Liam Cummins goes after 16 years

Laing O’Rourke’s building director Liam Cummins is leaving to join Kier as its group managing director of construction.

The move is a coup for Kier and its new chief executive Andrew Davies who joined the business in April.

liam headshot

Kier has been hit by a series of problems in the past couple of years including a mounting debt pile in September the firm posted a £245m pre-tax loss in the year to June. It was also dropped by British Land over the summer for a £300m scheme in London called Norton Folgate.

But Davies has vowed to turn the business around and has begun a restructuring initiative which will see 1,200 jobs go by next summer and the firm sell off its housing arm.

Cummins, who was at Mowlem before joining O’Rourke in 2004, is replacing Peter Young who is leaving the firm. He said: “The Kier business has great talent with a strong national reach and local capability.”

Schemes the firm is working on include the P2 building at Kings Cross and the new home for US Air Force F-35 Fighter Jet at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

Davies said: “I look forward to [Cummins] working with our senior management teams to drive growth and nurture the long-term client relationships and excellent customer service that our construction business offers.”

Cummins (pictured) goes later this month and paying tribute Laing O’Rourke chief executive Ray O’Rourke said: “Liam has been an exemplary senior executive for the business, working across Europe, the Middle East and Australia in pivotal roles, in both the main construction business and our specialist trading group.

“We wish him every success in his new role.”

O’Rourke said it will replace Cummins with an internal appointment.