Laing O'Rourke founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, Ray O'Rourke, is to step down in September 2022.

Almost 45 years after Ray, with his brother Des, began business with a single £2500 concrete structures project, he will join Des as a Deputy Chairman of the Group, and continue his focus on innovation, people development and major clients.

Seamus French, the current CEO of Anglo American's Bulk Commodities and Other Minerals division, will join the leadership team in January 2022; initially as Managing Director of the Europe Hub and CEO-designate, on a three-year contract.


The appointment to first lead the Europe business will facilitate an orderly CEO handover from Ray to Seamus following the delivery of the FY22 (April 2021 - March 2022) trading period, audit and accounts. Seamus will then be Group CEO and Europe Hub MD.

Seamus has already spent 18 months with the group as a Non-Executive Director, witnessing first-hand the improving performance of the business. He understands the discipline of the unique operating model and the development of Laing O'Rourke's longer-term strategy, and has formed connections across the leadership team.