ByrneLooby Interview with the Sunday Business Post

Interview with John Byrne, Group Managing Director at ByrneLooby

Lorraine Courney, freelance journalist for the Sunday Business Post interviews John Byrne, Group Managing Director at ByrneLooby Dublin Headquarters.

“We have been building our international presence for 10 years now,” says ByrneLooby MD, John Byrne. “In each market we are now viewed as a local player with international capability. This badge has been hard won but is really important for winning and delivering large projects.”

ByrneLooby is a multi-award-winning international consulting engineering practice, with expertise across the fields of geotechnical, civil, structural, water, marine and environmental engineering. “We focus on designing medium to large scale construction projects,” says Byrne. “Our projects are varied and include iconic structures such as the Shard in London, major transportation projects like the Doha Metro in Qatar, flood alleviation projects such as the Bandon Flood Relief Scheme and marine commissions such as the Dublin Port Masterplan.”

ByrneLooby either take overall design responsibility for projects or form part of larger collaborative teams where they have responsibility for particular aspects. “We try very hard to understand what it is our clients wish to achieve,” says Byrne. “Construction is not just about delivering projects to the optimum mix of quality, cost and program. Ultimately, all construction projects have a purpose and all clients, wherever they are in the project delivery chain, have their own strategic agenda. Understanding what drives our clients allows us to deliver the maximum possible value from the technical and professional services we provide.”

Their philosophy is to hire great people and then to allow them the space and opportunity to make their contribution. “When you encourage people to develop their own ideas and give them autonomy and responsibility then you create an environment where people feel valued and can point to something significant and say, ‘I did that’”, says Byrne. “Motivated people deliver great results.  When you consider the scale and complexity of the projects we work on, you can begin to appreciate the opportunities for people to use and express their talents and to develop their skills and abilities.”

Currently operating in Ireland, the UK and the Middle East, ByrneLooby likes to be close to clients and projects and has local teams on the ground in each market. “More than half of our business is won and delivered outside of Ireland so international markets are very important to us,” says Byrne. “Equally important is the fact that our international presence gives us access to an international talent pool which is vital for the growth of the company.”

ByrneLooby has completed three acquisitions in the last five years and plans to grow by further building core teams, competencies and by future acquisitions. “Despite the current quandary that is Brexit, the UK remains a powerhouse economy and we are committed to maintaining and growing our presence there, as well as in Ireland and the Middle East,” says Byrne.

 - Sunday Business Post

Would you like to work at ByrneLooby? Why not check out our latest available job vacancies  at our offices in Ireland, the UK and in the Middle East.