ALEC Engineering and Contracting LLC (ALEC), a part of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), today announced the appointment of Barry Lewis as its new CEO and the transition of former-CEO, Kez Taylor, into an advisory position on the board as a Non-Executive Director of ALEC. Barry will be charged with continuing to lead ALEC’s ambitious growth strategy with a focus on diversification into construction-adjacent lines of business, further penetration across the GCC, including into Saudi Arabia, and expansion into new geographies.
“Under Kez’s leadership, ALEC has firmly established itself as one of the leading players in the region’s construction sector. With Barry Lewis as CEO, ALEC will be led through its next phase of growth, marking a new and significant milestone in ALEC’s journey,” said Khalifa Al Daboos, Deputy CEO at ICD, about the change in leadership. “Having worked closely with Kez for over two decades, and having expertly led ALEC’s operations, Barry has proven himself as a highly capable leader with a strong reputation in the industry. As CEO, I am confident that Barry will take the company from strength to strength, maximising ALEC’s value proposition to our clients, and distinguishing the group as the leading provider of world-class construction and related services in the region.”
ALEC has been on a steady upwards growth trajectory in recent years. The company has recently been awarded major projects including the Wynn Resort Ras Al Khaimah and has achieved a year-to-date growth in revenue of 25%. The current work on hand is at a record level of over AED20 billion. To effectively deliver its impressive pipeline of projects, the company continues to expand its workforce of over 22,000 employees. The CEO transition plan has been in place for over four years, during which Barry Lewis has played a vital role in enabling these successes and will now lead the company through its ‘next golden phase’.
In the months ahead, Barry will focus on overseeing three company-defining initiatives currently in progress — ALEC’s focused expansion into Saudi Arabia; the continued diversification and growth of its business in areas such as modular and data centre solutions; and enhancing activities at TARGET, the recently acquired subsidiary, as a leader in the Energy, Oil & Gas and Marine Industries.
Outlining his longer-term strategies, Barry highlighted his intentions to develop greater synergies between the Group’s multiple industry-leading lines of business to create highly comprehensive and compelling value for clients. He also aims to nurture the company’s culture and make further investments into its people development, innovation and the adoption of digital technologies — three areas which he believes give ALEC the definitive edge when it comes to attracting the industry’s best talent and delivering some of the most iconic projects in the region.
“We firmly believe that it is our people, company values and culture, willingness to embrace technology and push the boundaries of what’s possible, and relentless pursuit of excellence that have earned us a reputation as the industry’s trusted partner in delivering complex mega projects,” said Barry Lewis. “As clients in the region continue to commission ambitious mega projects, that are establishing the Middle East as the epicentre of global tourism, culture and innovation, ALEC stands ready to turn these visions into reality.”