The move means Shiplee is leaving his £287,000-a-year post as Olympic Delivery Authority Construction Director with 90% of the 2012 building work complete.

It is unclear the exact role Shiplee will have at O’Rourke but he knows the firm well after working alongside them at the Olympics where O’Rourke is part of the CLM delivery partner team.

A Laing O’Rourke spokesperson said: “Howard Shiplee will be joining Laing O’Rourke this Autumn following the successful completion of his role as Director of Construction for the Olympic Delivery Authority.”