Seán McKirdy

Seán joined RB Plant Construction in January 2017 as Senior Projects Mechanical Engineer and was invited to join the Board of Directors in 2018. With over 20 years of industry experience, Seán has held leadership roles within multidisciplinary teams across the Rail Safety, Oil & Gas, and Metals industries, delivering innovative solutions to complex engineering challenges.

As a PRINCE2 Practitioner Certified project manager, Seán has successfully led numerous multi-million-pound projects, including work on top-tier COMAH operator sites. His expertise spans strategic project planning, HVAC and process systems design, equipment specification, and the coordination of cross-functional teams to achieve project objectives efficiently and safely.

In his role as a board member, Seán has demonstrated exceptional skill in strategic stakeholder engagement, building and maintaining strong relationships with clients, regulators, and partners to align objectives and drive organisational success. He has been instrumental in steering high-level decision-making, fostering business development, and delivering sustainable growth through a forward-thinking and collaborative approach.

Seán is deeply committed to building diverse teams and fostering a strong, supportive, and inclusive organisational culture. He champions initiatives that encourage diversity of thought and background, recognising the value it brings to innovation, decision-making, and overall team performance.

Seán holds an MSc in Oil and Gas Engineering from the University of Aberdeen and a BEng (Hons) in Engineering from the Open University. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Petrofac Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Beyond his professional achievements, Seán is a passionate advocate for STEM education. As a STEMNET and IMechE STEM ambassador, he actively encourages young people to pursue careers in engineering, demonstrating his commitment to inspiring the next generation of industry leaders.

Seán holds a key position in the UK’s engineering sector as a member of the UK Engineering Council and serves as the ECITB Regional Chair for the South and EDP companies. In these roles, he is at the forefront of developing and implementing strategies to address the UK skills gap and foster the next generation of engineering talent.

Seán is married with four young children; his main hobbies are snowboarding and gardening.