Simon O’Brien

Simon O’Brien is Regional Director for Europe at Black & White Engineering, with responsibility for overseeing operations across Ireland, France and Germany, alongside plans for further expansion across Northern Europe. With over 35 years of experience in building services engineering, Simon is a highly respected industry leader known for delivering complex projects and driving innovation across multiple sectors.

A Chartered Engineer and Member of CIBSE, Simon is also a Fellow of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland and a European Engineer (EUR ING), reflecting his long-standing contribution to engineering excellence at both national and international levels. His career has been defined by technical leadership, strategic insight and a consistent ability to deliver high-quality outcomes in demanding environments.

Simon has extensive experience in the design and delivery of complex building services systems across sectors including mission-critical and data centres. He is particularly well known for his expertise in corporate due diligence, advising clients on acquisitions, investments and project risk, and for pioneering innovative, “first of a kind” engineering solutions.

Based in Dublin, Simon plays a key role in strengthening Black & White’s presence across Europe. Following the acquisition of leading Irish MEP consultancy Homan O’Brien in 2025, he has been instrumental in leading the integration of the Dublin team into the wider business. This has included aligning systems, embedding Black & White’s delivery approach and enabling teams to collaborate effectively across global offices. The Dublin team is now actively contributing to major data centre and infrastructure projects across Ireland and Europe, reflecting the strength of the company’s “One Global Team” model.

In his role as Regional Director, Simon is focused on building a strong, regionally aligned platform for growth across key European markets. His leadership supports Black & White’s strategic ambition to expand its presence in Ireland, Germany and the wider Northern European region, while maintaining the technical excellence, clarity and collaborative culture that define the business.

Simon is known for his holistic and pragmatic approach, working closely with clients and multidisciplinary teams to deliver solutions that are both technically robust and commercially effective. Passionate about developing people and creating opportunities, he continues to play a central role in shaping Black & White’s growth across Europe—supporting clients, strengthening teams and delivering high-quality outcomes in an increasingly complex engineering landscape.