NEW appointments have been made at Laing O’Rourke as the firm gave its board a refresh to power its next stage of growth.
The international firm, which was founded in London by Mayo-born brothers Ray and Des O’Rourke in 1977, has announced a series of changes this month.
From November Mark Foy will join the board of the firm as a non-executive director.
Mr Foy was formerly the Chief Executive and Chief Inspector of the Office of Nuclear Regulation.
“He is an expert in regulatory excellence and nuclear safety and security,” a Laing O’Rourke spokesperson confirmed.
“Mr Foy will bring his extensive experience to his role as the chair of the board’s newly formed safety committee,” they added.
Laing O'Rourke chairman Ray O'Rourke has confirmed the changes to the boardHelen Ruelle has been appointed group company secretary.
The lawyer, who specialises in commercial and business law, was recently a director at the internationally renowned commercial law firm, Ogier.
She was a partner at Mourant prior to that.
Ms Ruelle replaces current company secretary Jim Edmondson, who will remain as a member of the board and will provide “ongoing support to the O’Rourke family office, Oisín Capital” the organisation confirmed.
Heather MacCallum, who first joined the Laing O’Rourke board in November 2022 and currently chairs the audit and risk committee, will become the senior independent director, and a member of the remuneration committee.
Dr Hayaatun Sillem, who joined the board in March 2022, will now chair the board’s sustainability committee.
She will “bring a renewed focus and expertise to meet Laing O’Rourke’s ambitious sustainability agenda” the firm said.
Dr Sillem, who has served as the CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering for the past eight years, announced she will step down from that role at the end of this year.
“She has made a significant contribution to engineering in the United Kingdom, and we are delighted she has agreed to take on more responsibility on the board,” the firm said.
Non-executive director Charlotte Valeur and senior independent director Mark Cutifani have now left the board.
“We believe that the modernisation of the construction industry, that we are backing our people to deliver, can be at the heart of a 21st Century Industrial Revolution,” Laing O’Rourke chairman Ray O’Rourke said.
“Though the working paradigm is new, our commitment to a model built around the extraordinary talent of our people is constant,” he added.
“The arrival of Mark Foy and Helen Ruelle, together with the expertise and experience of Hayaatun Sillem and Heather MacCallum will only deepen this rich tradition at Laing O’Rourke,” O’Rourke explained.
“The hard work, ingenuity and dedication of everyone at Laing O’Rourke has created a platform for innovation unprecedented in our industry,” he added.
“I want to thank Mark Cutifani and Charlotte Valeur for their guidance and advice over the years, as we pioneered the modern methods of construction that are now powering the next stage of Laing O’Rourke’s growth.”
See More: Board, Laing O’Rourke, Refresh
