President Roger Flanagan declared Ray O’Rourke ‘his hero’ at the annual dinner last month, suggesting that a statue of the industry veteran be erected at Englemere, the CIOB’s Ascot headquarters.

O’Rourke and Brian Bruce, group CEO of South African construction group Murray & Roberts, were both awarded president’s medals at the event on 1 March at London’s Guildhall.

Flanagan, whose comments were inspired by the statues in the Guildhall, is serious about the Laing O’Rourke chairman’s impact on the industry. ‘He’s someone who has made a huge contribution to shaping and improving the UK construction sector,’ he said, praising O’Rourke’s use of directly employed labour and his

innovative approach to delivery. ‘He is not scared to stand up and be counted and practice what he preaches,’ added Flanagan.

Awarding a president’s medal to O’Rourke raised a few eyebrows because he is not universally popular among his peers. But speaking to CM after the event, Flanagan dismissed the negative attitudes towards O’Rourke. ‘Why Ray? It’s very simple. He’s made a difference to the industry. He has put his money where his mouth is.’

Both O’Rourke and Bruce gave speeches at the event. O’Rourke – who rarely speaks publicly – said that offsite manufacture was the answer to skills shortages. Bruce spoke about the challenges of construction in the developing world, including the huge issues of diversity and HIV/Aids in the workforce.

Source

Construction Manager

Postscript

You can hear all the speeches from the Guildhall Dinner by visiting www.ciob.org.uk