After five decades leading Laing O’Rourke, founder and chief executive Ray O’Rourke is stepping down
Ray O’Rourke KBE founded Laing O’Rourke in 1977 as a regionally based formwork and concrete specialist.
Ray O’Rourke will continue to serve on the Group Board as a deputy chair, alongside brother and co-founder Des. Ray will chair the Board Nomination committee, drive innovation in construction methods, and be available to the Group CEO to meet with key customers, stakeholders and to provide mentoring and advice.
Marking Laing O’Rourke’s transition to the next generation
The Board of Laing O’Rourke has unanimously approved the appointment of Cathal O’Rourke, Ray’s son, as the new Group chief executive officer, effective from 1 July 2024.
Cathal is a graduate civil engineer and has served as managing director in Australia and most recently, Group chief operating officer.
Other roles include serving as President of the Australian Constructors’ Association (ACA) and sitting on both the Construction Industry Leadership Forum and Construction Industry Culture Taskforce.
Commenting on the change in leadership at Laing O’Rourke, Sir John Parker GBE FREng said: “At this time of major transition in the leadership of the Group we are fortunate to have such a well-qualified and talented successor to Ray in Cathal.
“The Board has every confidence in Cathal’s leadership qualities, accumulated experience, his commitment to modernising the industry and his alignment with Laing O’Rourke’s values of care, integrity, and courage.
“We salute the unique creativity of Ray’s leadership in building the Group and its culture that we know today. We are fortunate that he will continue to serve providing ongoing guidance and mentorship.”
Continuing Laing O’Rourke’s record of successful project delivery
Commenting on his appointment, 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.”
Commenting on his decision to hand over the role of CEO and assume a new position on the Group Board, Ray O’Rourke 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.”
