Jean-Pierre de Villiers has been promoted to director of Laing O’Rourke’s Specialist Trading Business Group (STBG) and Ilze Williamson is joining the company as finance director for its Europe hub.
Jean-Pierre de Villiers joined Laing O’Rourke in 2015 as a senior commercial manager, and he has since gone on to hold a number of senior commercial positions across the business, including commercial director of STBG since 2022. He has a degree in quantity surveying from the University of Cape Town and an MSt (master of studies) in construction engineering from the University of Cambridge.
He has now been put in charge of the division in the wake of predecessor Peter Lyon’s promotion to managing director of Laing O’Rourke Europe last November.
STBG includes Laing O’Rourke’s specialist businesses Crown House Technologies, Explore Manufacturing, Expanded, Select and Vetter UK.
De Villiers said: “I’m thrilled to have been appointed as the STBG director, having already worked for Laing O’Rourke for a number of years. The companies within the STBG provide an array of experience and talent in specialist areas, and I am looking forward to growing the businesses even further.”
Ilze Williamson, also originally from South Africa, is a chartered accountant and joins Laing O’Rourke from architecture firm Scott Brownrigg, where she was chief financial officer.
Peter Lyons, said: “I’d like to welcome Ilze to the business and Jean-Pierre into his new role. Ilze will bring with her a wealth of knowledge from her previous roles and provide some new thinking and ideas into the business, which is important for us to keep moving forward.
“I have worked closely with Jean-Pierre for a number of years and am pleased to see him promoted to his new position. While it’s important we always look to bring in external candidates and their experiences, it’s rewarding to be able to also promote from within the business. It’s the balance of the two which will help us to deliver world-class projects for our clients.”
Ilze Williamson joins the company in July and Jean-Pierre de Villiers officially started his new role in April 2025.
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