Errol Lawrie

Managing Director

What’s your current role, and what do you do day-to-day?

I’m the Managing Director at McGill, and previously held the same title at Alliance Electrical Services, before the two companies merged in March 2021.

My day involves a bit of everything! I spend a lot of time working towards McGill’s growth, as we have very ambitious plans for the next few years. That means bidding for large public sector contracts to safeguard our future, as well as making sure that we’re doing all the right things today.

How long have you been at Alliance/McGill? How has your role progressed over the years?

I was Managing Director at Alliance Electrical Services from 2007 onwards, and the company was successful in winning a number of large public sector contracts. We developed excellent relationships with our customers, and gained a reputation for excellence in renewables.

After joining the United Capital group, it was clear that Alliance and McGill could join forces to offer something even bigger and better, and I’m now delighted to be the MD at the new McGill.

Can you name a particular highlight from the past, or a new project or challenge you’re looking forward to? 

There are so many highlights to look back on, but my real passion is for what’s coming next. The McGill name is so well-regarded right across Scotland, and Alliance’s reputation for excellence can only enhance that. For our customers old and new, the merger is a real opportunity to work with a stronger and more varied team of experts, and that makes the possibilities really exciting.

Billy Robertson

Head of Fire & Security

What’s your current role, and what do you do day-to-day?

I’m Head of Fire and Security.

My day-to-day role is very varied and can include making sure all currents jobs are running smoothly and have adequate material on site, pricing and invoicing, and meeting new potential clients and suppliers.

We also focus heavily on continual product and health and safety training. I find that satisfying as it gives our engineers the confidence and knowledge to take on new opportunities that are coming our way.

How long have you been at Alliance/McGill? How has your role progressed over the years?

I have been with McGill for 28 years in total. I started off as an Electronic Service Engineer and progressed to Senior Engineer in charge of all the security jobbing, repairs, and maintenance etc. before moving into my current role.

Looking back over the years, it’s great to see the amount of private customers, councils, housing associations, etc that have been customers with us throughout the last four decades. That’s a great testament to the team, who have built up a great relationship and working knowledge with clients both new and old.

Can you name a particular highlight from the past, or a new project or challenge you’re looking forward to? 

I have enjoyed working on large projects over the last two years with the likes of Fife Council, Langstane Housing Assocation, Castlehill Housing Assocation etc.  We’ve delivered many contracts for them, then we continue to advise and carry out related projects, which continue our strong partnerships.

For the future we can already see Fire and Security growing and expanding into new areas, and we already have numerous new exciting projects on the go. With the great knowledge and experience of our engineers and staff, and the wide variety of work we are now doing the future is looking really quite exciting.

Morag Steven

Office Manager

What’s your current role, and what do you do day-to-day?

I’m McGill’s Office Manager, with overall responsibility for accounts, HR, payroll, and admin.

How long have you been at Alliance/McGill? How has your role progressed over the years?

I’ve been with McGill for more than seven years. In that time, my role has expanded, which has required me to implement new procedures, streamline existing processes, and update the technologies we use, for example in our recruitment process.

Can you name a particular highlight from the past, or a new project or challenge you’re looking forward to? 

One of the most rewarding parts of my role has been building my department to cope with an increase of workload and responsibilities. The fact that this was due to an increase in McGill’s annual turnover made it even more important.

Kenny Muir

Mechanical & Electrical Operations Manager

What’s your current role, and what do you do day-to-day?

Mechanical and Electrical Operations Manager; that means I oversee all aspects of the M&E side of the business. That includes reviewing and preparing estimates, health and safety documentation, workforce planning, materials procurement, and liaising with Electrical and Plumbing Manager to make sure all jobs are running smoothly.

How long have you been at Alliance/McGill? How has your role progressed over the years?

Mechanical and Electrical Operations Manager; that means I oversee all aspects of the M&E side of the business. That includes reviewing and preparing estimates, health and safety documentation, workforce planning, materials procurement, and liaising with Electrical and Plumbing Manager to make sure all jobs are running smoothly.

Can you name a particular highlight from the past, or a new project or challenge you’re looking forward to? 

There have been many projects I’ve been proud to work on, and my focus is now firmly on the future. The quality and variety of McGill’s experience means that our workload is really ramping up now, and I am looking forward to getting stuck into a lot of new projects, with customers old and new.