Ray O’Rourke to step down as Laing O’Rourke’s chief executive

O’Rourke founded the business as a formwork and concrete specialist in 1977 as R. O’Rourke & Son, before acquiring Laing Construction for £1 in 2001.

He will continue to serve the board as deputy chair alongside his brother Des. He will also chair the board nomination committee, drive innovation in construction methods and be available to meet key customers, stakeholders, and provide mentoring and advice.

Meanwhile, his son Cathal O’Rourke has been appointed as the new group chief executive, effective from 1 July.

Cathal O’Rourke is a graduate civil engineer and has served in roles at the company including managing director in Australia and group chief operations officer. He has also served as president of the Australian Constructors’ Association (ACA).

Cathal said: “I am truly honoured to be trusted with the leadership of our business and our people, and I am committed to continuing to work with our clients, delivery partners and all other stakeholders to lead positive change.

“Together we can continue to drive forward on our mission to transform our sector into a more sustainable and productive industry, embracing new and innovative ways of doing things, whilst at the same time, providing our people with safe, challenging and rewarding careers.”

Ray said: “I am delighted to be in a position to hand over the reins of CEO to my son and our group COO, Cathal O’Rourke.

“I am incredibly proud of our people and what we have achieved as a business.

“We have maintained a commitment to transform our industry, and our people are recognised for their ability to deliver complex engineering projects using advanced and sophisticated techniques across the globe.

“Cathal has enjoyed a successful career in our family business, spanning a quarter of a century and I have every confidence he will continue to lead our people well into the future, upholding the values and guiding principles that have been the foundation of our success.”