Hamer will join firm on 31 July from WYG, where he has been chief executive for the last eight years.

Sir Robert McAlpine has announced that Paul Hamer is to become the company’s next chief executive.

Hamer will join McAlpine on 31 July from WYG, where he has been chief executive for the last eight years.

The family-owned construction giant had been without a chief executive for almost a year, following the departure of Tony Aikenhead last summer, after just nine months in the role.

Gavin McAlpine, non-executive chairman of Sir Robert McAlpine, said: “I am delighted to welcome Paul to Sir Robert McAlpine. He has an outstanding reputation within the industry and a proven track record for delivery, both as a client and as a contractor.

“At WYG Paul refocused the business around driving value for its clients. At Sir Robert McAlpine, we are focussed on our clients’ needs and delivering exceptional value. I am certain that Paul will challenge us all to excel in supporting these objectives.

“We are looking forward to working in partnership with Paul for the next phase of Sir Robert McAlpine’s evolution.”

Speaking about his appointment, Hamer said: “I am delighted to be joining Sir Robert McAlpine as it approaches its milestone anniversary of 150 years in business. I am looking forward to working with the McAlpine Family, the board and my new colleagues to create and drive future success for the firm.

“We will be building on the key strength of engineering excellence whilst leveraging the tradition and heritage of this great company.

“We aim to enhance our focus on our clients and their needs whilst ensuring that we deliver excellence in all of our operations.”

Topics