Jastrem

Holland-based global engineer ARCADIS NV reached out to two executives with experience largely outside the construction industry in selecting the new chiefs of its Colorado-based North American business, announced on Jan. 15.

The firm named John Jastrem and Joachim Ebert as CEO and chief operating officer, respectively, of that unit, to replace the retiring Gary Coates, who was in both roles. Since 2011, Jastrem had been chairman and CEO of Callison Architecture Holding LLC, which he assumed from a previous role as an investor and board member. ARCADIS acquired the firm last October.

Jastrem will remain on its board and that of architect RTKL, which the parent purchased in 2007. Jastrem previously served as CEO of a division of marketing-services company Viad Corp. and has held numerous senior executive roles in public and private marketing, private equity and financial firms.

Ebert

Ebert joins ARCADIS from a previous role as a Dallas-based partner in management consultant McKinsey & Co. He also was a partner at consultant A.T. Kearney and will be key to the firm’s expansion of its consulting work, Jastrem told ENR.

Jastrem noted his experience in managing services firms, his expertise as a CPA and a commitment to “continuous improvement,” adding, “The first thing I do when I wake up is figure out how to do my job better than I did the day before.”

The North American company employs 5,000 of the global firm’s 28,000 staff and accounted for about 44% of its $4 billion in total worldwide 2014 revenue. While the firm has exposure to the uncertain oil-and-gas sector, Jastrem sees potential in its strong position in infrastructure markets and the consistency of its technical expertise. “Our projects speak for themselves,” he says.

 

Baxter & Woodman, a Crystal Lake, Ill., engineer, has elevated John V. Ambrose to president and CEO, effective April 15. Now treasurer and regional business development manager, he will succeed Steve A. Larson, who is retiring. Larson has led the 70-year-firm since 2009. It ranks at No. 392 on ENR’s list of the Top 500 Design Firms, with $28.2 million in 2013 design revenue.

Forest City Ratner Cos., the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based developer, has named Susi Yu executive vice president for residential development. She had been senior vice president at Howard Hughes Corp. and previously worked at Forest City Ratner, leading its development of large-scale, mixed-use urban projects. Yu replaces Melissa Burch, who is leaving the firm to lead Lend Lease Group’s New York City-based development business, according to Forest City Ratner.

Brig. Gen. Donald E. “Ed” Jackson Jr. has been named U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deputy commanding general for military and international operations, based in Washington, D.C. He had served as director of the Joint Engineering Directorate, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, responsible for Corps planning and execution of engineering tasks across that country. Jackson replaces Maj. Gen. Kendall P. Cox, who now is deputy commanding general of the Army’s III Corps, based at Fort Hood, Texas.

Fluor Corp. has named Richard Wolfe vice president of business development for its federal environmental and nuclear business in the government group. He had been vice president of business development for nuclear work at URS Corp., which was acquired by AECOM Technology Corp. last year. Wolfe will succeed Don Sticinski, who will retire from Fluor in April.

Meril Gerstenmaier and Dave Gerstenmaier will join Raleigh, N.C.-based design and planning firm Stewart as Virginia vice president of operations and Virginia vice president-director of design, respectively. The roles follow what the firm says is a merger with H&G Landscape Architects, Richmond, of which they were CEO and senior principal, respectively. H&G will be rebranded under the Stewart name.

Following acquisitions announced on Jan. 7 by Omaha-based HDR, Butch Eley, former CEO of design and transportation asset-management firm Infrastructure Corp. of America (ICA), and Ralf Schwimmbeck, who was owner and CEO of LNG engineering specialist MEI, have joined the new parent as president, HDR-ICA, and as vice president and LNG global practice leader, respectively. ICA ranks at No. 262 on ENR’s list of the Top 500 Design Firms, with $41.5 million in 2013 revenue and 400 employees, says HDR, which ranks at No. 11 and has 9,200 employees.

Perfecto M. Solis has joined the aviation division of Parsons Corp., Pasadena, Calif., as senior vice president, Americas. He had been vice president of airport development and engineering for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and is still based in the area. The firm also named Scott R. Armstrong vice president and transportation alternative-project-delivery business-development director in its eastern region of North America. Formerly mid-Atlantic regional director at Michael Baker Corp., he is based in Columbia, S.C.

HNTB Corp., Kansas City, Mo., has hired Michael Townes and Ananth Prasad as senior vice presidents. Townes, who is named national transit-market sector leader, had been senior vice president and national transit service leader at CDMSmith. Based in Arlington, Va., he also is a past chair of the American Public Transportation Association executive committee. Prasad, who is transportation practice leader based in Tallahassee, Fla., was secretary of the Florida Dept. of Transportation and is a former HNTB vice president. ENR named him one of its 25 Newsmakers last year for innovative FDOT programs.

Eric Robinson has Joined Atlanta architect-engineer Rosser International Inc. as president. Most recently, he led the federal department of Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc; Robinson also was a Rosser manager from 2007 to 2012.

Construction management firm MBP, Fairfax, Va., has elevated Chris Payne to executive vice president. He was senior vice president and regional manager in Virginia and is a board member of the Construction Management Association of America.