Kier brings in former O’Rourke director to beef up commercial team

Kier has recruited a former Laing O’Rourke commercial director to beef up its construction commercial team.

The firm confirmed that Nicola Kelly starts with the firm today as its commercial projects director reporting into Liam Cummins who is in charge of the construction business. Cummins spent 16 years at Laing O’Rourke before joining Kier at the start of last year.

A spokesperson said Kelly will also be working with Stuart Togwell, the group commercial director brought in from Wates two years ago by then new chief executive Andrew Davies.

Kelly previously worked for Sir Robert McAlpine in commercial and business management before joining Skanska’s M&E arm at the start of 2018. She left Skanska two years later.

Kier, which recently sold its housing business for £110m and raised £241m in fresh equity in under nine hours last month, is next due to give a trading update on 13 July.

The firm is now understood to have received all the proceeds from the housing sale and equity raise. Kier’s current year-end finishes this Wednesday.