Laing O’Rourke is planning to expand its programme management operation as it seeks to reposition itself in the market.

Tony Douglas, chief operating officer of the £4bn-turnover company, said it wanted to become a “total solutions provider” offering the range of management services that it is employing as part of the CLM consortium that is helping to build the Olympics.

The move is underpinned by a restructuring at the firm to give more power to project directors.

Douglas said: “We will re-establish what the industry has lost. What it wants is big project directors. We are redesigning the organisation so there are fewer people in the stands and more on the pitch.”

In practice, it is understood that this will mean less of a role for regional heads.

Douglas said the firm had assembled a team of project directors but was looking to recruit more. He would not comment on whether Laing O’Rourke intended to achieve its growth targets through acquisition, but said: “We believe consolidation is inevitable.”

Laing O’Rourke is understood to be seeking a turnover in excess of £5bn.