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Irishman Roy is up for an Olympic challenge
By Robert Brennan
 After
the failure to have Wembley Stadium open on time and a Millennium Bridge
that wobbled after its launch in 2000, the task of regenerating London’s
East End to spec for the 2012 Olympics is certainly a daunting prospect.
But for Sir Roy McNulty, a 70-year-old businessman originally from Raphoe,
Co. Donegal, being at the helm of the Olympics is just another masterstroke
in his impeccable corporate scorecard.
The Irishman, who now lives in Hertfordshire, has built supertankers for
Harland & Wolff and has also overseen the introduction of the Swanwick
air traffic control system in Southampton.
He has almost three decades of experience in the aviation industry and
previous posts include chairman of National Air Traffic Services and chief
executive and then chairman of the Belfast-based aerospace company Shorts
Brothers.
But Sir Roy is under no illusions that his latest role as deputy chairman
of the 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is monumental.
He said: “It’s an enormous budget.
“The base budget the ODA has is £6billion, with a contingency
of £3billion on top of that. As you can imagine, spending £6billion
makes this a very big project.
“It’s to be carried out largely on a big site in the East
End of London, which is heavily contaminated.
"It had been occupied by a whole variety of residents and industries
so all of that has had to be cleared.
“This spring and summer we start to build in earnest.”
And when it comes to getting the job finished Sir Roy is more than optimistic.
He said: “Among the other challenges is obviously that the date
is fixed — 2012 can’t be moved.
“We aim to have almost all the facilities available a year beforehand.”
Married and living in the Cotswolds, Sir Roy divides his week between
the Olympics project and regulating congested airspace — part of
his role as chairman of Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority.
He has also been recently appointed the chairman of Ilex — Derry
City Council’s new urban regeneration body.
He said: “I like it in England. Despite the fact that I am retired
I have been able to get involved in some very interesting things so it
suits me fine.
“I try to get back home when I can and now that I am involved with
the project in Derry I should be back there more frequently than in recent
years.
“My three children live over here, so from a family point of view
it suits me fine as well.”
Sir Roy received a knighthood in 1998 for services to economic development.
And now London’s East End can look forward to a major facelift in
the coming years — thanks in part to the Irishman.
Sir Roy said: “One of the main justifications for the Olympics being
staged in London is the legacy for the people in the East End of the city.
“Without a doubt the East End of London has been seriously disadvantaged
in terms of the quality of the built environment, transport links, unemployment
— you name it.
“This project, together with a range of others that are currently
happening in the area, should and will make an enormous difference.” |
