Shiplee, who has worked for the ODA for five years, was responsible for developing, leading and managing construction contracts, budgets and timelines for all permanent and temporary venues for the Olympics and the Paralympics.

But with the majority of the venues now completed Shiplee, who previously worked for Amec and Bvovis, has taken up the chance of the new opportunity. 

Shiplee, 64, confirmed to building.co.uk, that he will join the UK's largest private contractor in October, although his exact role has to be officially defined.

"We're going to work that out," said Shiplee, who had previously worked on the construction of Manchester Airport's Terminal 2 and the redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse.

"They have got a lot of opportunities there and I look forward to getting started."

Despite fears at the start of the project that London would struggle to complete its building programme in time for London 2012 90 per cent of the work is completed a year before the Games and the speed and quality of the work has been praised around the world.

The most recent London 2012 accounts revealed that Shiplee earned £320,000 ($506,000/€367,000) last year.

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