Annabel Crooks, legal director at Laing O'Rourke;
Annabel Crookes, legal director at Laing O'Rourke, is a veteran of managing legal and risk to deliver positive outcomes for construction businesses.
With over 22 years' experience in the construction industry, Annabel Crooks serves on the Australian Executive Committee of international engineering and construction company Laing O'Rourke.
Ms Crooks was Executive Director of the global engineering and construction business and currently leads Laing O'Rourke's legal, risk management and company secretarial activities in Australia, as well as sitting in the project leadership groups for projects across Australia. She serves as Executive Sponsor, leading a range of activities to support and drive the company's business initiatives.
Ms Crooks was recently appointed President of the Australian Contractors Association (ACA), becoming the first woman to hold the role in the association's 28-year history.
Growing up in a family that ran a construction business, Crooks would visit construction sites every Saturday to see her father's projects. “I guess working in construction was in my blood,” she says, “but instead of following the typical path of an engineer or builder, I chose to study law.”
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After completing his law degree, Crooks began work as a senior associate in a private law firm before seeking a role with greater responsibility and authority, moving to Laing O'Rourke in 2007 and having held several leadership roles with the firm over the past 16 years.
“I’ve found my place at Laing O’Rourke – I get to work on amazing projects, create amazing things and am part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team,” Crookes says.
“My role involves working with my team to review bids and ensure we are selecting the right jobs that align with our strategy,” she explains. “Together we set and review strategy, monitor the operational performance of projects on a weekly basis and investigate each project in detail.”
“I have a strong legal and risk management role, but I also have responsibility for the entire lifecycle of each project.”
Crooks initially joined Laing O'Rourke as its second in-house counsel before taking on the interim role of general counsel and then rose through the ranks in a variety of leadership and strategy roles over the next few years, including senior management roles in HR, strategy and projects, and executive sponsor of the organisation's reconciliation action plan, before assuming his current role in 2011.
Crooks has been with the company for 16 years and has worked on a number of diverse projects across Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the Middle East.
“I think that's the best part of our business,” Crooks adds. “We might be building rail lines, like the Inland Rail project, or we might be building commercial buildings, like the North Sydney headquarters we're currently in.”
“The projects I'm most proud to have been involved in are long-term collaborative projects where we work closely with partners and build deep relationships. Two great examples of this are our 10-year partnership with Novo Rail Alliance, where we've been able to bring a range of different projects together, solve and deliver, and our current project in partnership with the Victorian Government to remove level crossings in Victoria, which has been incredibly rewarding.”
Crooks’ legacy extends beyond the successful projects she has assisted with, as she has spent the past decade working to increase the involvement and visibility of lawyers in the construction industry. Traditionally, construction company lawyers are hired to solve problems, not necessarily to help realize early success on the job site.
Crooks has worked with Laing O'Rourke's leaders and managing directors to showcase the broad range of skills lawyers have to offer. “Lawyers aren't just one-dimensional,” says Crooks. “They're smart, problem-solvers who can help solve complex problems, and it's only by unlocking this potential that we can help support new and exciting ideas.”
According to Crooks, Laing O'Rourke's management structure is fundamental to its success. All of the firm's lawyers sit on the senior management team and are part of the senior leadership team. This structure, he says, improves business outcomes, promotes diversity of thought and opinion, and creates an environment that encourages a proactive legal team.
In 2011, Crooks led the development of Laing O'Rourke's first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), designed to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are valued, included and respected, and that they are heard and reflected in decision-making across the business. Now executive sponsor of the RAP, Crooks explains that the various pillars of the plan have a strong connection to education.
“The first step is to acknowledge the challenges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people face in our industry. We employ Indigenous people and provide an environment where they can have long-term, rewarding careers with our business. Respecting and understanding the cultures of all people within the organisation is hugely important here at Laing O'Rourke,” she says.
“We support and develop Indigenous organisations throughout our supply chain, we also support the communities in which we operate and ultimately strive to make a difference in everything we do.
“We are currently delivering projects in Redfern and central Sydney, which have the largest Indigenous populations in the inner city. We are working closely with local communities and Elders to listen to their concerns and make options for participation easily accessible. We do this with every project we deliver.”
Crooks has also been an active member of ACA, serving as a director and vice president since 2019 and corporate secretary since 2020, before being appointed president in November of this year. During his tenure with ACA, he has served as chair of the Commerce Committee, attended the Construction Industry Leadership Forum and contributed to ACA's advocacy efforts through his deep relationships with government agencies, clients and the construction industry.
“We know that these relationships are essential to bringing about positive change in the industry,” Crooks asserts. “Things like collaborative agreements and addressing price spikes are now becoming commonplace as part of the efforts spearheaded by the ACA.”
Looking back on his achievements, Crooks says he wants to change the misconception that you have to be an engineer to work in construction.
“If you're thinking about getting into the construction industry, do your research, because there are lots of diverse roles and opportunities,” she adds.
“I never imagined I'd end up in this position with such a great construction company.”
