Terex Corp. has bypassed speculated insiders and turned to outsider John L. Garrison Jr. to succeed veteran CEO Ronald DeFeo in leading the soon-to-be-expanding equipment company, the firm said on Oct. 15. With the change, to take effect Nov. 2, DeFeo remains executive chairman and becomes a consultant beginning on Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2016. Garrison is formerly president and CEO of the Bell Helicopter unit of Textron Inc. He also was CEO of Azurix Corp. and held senior positions at Case Corp. Since being named chairman and CEO in 1992, DeFeo transformed what was once a debt-heavy aggregator of worn-out brands into a nimble, world-class producer of specialized equipment. His acquisitions of the Demag and Genie brands raised the firm's industry image; it had about $7.3 billion in 2014 revenue.

DeFeo also engineered the planned merger with Finland-based industrial equipment firm Konecranes that is set to create a $10-billion global leader in lifting, material handling and port equipment. Garrison will be CEO of the enlarged firm when the deal closes, expected by mid-year 2016.

After two months as CEO of Jacobs Engineering, Steven Demetriou has reorganized its C-suite, elevating four executive vice presidents to presidents of global market sectors—to drive growth and “a culture of greater accountability,” the firm said on Oct. 8. J. Gary Mandel now heads the petroleum and chemicals business unit; Phillip J. Stassi is buildings and infrastructure unit leader; Terence D. Hagen leads aerospace and technology,, which includes nuclear; and Andrew F. Kremer heads the industrial group, to include mining & metals, inorganic chemicals, pulp & paper and manufacturing. Within that group, Jacobs also named Robert G. Norfleet as senior vice president of a newly-created life sciences global business unit. In a filing, the firm also reported that the reshuffling includes the planned departure at year end of Executive Vice President Santo Rizzuto, the former CEO of Australian engineer Sinclair Knight Merz that was acquired in 2013. In August, Jacobs reported third-quarter earnings of $91.1 million, up 40% from the year-earlier period, but revenue fell to $2.9 billion from $3.2 billion.

Geotechnical contractor Hayward Baker Inc. has named Scott Ellington national product manager of the patented earthquake drain process for mitigating liquefaction, following its purchase of Ellington Cross LLC, a Charleston, S.C., contractor that designs and installs the product. He was that firm’s president.  

Penhall Co., an Anaheim, Calif., demolition subcontractor, has named Lynn Schrier-Behler as chief financial officer. Most recently a management consultant, she also was North American regional CFO for WS Atkins plc, and finance senior vice president at Parsons Corp. Penhall ranks at No. 101 on ENR’s Top 600 Specialty Contractors list.

Charles “Chuck” L. Miller  has joined Hertz Equipment Rental Corp. (HERC) as vice president of operations. He is a former executive vice president of Sunbelt Rentals. HERC, now part of Hertz Global Holdings Inc. was set to become a stand-alone renamed company in early 2015, but the spinoff was delayed by a government-required restatement of corporate results since 2011. Thet review was completed in July, but a HERC spokesman could not provide an anticipated date for the spinoff other than in mid-2016.