Henry Laas first joined Murray & Roberts in 2001. He was appointed to the executive directors Board on 1 April 2011 and became Group chief executive on 1 July 2011. Upon his appointment, He became a member of the health, safety & environment committee.
Murray & Roberts is South Africa’s leading engineering, contracting and construction services company. It operates in Southern Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australasia and North and South America from its home-base in Johannesburg South Africa, where it has a public listing on the JSE Limited.
It has an international coordinating office in the United Kingdom and principle offices in Australia, Botswana, Canada, Namibia, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.
It has created employment, developed skills, installed infrastructure, delivered services, applied technology and built capacity throughout South and Southern Africa for 109 years, making a significant contribution to sustainable socio-economic development in the region.
Mr. Henry Laas, B.Eng Mining, MBA has been the Group Chief Executive officer, Executive Director and Member of Executive Committee, Murray & Roberts Holdings Ltd. since April 1, 2011 and is responsible for its Engineering Cluster of businesses.
He was a Managing Director of RUC Mining Contractors, predecessor of Murray & Roberts Cementation for almost a decade. He has extensive experience in the mineral resources and mining contracting environments.
Henry Lass has significantly improved the overall performance profile of Murray & Roberts, strengthening its position in South Africa and turning it into a major force in the domestic and global Mining sector. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Cementation Group as a successful and global business.
He served on the boards of Australian and South American businesses of Cementation. He has been a Non-Executive Director of Clough Limited since 2011. Henry first worked as a Graduate Mining Engineer before taking up his first job at Murray Roberts as a Managing Director, RUC Mining Contractors. Assets worth R15 billion are under his control, 42000 people are under his leadership and his management style is participative but firm.
Achievements
Mr. Henry Lass says his best personal achievement was getting Christine to be his wife and he says she has had the biggest influence in his life. His best professional achievement and biggest ever opportunity was getting appointed as the CE role of a global and diversified engineering and construction group, Murray & Roberts.
Henry says prominent businessman and founder of Pallinghurst Resources Brian Gilbertson and Mike Solomon, Executive Director, Member of Finance & Investment Committee and Member of Technical Committee Wesizwe Platinum Ltd. have had the biggest influence on his careers. He would have liked to meet Albert Einstein but he regrets that it is impossible. The business person who has impressed him most is Brian Gilbertson.
His favourite read is anything about geography and wildlife. Hi favourite TV Programme is Discovery Channel, Supersport. He likes exploring different food but his favourite drink is cup of coffee in the morning. His favourite music is by Neil Diamond which he says gives away his age.
Lass’s favourite sports are Rugby and Cricket. He says his hobby is his work that sees him spending time in the bush.
On pets, he likes the Miniature Dachshund, which he says are fantastic. Henry says his favourite drive is the Mercedes and he dislikes people who pretend.
His hope for the future is a prosperous South Africa that will present career opportunities to so many unemployed but talented young South Africans.
Mr. Henry Laas was born on 25 July 1959. He has been married to Christine for 29 years and they are blessed with two children, Henry and Merieke.
Mr. Laas holds a B.Eng (Mining) from the University of Pretoria and an MBA from the University of Witwatersrand.
His Philosophy of Life: Work hard and smart but always be consistent and fair.
