Ray O’Rourke, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Laing O’Rourke, has announced his decision to step down after five decades at the helm, prompting an outpouring of praise for his years of service.
His son, Cathal O’Rourke, has been named the new CEO of the contracting business, and will formally assume leadership on 1 July.
Ray, 77, founded the business as a regionally based formwork and concrete specialist in 1977.
He will continue to serve on the Board as a deputy chairman, alongside his brother and partner Des, while also chairing the Board Nomination Committee.
Construction colleagues published praise for the industry veteran on social media, many recalling fond memories of working with Ray down the years.
‘A true inspiration and visionary’
“Ray is and has always been an inspiration, a true leader from the front, and remembers everyone’s name which counts for a lot – that’s my fondest memory when I worked under your leadership,” a senior estimator at Beard wrote.
“I count myself fortunate to have worked within the Laing O’Rourke group of companies. Ray is a great leader, a visionary within our industry and has inspired many,” wrote a director at Hoare Lea.
“Ray, you have been an inspirational leader to many, and I was privileged to have worked with you during my time in London and Australia. I hope you get to enjoy some downtime now with the family,” one GenUrban director wrote
“Ray is an absolute legend and wish him every success in a happy retirement, his vision and passion for construction is just amazing,” wrote a Togher Group director.
“What a humble man. A true visionary and badly needed role model for our industry,” wrote one construction director.
Laing O’Rourke chairman, Sir John Parker, said of Ray: “We salute the unique creativity of Ray’s leadership in building the group and its culture that we know today.”
Fresh leadership
Civil engineering graduate, Cathal, was most recently the group’s chief operating officer (COO), having spent more than a decade managing the Australian arm of the business before that.
He also served as president of the Australian Constructors’ Association (ACA) and supported both the Construction Industry Leadership Forum and Construction Industry Culture Taskforce.
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.”
Ray added: “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.”
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