黑洞社区

Benny Kelly, the former London boss at Sir Robert McAlpine and one of the capital鈥檚 construction industry 鈥渓egends鈥�, has died at the age of 77.

A career spanning more than four decades saw Kelly deliver numerous iconic projects across the capital, including the Emirates and Olympic stadiums and the Millennium Bridge.

The Northern Irishman, who had lived with Parkinson鈥檚 Disease since 2005 and has been described as charismatic and generous but also steely in business, died on Friday 22 July.

Kelly joined McAlpine as a 23-year-old engineer in 1968 after graduating from the Queen鈥檚 University in Belfast.

Having worked his way up to run the firm鈥檚 north-east England operations, he was eventually made regional director for London and the South-east in 1993. A time of deep recession, Kelly had to restructure the London business and later described the first five years there as a 鈥渢esting time鈥� in his career.

He was famous for his memory for details, working 12-hour days to ensure projects were delivered ahead of schedule and under budget, and for his hands-on approach 鈥� until late into his career he was known to frequently walk through his sites during construction, including the Olympic stadium.

Clare Gallagher, a project director at McAlpine who worked with Kelly on the Olympic Stadium project remembered him as a 鈥渇antastic leader鈥� as well as a 鈥済reat鈥� engineer.

She said: 鈥淚 remember walking around the stadium with him and feeling quite proud of what I鈥檇 been doing.

鈥淗e could always spot something you hadn鈥檛 thought about and right through his career he was always able to just spot that one thing that you hadn鈥檛.鈥�

In an interview with 黑洞社区 in 2011, he bemoaned the emergence of the 鈥渕anagement style鈥� of contracting and expressed nostalgia for an era where contractors worked more directly with site workers.

>> From the archive: Being Benny Kelly

>> What he was like to interview: Benny was construction royalty and a master of his craft

Kelly stepped down from his regional director role in 2007, staying on as board director and later taking on consultancy work and a non-executive directorship at an oil and gas exploration firm.

Paying tribute Vince Corrigan, chief operating officer at Keltbray, who worked with Kelly for a number of years at McAlpine described him as 鈥渁 top man in every sense鈥�.

鈥淗e always exhibited unwavering commitment to his clients, the McAlpine family business and especially the troops that worked for him 鈥� including me,鈥� he said.

鈥淎nother iconic industry leader now lost, and in his case where life cruelly turned on him in his most latter years. His style, infectious character, and ferocious appetite to succeed will all be sorely missed. 鈥�

Keltbray鈥檚 executive chairman, Brendan Kerr, simply said: 鈥淔arewell my dear friend, you were the best.鈥�

Kevin Arnold, G&T partner and board member, said: 鈥淚t is truly sad to lose one of our industry鈥檚 most well-known and respected figures. I had no business really being invited into his network of clients and fellow professionals, given our relative ages. But invite me in he did. With warmth, affection and mutual respect.

鈥淭here is no doubt in my mind that my own career was positively impacted by my association with this charismatic, generous and amiable man. He was undoubtedly steely in business and his rise to the top of SRM certainly was testament to his considerable commercial acumen.鈥�

Chris Cole, WSP chairman, said: 鈥淚n the passing of Benny Kelly, the industry and colleagues have lost a legend and an inspirational figure who always used a blend of charm and resoluteness to get the job done.鈥�

Mark Reynolds, Mace group chairman and chief executive, said: 鈥淚 worked closely with Benny on the delivery of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium 鈥� he was a force to be reckoned with. He was personally responsible for driving forward McAlpine鈥檚 significantly during his tenure, and as a competitor and a peer I hugely respected his expertise and valued his judgement. We鈥檙e very sorry to hear he鈥檚 passed away and send our best wishes to his family and friends.鈥�

Charlie Horne, project director at British Land, said: 鈥淏enny was an exemplar leader who made things happen and solved complex issues with his force of character. In all my dealings with Benny he personified the adage 鈥檞ork hard play hard鈥�, whether building on the land or racing yachts on the sea, he always wanted to win and that鈥檚 why I held him in the highest esteem and why he enriched my life. He truly was an icon.鈥�

Sir Robert McAlpine said: 鈥淭he McAlpine family are saddened to hear of the passing of Benny Kelly, former regional manager in London, who was extremely highly regarded. Our thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time.鈥�

Of all the projects he worked on he had a special affection for the Emirates Stadium, and was good friends with the late Danny Fiszman, the Arsenal FC director who credited Kelly with the stadium鈥檚 success.

He also worked closely with the late Geoff Wright at Hammerson on major retail projects such as The Oracle shopping centre in Reading and The Bullring in Birmingham.

Kelly was of the 鈥渨ork hard, play hard鈥� school, and during the 90s and early 2000s he was known for hosting a 鈥淏enny dinner鈥� at the annual Mipim jamboree in Cannes.

He developed a passion for sailing, owning a TP52 yacht, which he crewed with industry colleagues for races such as the Little Britain event at Cowes and around the Caribbean.

The Catholic boy from the divided town of Newry achieved huge success throughout his high-octane career, but his personal life became complicated, divorcing for a second time soon after his retirement and facing a long and debilitating battle with Parkinson鈥檚. He went to great lengths to find treatments for his condition, eventually undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation at the age of 69, which improved his symptoms for a time.

Kelly had a heart attack in June and died in hospital last week. His daughter Nicola, also in the construction industry in London, said his indomitable spirit continued to the end and on waking from his coma in his hospital bed he said: 鈥淲hat do you think Nikki, shall we order a bottle of champagne, love?鈥�

He is survived by his partner Martine, his daughter Nicola, his son Justin, a TV producer in Los Angeles, and his two Yorkshire Terriers Molly and Maggie.