I had the honour and privilege of first working with Steve during the winter 2015/16 regional floods, seeing first hand the sheer force of nature that Steve was for driving local roads resilience and recovery across Yorkshire and the North of England. I could not understand how one man could do what he did; earning the respect and trust of stakeholders and Ministers wherever he went, and his enthusiasm for highways maintenance was both incredible, and incredibly catching. His passion for his work was one of the many reasons why I came to work for him; words cannot express how grateful and humbled I am to have worked alongside such a talented and inspiring person. I did not know him as long as others within the Department may have done, but it was long enough to witness the positive impact and influence he had on so many colleagues, both within the DfT and across the highways sector. Steve was so much more than a great colleague; he was also a great mentor and friend. He shall be deeply missed. Matt