Jim O'Brien CSR Consulting
Jim is a CSR/Energy Consultant, actively promoting industry sustainability through strategic, advisory and leadership support roles. Now 10 years “retired” after a 39-year career in the building materials sector, he is actively consulting on a global basis in CSR and energy-related challenges and opportunities.
Jim is Honorary President of UEPG, the European Aggregates Association, which represents the €20bn industry across 30 European countries and lobbies on key industry challenges with European Institutions, NGOs and other stakeholders. He was UEPG President from 2009 to 2012.
In 2010, Jim was instrumental in founding GAIN, the Global Aggregates Information Network, and has since then been its Convenor. Through his initiative, GAIN (see www.GAIN.ie) now has members on all five continents and represents some 70% of global aggregates production.
Jim has an active interest in the science of climate change, and in 2016 founded the Irish Climate Science Forum (ICSF, see www.ICSF.ie) and continues as its Chair. The ICSF focuses on disseminating objective climate science to better inform national and international climate/energy policymaking.
Jim was President of CEPMC (the Council of European Producers of Materials for Construction, now Construction Products Europe) from 2003 to 2008. From 2003 to 2009, he was Co-Chair of the global Cement Sustainability Initiative Task Force on Health and Safety, which spearheaded safety improvements in the industry.
From 1989 to 2008, Jim was Group Technical Advisor in CRH plc, which ranks amongst the top Building Materials Groups globally. Based at Belgard Castle, the Group’s Headquarters in Dublin and reporting to the CEO, Jim managed the Group’s extensive technical best practice and CSR activities across its then 15 product sectors at 3,700 locations in 34 countries. Jim’s career in many different roles within the CRH Group spanned a total of 39 years, from 1969 to 2008.
Jim qualified with a First Class Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering (BE) in 1968 and a Master of Engineering Science Degree (MEngSc) in 1970, both from University College Dublin. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland (FIEI, CEng), as well as a Fellow of the UK Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET) and a Life Senior Member of the US Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (Life SenMemIEEE). He was elected a Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering (FIAE) in 2014.
Jim’s mother-tongue is English and he has acquired fluency in Danish, German and Spanish, with a working knowledge of French. He has visited over 60 countries.
