Leading consulting engineer Paul Westbury has been appointed group technical director at Laing O’Rourke, where his responsibilities for technical and engineering issues will include heading up its Engineering Excellence Group innovation team.
Currently chief executive of Buro Happold, 44-year-old Westbury last year made the New Year’s Honours list and received a CBE for his services to engineering and construction.
He will take on global responsibility for the contracting group’s technical and engineering functions and lead the Engineering Excellence Group (EnExG), which devises new civil, M&E, structural and manufacturing engineering strategies and innovates technological solutions on Laing O’Rourke projects.
EnExG offers consultancy internally, to external clients such as Thames Water and acts as the company’s R&D hub. Laing O’Rourke say that the engineers in the team provided the “intellectual resource” for innovative ideas on projects such as the Leadenhall Building, the Francis Crick Institute and the London Gateway Port. Other proejcts include developing phase-change materials in buildings and fibre optics in tunnelling.
Paul Westbury became Buro Happold’s youngest ever principal
At 25, Westbury co-engineered the Millennium Dome, the first building of its type with the world’s largest fabric roof. He went on to develop a specialism in sports and entertainment architecture, working with avant-garde New York architect Peter Eisenman to develop the ground-breaking Arizona Cardinals Stadium in Phoenix, devising technical solutions at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, and collaborating with architect Rod Sheard of Populous on the Olympic Stadium.
He joined Buro Happold in 1991 with a first in engineering from Cambridge. In 2000 he became the consultancy’s youngest ever principal when he was made a partner and director at 30.
As CEO at Buro Happold, Westbury led a portfolio of projects focused on engineering and design management, specialist consulting and technical services.
"I am passionate about my profession, and this new role will enable me to continue to be an ambassador for engineering globally, raising its profile as a leader in providing solutions for many of the major life-changing issues that society is facing today and in the future."
Paul Westbury
Laing O’Rourke chairman Ray O’Rourke said: “We are extremely proud that Paul will lead Laing O’Rourke’s engineering activities, working alongside the incredibly talented engineers we already employ, who are inspired to deliver whatever is needed on our projects with intelligence, ingenuity and integrity. Paul brings an outstanding record of achievement and value creation having expanded Buro Happold into a successful international business. I know he will help ensure Laing O’Rourke’s future success as we continue to meet the challenges of our industry head on.”
Westbury starts in the position this autumn, and will also serve on the executive committee and reporting to chief executive Anna Stewart. He has played a crucial role in the design of many complex buildings.
Westbury was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal for his contribution to British engineering in 2008, and in May 2012 he was awarded the Gold Medal from the Institution of Structural Engineers.
Commenting on his new role, Westbury said: “I am thrilled to be joining Laing O’Rourke at such an exciting point in its development. I genuinely believe it has the strategic focus, the resources and most importantly, the right talent to lead the engineering and construction industry in an entirely new direction, setting the standards by which all other organisations in the sector will be measured. I am passionate about my profession, and this new role will enable me to continue to be an ambassador for engineering globally, raising its profile as a leader in providing solutions for many of the major life-changing issues that society is facing today and in the future.”
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