Elliott Group, one of Ireland and the UK’s leading construction companies, has announced the formal launch of its dedicated Mission Critical Division, marking a significant strategic milestone as the business continues to expand its presence in the data centre, energy, and mission-critical infrastructure sectors.
A new Elliott Group division consolidates the group’s extensive live-project experience in mission-critical delivery. It is led by a strengthened senior leadership team with the appointment of Willie Loughnane as Construction Director, Simon Clarke as MEP Director, and Ben Shepherd as Technical Director. Together, they will head the dedicated Mission Critical Division, which currently has a highly experienced, multidisciplinary team delivering major mission-critical projects across Dublin. The division has the capability and capacity to support continued growth across both Ireland and the UK.
Elliott Group has been active in the mission-critical sector for many years, delivering complex, large-scale facilities for global operators. The formal establishment of the Mission Critical Division demonstrates both the scale of the Group’s existing portfolio and the increasing market demand for contractors with proven technical depth, safety performance, and delivery certainty.
Willie Loughnane brings over two decades of experience delivering large-scale data centre and energy infrastructure projects, including hyperscale and campus developments exceeding 375MW of IT capacity, alongside more than 400MW of power generation and energy infrastructure, incorporating major generation plants and extensive 110kV substation and grid interface works. His background in fast-track delivery, EPC governance and multidisciplinary coordination reinforces Elliott Group’s ability to deliver certainty on programme, cost and quality in highly regulated environments.
Ben Shepherd adds significant preconstruction and design leadership expertise, having shaped the early technical strategy for multiple hyperscale data centre campuses and high-voltage energy projects across Ireland, the UK and Europe. His experience spans early contractor engagement, PCSA delivery models, HV infrastructure, modularisation and cross-border regulatory compliance, ensuring complex mission-critical projects are robustly defined, de-risked and positioned for successful delivery from the earliest stages.
Simon Clarke completes the leadership team with more than 20 years of experience leading the delivery of mission-critical MEP systems for data centre and energy projects exceeding 375MW, alongside major power generation and 110kV/MV substation programmes across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. With a strong electrical engineering background and deep expertise in commissioning, operational readiness and live-environment delivery, Simon provides critical oversight of the systems that sit at the core of mission-critical assets.
Ben Shepherd adds significant preconstruction and design leadership expertise, having shaped the early technical strategy for multiple hyperscale data centre campuses and high-voltage energy projects across Ireland, the UK and Europe. His experience spans early contractor engagement, PCSA delivery models, HV infrastructure, modularisation and cross-border regulatory compliance, ensuring complex mission-critical projects are robustly defined, de-risked and positioned for successful delivery from the earliest stages.
Simon Clarke completes the leadership team with more than 20 years of experience leading the delivery of mission-critical MEP systems for data centre and energy projects exceeding 375MW, alongside major power generation and 110kV/MV substation programmes across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. With a strong electrical engineering background and deep expertise in commissioning, operational readiness and live-environment delivery, Simon provides critical oversight of the systems that sit at the core of mission-critical assets.