the way teams operate, fostering trust that lifts both performance and outcomes.
“When collaboration is genuine, it raises standards across the industry,” says Assorati. “We aim to make the construction industry better, not just bigger. What matters to us is the lasting benefit infrastructure brings to communities. That benefit is the ultimate goal, and it defines our vision.”
Building on global insight
That same mindset carries across borders. Operating in more than 50 countries, Webuild brings ideas proven on the world stage and adapts them to Australia’s conditions. The ability to transfer innovation from one region to another is part of what distinguishes the group on complex projects.
It’s an approach grounded in local presence, and the acquisition of Clough has deepened the group’s understanding of Australia’s operating landscape.
This blend of international perspective and local delivery has proved valuable in sustainability. Italy, where Webuild is headquartered, leads Europe in recycling and circular-economy practices. Lessons from that experience are being applied to Australian projects to reduce waste and improve environmental performance.
“Every country is different,” says Assorati. “A common foundation of experience is important, but understanding local expectations is what makes the difference.”
Global experience matters when it creates local value, and that is where Webuild’s advantage lies.
Project Ceres is a $6.4 billion development on the Burrup Peninsula being delivered by the Saipem and Clough Joint Venture.
Leading with integrity
Behind this scale of delivery is leadership defined by accountability and a clear sense of direction. Webuild is a global organisation of about 95,000 people, including 7,000 in Australia. In a company of this size, direction must be consistent and communication precise. Purpose must be shared, so that everyone understands not only what they are building, but why.
“Our vision can be summarised in one word: integrity,” says Assorati. “We value transparency and collaboration, both in our relationships with clients and stakeholders and within our own teams and supply chain.”
A long-term vision is equally important. When Webuild delivers a project or guides the organisation, it looks beyond immediate achievements to the positive change its work will deliver.
Consider Webuild’s delivery of the Western Sydney Airport Line for Sydney Metro. The ability for people to travel easily from one side of the city to the other is a lasting contribution to the community. Snowy 2.0 offers another example, providing renewable energy that will support Australia’s transition to net zero.
“Leadership, for me, means looking beyond the immediate delivery and focusing on the enduring benefits that infrastructure brings to people and the nation,” says Assorati.
His belief in long-term value covers both the infrastructure and the culture that sustains it. Assorati recently took home the Industry Ally Award at the 2025 NAWIC Victoria Awards for Excellence, highlighting that influence.
The award recognises men who champion gender equality and inclusion across construction, reflected in Assorati’s leadership of the Spark North East Link Design and Construct Joint Venture. He and the leadership team set inclusion as a core part of delivery.
The project achieved outcomes across social procurement and female participation. From the outset, the team focused on inclusion, health, safety and overall culture.
“At the start, we did not ask how many positions we needed to fill with women. Instead, we asked what we could do to make this a place where women could succeed. Flexibility was one important factor, but it went further than that,” he says. “We created clear pathways for career growth and ensured that women were represented in senior leadership.”
That environment has produced results, with women now holding key leadership roles across multiple projects.
“When a young woman joins a site and sees women in leadership, she understands she can achieve the same. If we can recreate that environment everywhere, we have achieved something meaningful,” says Assorati.
“What matters is having the best people in the team, regardless of gender. Our responsibility is to ensure that women can enter this industry without fear or hesitation. No one should ever feel that construction is not a place for them or that it is reserved for men. Everyone should feel comfortable and supported.”
Clough is currently undertaking the engineering, procurement and construction scope of the Waitsia Gas Project Stage 2 development in Western Australia.
The decade ahead
Assorati sees the coming decade shaped by both continuity and change. Transport will stay a national focus, while momentum is building in water, energy and digital infrastructure. Regional development is gaining prominence, with projects such as Snowy 2.0 showing how big projects can renew local economies and lift communities.
Through Clough, Webuild is also extending its reach into maritime and defence, delivering the Darwin Ship Lift Facility in the Northern Territory and Pilbara Ports’ new Dampier Bulk Handling Facility in WA. Each reflects expertise refined through decades of global delivery.
“We are applying global experience to Australian needs,” says Assorati. “For example, the Women and Babies Hospital in Perth is our first hospital project in Australia, but it builds on experience from more than 200 hospitals across Europe and the Americas.”
As the country’s infrastructure needs evolve, Webuild keeps its focus on people, creating opportunity and progress nationwide.
Together, Webuild and Clough have delivered more than 40 projects across Australia in the past decade. With 13 projects now underway, their work is shaping productivity, connectivity and community outcomes.
“We are ready for what comes next,” says Assorati. “We are confident in our ability to meet the challenges and opportunities of the decade ahead.”
As Australia advances, Webuild advances with it.