Meet Laing O’Rourke’s CIOB champion in Perth

I’ve spent 18 years with Laing O’Rourke, which has given me the opportunity to work across Australia and the UK on some incredibly diverse and complex projects. My career started as a graduate in Scotland before progressing through engineering, construction management and leadership roles in sectors including defence, justice, health, rail and major infrastructure.

What has kept me with the company for so long is the opportunity to continuously grow through a diverse range of projects, roles and, most importantly, the people I’ve worked alongside. 

I’ve had the privilege of contributing to projects ranging from nuclear facilities in the UK and defence infrastructure in New South Wales to city-shaping major rail projects in Sydney and Perth.

Each project, role and collaboration has shaped the project leader I am today: open, inclusive and focused on bringing people together to achieve shared outcomes. 

Along the way, I’ve learnt that successful delivery is built on strong planning and technical excellence, but also on building trust and clear communication and encouraging collaboration and supporting people to perform at their best. 

I’m currently working on the delivery of a major underground metro station in a constrained urban environment. 

It involves constructing a large in-situ reinforced concrete structure, while integrating complex building services, rail systems and station operational requirements. 

With a limited site footprint, detailed planning and logistics management are essential while maintaining safety and productivity. It’s in a predominantly residential area so we have to minimise the impacts on the community through stakeholder engagement, traffic and access management, noise and vibration mitigation, and clear communication.

The industry here is in a strong position, in my view, with a substantial pipeline of work across infrastructure, energy, housing, defence and social infrastructure. 

One of the biggest challenges remains productivity. For many years the conversation was about labour shortages and cost escalation and now the focus is shifting towards implementing new ways of working that reduce inefficiencies and support more consistent delivery.

We’re seeing greater interest in modern methods of construction, digital engineering and data-driven project delivery. At Laing O’Rourke, however, these aren’t new concepts. We’ve been implementing modern methods of construction, design
for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) and digital engineering
for many years.

 Client priorities are continuing to broaden. Successful project delivery remains fundamental, but there is also increasing emphasis on confidence and certainty around cost and programme, strong risk management, collaborative and inclusive behaviours, sustainability and the use of technology and innovation to improve outcomes.

There is also a greater focus on the legacy projects leave behind,
not only through the infrastructure itself but through the social, economic and community benefits they create. In my experience, this shift has been supported by more collaborative contracting models, including alliance arrangements, which bring clients, contractors and delivery partners together to achieve better outcomes and
share responsibility for success.

The outlook is particularly positive in Western Australia, where there is strong population growth and investment in resources and infrastructure. Beyond traditional mining and resources projects, we’re seeing increasing opportunities in defence, renewable energy, transmission infrastructure, ports, water and social infrastructure. 

The organisations that will succeed are those that invest in their people, embrace innovation, improve productivity and continue to build strong collaborative relationships with clients and industry partners. The work is there; the challenge now is delivering it smarter, safer and more sustainably than ever before – and in a way that creates lasting value for the communities we serve.

The Perth Hub has built strong momentum over recent years under the leadership of our outgoing chair, Martin Wisker FCIOB, and one of our key priorities is to build on
the foundations laid.

Looking ahead, we’ll keep growing membership, increasing engagement in Western Australia’s construction sector and continuing to raise the profile of CIOB.

We have also strengthened the committee with the appointment of our new Perth Hub sustainability ambassador, ensuring sustainability underpins our events and industry engagement.

For the current governance year, we’ve put together a strong calendar of activities including CPD events, site visits, networking functions and a student challenge in partnership with a local university. These initiatives are designed to provide value to existing members, attract new members and strengthen connections between industry professionals, students and future leaders.

We’re also looking to further develop mentorship opportunities and strengthen relationships with contractors, consultants, clients and educational institutions.

Ultimately, our goal is to make the CIOB Perth Hub the leading professional network for construction professionals in the state, promoting professionalism, leadership, sustainability and knowledge sharing in the industry.