Major tier one contractors have made the headlines this week with high-level internal promotions.
Ray O’Rourke
Laing O’Rourke went back to the future on Wednesday (12 February) when it announced the appointment of its founder and former chief executive Ray O’Rourke as the new group chairman.
O’Rourke moves up from his previous role as deputy chairman to succeed Sir John Parker, who will remain in an ambassadorial role at Laing O’Rourke after eight years as chairman.
O’Rourke stepped down as chief executive last year and handed over the reins to his son Cathal.
Laing O’Rourke is the UK’s largest privately owned contractor and the fourth-biggest in the CN100 2024 rankings.
The firm is also one of Construction News’ 10 companies to watch this year.
Balfour Beatty on Tuesday (11 February) announced the appointment of three sector leads for UK energy, defence and transportation.
All three will report to chief executive Leo Quinn. They are new posts, filled by promotions rather than external hires.
Steve Tarr – a 42-year veteran at the country’s biggest contractor – has become Balfour Beatty’s group sector lead for UK energy.
He currently leads the company’s power transmission, rail and Kilpatrick mechanical and electrical businesses.
Balfour Beatty also named Nick Crossfield as group sector lead for the “evolving and critical” UK defence market, and Phil Clifton as group sector lead for UK transport.
Crossfield joined the firm last November after nine years as managing director of Alstom UK & Ireland. He currently holds six divisional leadership positions within Balfour Beatty.
Clifton has 28 years of experience at the firm and is the divisional chief executive of its major projects, highways and ground engineering businesses.
Jon Mangham
Elsewhere this week, McLaren’s development arm appointed Jon Mangham as construction director for northern England.
He will oversee development opportunities in the region for McLaren Property, Living and Regeneration.
Mangham joined McLaren from Bouygues subsidiary Equans UK & Ireland, where he spent three years as regional director.
This followed three years at Engie, latterly as operations director for major projects.
He also had stints at Wates, Willmott Dixon, Costain and Balfour Beatty in his 35-year career.
Veteran promotion
Gleeds made the biggest move in the consultancy sector this week.
The firm announced that David Johnson will become its new chief operating officer next month.
Johnson joined Gleeds as a partner in 1983. He spent 28 years as its regional director for Western Europe, and his most recent role was managing director for Gleeds Europe since March 2023.
He will replace Salar Farzad, who has been in the role since November 2023 having joined Gleeds as chief financial officer in March that year.
Before then, Farzad was a non-executive director and chair of the audit committee at law firm Keystone Law.
Paul Napper
On Thursday (13 February), the National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) announced the appointment of Paul Napper as head of training and education and Mark Collinson as head of technical.
Napper joins from another industry body, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, where he spent three years as knowledge and competence lead.
NASC described Collinson as “already a leading industry voice”. He previously spent 20 years at Brand Access Solutions (previously Lyndon SGB), most recently as Europe commercial health and safety director.
