It is with deep sadness and regret that we have to record the passing of Mark Cook, our Managing Director, at age 42 years.  While working as Consultant Health and Safety Manager with one of our major clients, Nordex Norway GmbH, at the Øyfjellet Windfarm north of Trondheim, Norway, Mark suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. He is, and always will be, very sadly missed by his family, friends and colleagues.

Mark was a highly qualified and very experienced, approachable, safety professional and, as was his reputation within the sector and beyond, his legacies are significant. Even before joining the company at the age of 24 years, he had achieved much and gained a huge amount of experience within his chosen career.

Mark was appointed to the Board of Directors of CDM (Scotland) Ltd in May 2004 and became an excellent addition to it, steering the company in new directions and to new levels, leading by example in the roles of Principal Designer, Principal Contractor, Health & Safety Advisor and expanding into all areas of construction Health and Safety and Renewable Energies. He introduced new and exciting ways forward for the company including working with various new clients such as cancer support charity Maggie’s, who we have worked with pro-bono since 2013 providing Principal Designer and/or Advisor to the Principal Designer services on all new build UK based Maggie’s Centres.

Mark was the first member of the team to take on crucial and upcoming site-based roles, starting with his appointment for the company as the Health and Safety Manager at Clyde Wind Farm near Moffat, one of the largest renewable energy projects within the UK for SSE. He was a natural in this role from the outset, bringing his personality, wealth of knowledge and experience together with his ability to see the project as a whole, and this was recognised and appreciated by the Client, Principal Contractor, and his consultant peers alike.

On conclusion of that project, he was appointed to a site-based role at Liverpool, for Peel Ports, where his reputation increased due to his knowledge and excellent organisation skills, both on site and in the office. During this period, he shared his time working with the whole team at CDM Scotland using a more hands-on approach to take the company forward, taking more responsibility for its running and forging the way ahead for us as an organisation in a seamless manner.  He was a great advocator of the company Mission Statement, ensuring continuation of its whole ethos, “To Provide a Quality of Service that Exceeds our Clients’ Expectations”.

He was also fundamental in his organisation and preparation for continuing service provision, once again within a site-based scenario as seen in his role with Nordex Sverige AB as Consultant Health and Safety Manager on the windfarm site in Aliden, Sweden throughout 2018, and most recently at the Øyfjellet Windfarm north of Trondheim, Norway. Here he provided site Health and Safety leadership in the provision and production of HSE key management plans, supporting the planning processes and waste management plans.  He was also well versed in the provision of Safety Briefing and delivery of team engagement giving full and competent technical advice and support.

Mark’s business intellect suited our organisation and was ideal to realise and to seamlessly spread the good name of CDM (Scotland) Ltd in different and new ways, an example of this being his decision to sponsor Glasgow Warriors for a two-year period.  Happy days!

Mark will be very sadly missed, by family, friends, colleagues and clients alike, but we will make sure that the works he started will continue in his memory in the same friendly, professional and encouraging manner as he delivered them himself and how he would have wanted them to continue.