"The City knows Sir Neville Simms very well but this was a chance to introduce John Sharples, Roger Robinson and Euan McEwan, as they have not had contact with them in the past," said a Carillion spokesman.
"We wanted to show that there is a strong management team behind Neville, particularly in an operational sense. It was a chance to show who the guys are at the coal face. It will take some time for the changes to sink in. Some in the City will take some convincing as well."
The company is expected to float at £1 a share but some analysts are concerned that the directors invest their own stakes at the original price. "They know what it is worth and they should put their money in at the start, otherwise the market will not be convinced," said one.
But a spokesman for Carillion said that directors' stakes would be bought as soon as the company was floated. Under the Founders' Equity plan up to 100 senior managers can buy shares up to the value of one year's salary. If the share price doubles within three years then they will get four times that amount back in shares.
Most analysts were pleased with management commitment. "They'll be treating the demerger like a management buyout by having this large share-incentive scheme throughout the company," said one. But there is still concern over the lack of a permanent finance director. McEwan, formerly construction finance director, is carrying out the role temporarily.
