Group Chief Executive Officer's Statement

As I reflect on the year that has been, I am struck by an enormous sense of pride. I am proud of what we have achieved together with our people across the globe, proud of the goals we have set for ourselves for the future, and I am proud of our commitment to continuing to imagine what’s possible for our industry.

For the third consecutive year we have delivered growth in our profit, net cash position, and order book, which sat at year end at a record £17.2bn. We have done what we said we’d do – we have built resilience into our business, which provides us with a foundation to move forward. 

We have a plan to shape the industry into one that reduces manual strain, improves productivity, and ensures greater certainty in safety, quality, and commercial outcomes – a journey to a new delivery paradigm.

Our success is due to the talent and commitment of our people, the loyalty and support of our supply chain partners, and the trust our clients place in us to deliver their projects with certainty. I begin my review with sincere thanks to them all.

Resilience and resolve

If ‘resilience and certainty’ has defined our focus in recent years, then the financial year 2025/26 has been defined by our resolve – how we show up as leaders, make deliberate choices, and act with clarity in a more demanding environment.

In our annual report last year, we committed to ‘continue to advocate for the most progressive, resilient model of the construction industry we can imagine and build’ and this year has been one where we have stayed true to that commitment and made tangible progress as a result.

Programmes are the catalyst for change

Procurement models play a major role in determining our ability to drive the change our industry is ready for. The scale and certainty that major programmes provide gives us the opportunity to work in partnership with our clients to truly change the way we deliver. We have a moral imperative to revolutionise our industry so that our people do not end up in the hospitals we build. We have pioneered industrialised construction for that very reason – to improve the wellbeing of our people. Our methods have also proven to improve the quality and consistency of our product and certainty of delivery for our clients. 

As we entered the financial year, we were excited by the productivity benefits our advanced rebar manufacturing facility in Avonmouth was bringing to Hinkley Point C. Our facility has halved the time our people need to be on site compared to what they would using traditional methods. A programme the scale of Hinkley Point C has given us an opportunity to reimagine the way we work, and the work we are doing there is proof that when we come together with our clients and our delivery partners, we can drive innovation that can truly transform an industry. That learning and ambition will be adopted on Sizewell C to realise the further potential of advanced manufacturing and set up a step change in delivery. 

In June 2025, we were delighted to sign the Programme Alliance Agreement for the Sizewell C Civil Works Alliance. 

In Australia, we have experienced the possibility that major programmes can bring. In 2020, we successfully completed the Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway Upgrade, where we were able to bring together the private sector innovation and flexibility with the knowledge and experience of the public sector to achieve a real change in procurement, design, and delivery. It set a benchmark and has provided us with a model that we have advocated for since – across sectors and globally. 

It shaped our progressive model of delivery, which can be seen in the large-scale Eastern Freeway Upgrades – Burke Road to Tram Road project and Swan River Crossings road programmes where we’re also integrating modern manufacturing techniques and digital innovation to drive productivity.

In December, we brought 2025 to an end with much celebration when, in joint venture with AECOM, we were awarded the delivery partner contract for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Venues Infrastructure Program. This appointment is an illustration of the trust our clients place in us. Our team will bring their expertise, innovation, and commitment to not only deliver world-class venues and infrastructure for one of the world’s most iconic events, but also create a programme of engagement that will leave a legacy of social value for generations.

In these examples and through all our projects, we are delighted to have partners who understand the value of what we are modelling.

The projects we deliver improve the experience of life. That’s why our purpose of pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in service of humanity drives everything we do. 

That is why I will continue to advocate strongly for the broad and consistent adoption of procurement models that drive productivity and improve outcomes for the people constructing the infrastructure on which communities depend.

Care for our people

Our new delivery paradigm starts with care for our people. They are our most valued resource. So, in designing a model of delivery that utilises advanced manufacturing techniques combining human, robot, computer, and AI interaction, we have created a safer, healthier, more diverse workforce. Our people – the talent we invest in, look after, empower with technology, and retain – are our competitive edge. 

I am particularly proud of how our people continue to respond to the uncertainty created by global events, including in the Middle East. I acknowledge that the impacts of these events have been experienced in different ways – but one thing has remained constant and that is the care, integrity, and courage I continue to see from our people every day. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to our people for living our values. My message to them remains the same as it has been throughout the year – no matter where you were born, which language you speak at home, who you worship, or who you love – you have a place at Laing O’Rourke.

Retaining discipline to drive value

Our record order book demonstrates the value and trust that our clients continue to place in the quality of our work. While we are meeting the needs of the market, ensuring a sustainable and productive construction industry will require continued partnership with them to develop the conditions that will propel our industry forward. We will continue to retain disciplined focus on our priority sectors, where we believe we can deliver and achieve the most value. 

We are excited by the opportunities ahead of us, and we look forward to harnessing our expertise to bring solutions and methodologies that will improve productivity and create an industry that becomes a magnet to the best talent. Driven by our purpose and rooted in our values, we will continue to pioneer the evolution of the construction industry for the benefit of our people, our partners and clients, and the communities in which we work.