Chetan Kotur starts work at Laing O’Rourke today, joining from electric car manufacturer Polestar, the Chinese-owned Volvo/Geely subsidiary, where he was head of products for Asia Pacific.

He will work alongside his predecessor, Chris Millard, in a phased handover of the technology & innovation team. Dr Millard will remain with the business focusing on specific projects.

Chetan Kotur was the Royal Academy of Engineering’s 2018 young engineer of the year.

Dr Millard said of him: “He is an outstanding engineer with tremendous knowledge and experience of the automotive sector from which we can learn so much as we continue to develop technologies that accelerate the transformation of construction into a modern, technology-based sector.”

Chetan Kotur said: “I was inspired by Laing O’Rourke’s vision of construction and its desire to apply learnings from other sectors, like automotive and aerospace, to change how construction delivers. I believe there is great opportunity to harness new technology and innovations to make advanced manufacturing the norm in construction, and by doing so boost productivity, enable greener building and make a career in construction more attractive to a wider group of people. I can’t wait to meet the team, visit the amazing projects and get started.”

Chief executive Ray O’Rourke added: “I am excited Chetan shares our vision and has opted to swap the automotive sector for construction. I remain convinced automotive is one of the sectors we can learn a great deal from as we continue to find ways to push the boundaries of what’s possible in service of humanity, and to lead the industry.”

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