The Huddersfield man who built The Shard and the Millennium Dome
Wed, 23 Jul 2014 11:02:00 BST
Bernard Ainsworth has a reputation in the construction industry for being the ‘ultimate’ project manager
Pictured with Bernard Ainsworth (right) at the awards ceremonies is the University's Head of Architecture and 3D Design, Professor Adrian Pitts (left).
BERNARD Ainsworth is regarded as ‘ultimate’ project manager in the building world and has been responsible for the construction many famous buildings, including The Shard and the Millennium Dome, as well as motorways, a nuclear power station and soon the Tidal Lagoon Power Project at Swansea, which will delivering sustainable energy using the high tidal range in Swansea Bay.
Bernard has lived in Huddersfield for many years and he was overjoyed and humbled to have been given an honorary award by the University of Huddersfield.
Bernard Ainsworth OBE
Bernard Ainsworth has been in the construction industry for over 40 years, the majority of those spent with the family-owned firm J Laing. During this period he led the delivery of many major projects which have included key motorways, nuclear facilities, city retail malls, blue chip company headquarters, government office relocations, the Toyota car plant and the Millennium Dome at Greenwich, for which he received his OBE. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building.
On leaving Laing in early 2000 Bernard continued to lead major projects, though leaning more to the client side. The first of these was the operational delivery, in the role of Chief Operating Officer, of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. This was followed by two Metro projects, in both Manchester and London, and finally as MD for the client on the London Bridge Quarter Development, which included the iconic London skyscraper, The Shard (pictured below), designed by architect Renzo Piano.
Bernard is currently Non-Executive Director of both EDF Energy’s Nuclear New Build Generation Company, an EDF subsidiary responsible for delivering Hinckley Nuclear Power Station, and Tidal Lagoon Power Swansea, a company focused on delivering sustainable energy via the high tidal range in Swansea Bay. He also supports Transport for Greater Manchester on a number of transport-related projects.
Bernard moved to Huddersfield 32 years ago and lives in Edgerton with his wife, Rosemary. He has two children; Charlotte, married with three young boys living in Tunbridge Wells, and Michael, who is married to his rugby and his work in logistics and lives in London.
