黑洞社区

Anna Stewart, commercial director at Laing O鈥橰ourke, has expanded her power base at the UK鈥檚 largest privately-owned contractor in a boardroom shake-up that included the resignation of finance director Iain Ferguson last week.

Ferguson, who left the 拢4bn-turnover firm after four years, will not be replaced and Stewart has taken over his duties.

A Laing O鈥橰ourke spokesperson confirmed the changes, saying Ferguson had moved to his 鈥渘ext career challenge鈥�, having left the firm in a 鈥渟trong position鈥�.

The shake-up comes amid reports of a wider strategic shift at the family-owned firm, after Tony Douglas, its former chief operating officer, left in November.

One construction boss said Stewart鈥檚 appointment was an example of chairman and chief executive Ray O鈥橰ourke surrounding himself with a circle of close advisers. He said: 鈥淎nna is a very sharp operator and Ray clearly trusts her implicitly.鈥�

Douglas, who is a former boss of Heathrow airport, had been lined up to take over the chief executive鈥檚 job, but left the firm amid speculation that O鈥橰ourke refused to relinquish control over the group鈥檚 day-to-day running during the downturn.

It is understood O鈥橰ourke has increased Stewart鈥檚 powers in an attempt to win more work. Barbour ABI鈥檚 rolling annual table of work won by contractors showed that Laing O鈥橰ourke slipped from 拢3.3bn (first place) in February 2008 to 拢2.4bn (third place) last month.

In a separate move, 黑洞社区 understands the firm may enter new global markets to offset the effects of the UK downturn, with Brazil and Canada at the top of its list. The former is an emerging powerhouse, and O鈥橰ourke is understood to be interested in the latter because of its strong PFI market, its similar legal system to Britain and the fact that John Laing operates there.

Laing O鈥橰ourke has reportedly begun lining up top UK managers to spearhead the push, although a spokesperson said: 鈥淲e do not comment on matters of group strategy.鈥�

In October, several weeks before Douglas鈥� departure, the firm announced the appointment of former Carillion director Roger Robinson to oversee a restructure and chair European board meetings. It is understood he acts in a 鈥渃hief operating officer-type role鈥� and that more restructuring could follow Stewart鈥檚 move.

Although the firm boosted turnover and profit last year, it announced a 鈥渟ignificant鈥� number of redundancies at its UK and European business in October.

In an email, Ray O鈥橰ourke told 11,756 staff that job cuts would ensure the firm had 鈥渁 tight rein on controllable costs to compete effectively in winning work鈥�.