Former Laing O’Rourke chief operating officer Tony Douglas hired by UK government

The former chief operating officer of Laing O’Rourke, Tony Douglas, has been hired by the UK government as a top civil servant in the Ministry of Defence.

Douglas (pictured), who was most recently chief executive of Abu Dhabi Airports, has been appointed chief executive of the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) division.

DE&S has annual running costs of £1.3bn and is responsible for procurement and maintenance of all Armed Forces’ equipment. He will be accountable to Parliament for the organisation’s running costs.

Douglas said: “I am absolutely delighted to have the privilege of serving my country and supporting Her Majesty’s Armed Forces.

“Delivering their requirements with the utmost service quality and providing best value to the taxpayer is a responsibility that I take with real pride.”