After five decades at the helm of Laing O’Rourke’s global operations, our Founder and Group CEO, Ray O’Rourke KBE, has informed the Board of his decision to step down from this role.
Ray, who founded the business as a regional formwork and concrete specialist in 1977, has been at the forefront of a more innovative, productive and resilient sector from the start.
He is a passionate supporter of the construction industry and has led ongoing investment in digital and manufacturing technologies to deliver projects faster, greener, safer and to a higher standard.
Passionate about developing and supporting talented engineers and project delivery specialists, he is also a champion of the people who come to work in our industry every day.
Ray will continue to serve on the group’s board as vice-chairman alongside his brother and partner Des. He will chair the Board Appointments Committee, drive innovation in construction methods and be available to the Group CEO to meet with key customers, stakeholders and provide mentoring and advice.
This is a key transition milestone for Laing O’Rourke as the business moves from a founder-led organization to a new generation of group leadership.
Aware of the significance of this moment for the business, the Board of Directors carefully considered management’s decision. As a result, the Board of Directors unanimously approved the appointment of Cathal O’Rourke as the new Group CEO with effect from 1 July 2024.
Cathal, who is a civil engineer by training, has served in a variety of operational and leadership roles across both of the organisation’s operational centres, including managing director in Australia and most recently group chief operating officer.
He is a recognized industry leader who has led change across the industry, served as President of the Australian Association of Architects (ACA) and has been at the forefront of the industry’s transition to more collaborative contracting.
He also played a significant role in the Construction Leadership Forum and Construction Industry Culture Taskforce, which brought together government and industry to improve the procurement and delivery of infrastructure programs as well as industry culture.
Commenting on his appointment, Cathal said:
“I am truly honored to be trusted by our business leadership and our people, and I am committed to continuing to work with our clients, supplier partners and all other stakeholders to drive positive change.
“Together we can continue to deliver on our mission to transform our sector into a more sustainable and productive industry, embracing new and innovative ways of doing things while providing our people with safe, challenging and rewarding careers.”
Commenting on his decision to hand over the role of CEO and take up a new position on the group’s board, Ray said:
“I am delighted to hand over the CEO reins 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 are committed to transforming our industry and our people are recognized for their ability to deliver complex engineering projects using advanced and sophisticated techniques around the world.
“Cathal has enjoyed a successful career with our family business spanning a quarter of a century and I am confident that he will continue to lead our people well into the future and uphold the values and guiding principles that have underpinned our success. “
Sir John Parker GBE FREng commented on the change in leadership at Laing O’Rourke:
“At this time of major change in the Group’s leadership, we are fortunate to have such a well-qualified and talented successor to Ray in Cathal.
“The Board has full confidence in Cathal’s leadership qualities, accumulated experience, his commitment to modernizing the industry and his alignment with Laing O’Rourke’s values of care, integrity and courage.
“We pay tribute to the unique creativity of Ray’s leadership in building the group and its culture as we know it today. We are fortunate that he will continue to serve as ongoing guidance and mentorship.”