A milestone evening in Manila honours the Cloudstaffers who have been the backbone of Built’s Australian operations for 10 years. The event was a reflection on a partnership that grew from a handful of back-office roles into a 40-strong virtual team embedded across finance, engineering, and quantity surveying.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES, February 19, 2026 — When Built, one of Australia’s leading tier-1 construction contractors, first partnered with Cloudstaff a decade ago, the brief was practical: supplement a fast-growing business with capable people, quickly. The results and partnership that followed exceeded both organisation’s expectations.
On 19 February 2026, Built and Cloudstaff gathered at the SkyClub in Clark, Philippines, for The Tenth Beam, a celebration of 10 years of shared history, shared purpose, and the people who made it real. Built executives flew in from Australia to be part of the evening, joining the dedicated Cloudstaff team that has supported their operations day in, day out.
From Finance to the Field: How the Partnership Evolved
Built’s journey with Cloudstaff began with back-office support, with roles in finance and marketing helping to absorb the administrative load that comes with rapid national expansion across Australia. As the relationship deepened and trust was established, so did the scope of work. Engineers, quantity surveyors, and specialists in digital transformation and IT were added to the team, with Cloudstaffers eventually supporting Built’s operations across accounting, estimating, and major project delivery.
Today, 48 Cloudstaffers work alongside Built’s Australian teams daily, handling a wide range of responsibilities, which in turn frees up Built’s on-ground leadership to focus on the strategic, client-facing work that drives the business forward.
Built Executives Make the Trip
The Built delegation that attended The Tenth Beam included Michael Grandish, Strategic Projects and Innovation Manager; April Shields, Head of Submissions; Rebecca Simpson, Submissions and Region 8 Manager; and Karl Yap, Quantity Surveyor Manager. Their decision to fly to Manila for the occasion was a statement in itself, one that resonated strongly with the Cloudstaffers in the room.
Monika Simpson, Cloudstaff’s General Manager of Construction Vertical (APAC), welcomed the Built team and guests, reflecting on the partnership’s trajectory and the qualities that have kept it strong. She shared, “Celebrating 10 years with Built is a testament to true partnership, and we’re excited for what we can achieve together in the next decade.”
Toby Longhurst, Cloudstaff’s CSX Director, joined Monika to present Built’s executives with appreciation trophies before both teams took the stage together to honour the Cloudstaffers reaching their 10-year milestones.
What a Decade of Partnership Sounds Like
Michael, who has been central to managing Built’s relationship with Cloudstaff, spoke to what made the partnership worth investing in for the long term: “What we’ve built here isn’t just a working arrangement. It’s trust, and trust is what turns relationships into real capability. The team you’ve grown into over these 10 years is a direct reflection of the people behind it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
Ten Years, Recognised
For the Cloudstaffers receiving their 10-year awards, the evening carried a weight that went well beyond the trophy in their hands. One by one, they expressed what a decade with Built has meant to them: the stability it brought to their families, the professional growth they had not expected when they first started, and the sense of being genuinely valued by their customer. Several spoke of the trust Built had placed in them from early on, and how that trust had become the foundation for everything they had since built together. The gratitude in the room was mutual, and it showed.
April shared, “When I look at this team, I don’t just see growth in numbers. I see growth in capacity, in judgement, in the kind of work that no algorithm will ever replicate. AI is going to do more and more, but what you bring, the way you think, the way you show up, that’s what keeps raising the bar. So thank you, not just for the work, but for the way you work. Happy 10 years!”
An Evening to Remember
The Tenth Beam was never meant to be a formal sit-down affair, rather a relaxed, genuinely fun night out The evening unfolded the way the best Cloudstaff celebrations do: with energy, laughter, and the kind of connection that does not happen on a video call. The Built executives and the team played games, sang together, and shared a proper Filipino feast, anchored by the lechon cutting ceremony that has become a proud tradition at every major Cloudstaff gathering.
For some in the room, it was the first time the whole Built team had been together in the Philippines. By the end of the evening, it felt like it would not be the last.
A Message from the CEO
From Australia, Cloudstaff CEO Lloyd Ernst joined the evening via a special video greeting, acknowledging the significance of the milestone and the team that had delivered on it: “Built was with us at the very beginning, and watching this partnership grow from those early days in Makati into the team it is today, across multiple offices and disciplines, has been one of our great success stories. To everyone who made it possible: thank you. And to the Built team, we love your pioneering spirit, and we are always ready to support your growth and help make Built more and more successful. We cannot wait to see where the next 10 years takes us.”
The Tenth Beam captured what the People + Tech approach looks like when it has had time to take root: a team of skilled, committed Cloudstaffers and a client that chose to invest in them as true partners. Ten years is a long time in any industry. In construction, where project timelines, market conditions, and talent demands shift constantly, it is extraordinary.
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About Built
Proudly Australian-owned since 1998, Built is a national diversified general contractor and one of Australia’s largest private construction groups. Headquartered in Sydney, Built delivers large-scale new builds, complex refurbishments, and intricate fitouts across Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Learn more at www.built.com.au.
About Cloudstaff
Cloudstaff is pioneering virtual staffing solutions that combine ethical outsourcing with enterprise-grade people tech. They connect businesses embarking on remarkable growth with the world’s top talent from their pool of nearly one million professionals. Brilliant careers for future teams are underpinned by unique investments in community and training, while client experiences are boosted with productivity apps, passionate support, and a vision for an AI-augmented future of work. With 20 delivery centers across the Philippines, India, Colombia, and Kenya, 79 work-from-home cities supported, and client operations in the US, Australia, and UK, they are helping businesses around the globe find staff for over 150 roles. Businesses looking for professional services staffing partners that are more than just an Employer of Record (EOR) or compliance service can discover why they choose Cloudstaff at www.cloudstaff.com.
Media Contact:
Beth Woods
VP-Marketing, Cloudstaff
+63 2 8672 7864
marketing-notices@cloudstaff.com
www.cloudstaff.com