World Cup project director role a ‘great privilege’ for columnist Lillie

QS News columnist Denis Lillie has been given a key role overseeing work needed for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Project manager Lillie, who relocated with his family to Cape Town at the end of last year and started his own PM firm, has been appointed as project director World Cup 2010 for the Western Cape. This will involve all the work needed for matches held in Cape Town at the Green Point stadium. The venue will stage the semifinal of the prestigious tournament (see box) and its refurbishment is expected to cost around £540m.

Lillie described the role as a “fantastic opportunity”. He said the challenge of working across the South African community and government on the World Cup was a special one as the tournament was seen locally as a catalyst for change in the post-apartheid period. “It’s a unique opportunity to see the side of South Africa that I will be seeing and the experience will be a great privilege,” he said.

It’s a unique opportunity to see the side of South Africa that I will be seeing

Denis Lillie

Lillie said his biggest challenge would be getting a skilled local workforce. He said: “The project will be used as a school to train the local workforce and use outside expertise to gain international experience to open up South Africans to the global construction and development market. This is already being done on the Gautrain link where Bouygues (French) are working closely with Murray and Roberts (South African) on the high-speed rail link between the airport, Johannesburg and Pretoria.”

Lillie said he expected UK QS and PM firms such as Davis Langdon, which is project managing the Gautrain link, AYH and Turner & Townsend to pitch for World Cup work given the high demand for construction in the country at present.

His role will be to work with FIFA, the South African Government and the Office of the Mayor of Cape Town to co-ordinate work on the venues, infrastructure, transportation safety and all other work needed to ensure smooth running of the event.

The project will be used as a school to train the local workforce

Denis Lillie

Lillie is working for the Provincial Government of the Western Cape.

In the UK Lillie ran White Young Green’s project management business in London and was a director at Hyder Consulting.