NBBJ Turns to Former Corbis Images Exec Juli Cook as Next COO
Juli Cook, a veteran executive credited with innovating business models in professional and creative services firms, has joined Seattle design firm NBBJ as chief operating officer. Previously, she was an executive vice president of Corbis Corp., a digital content licensing company founded in 1989 by Bill Gates. She most recently led diversification efforts in its unit, Corbis Images, successfully acquiring multiple new business lines. Cook also had been vice president of product management at retail bank Washington Mutual, and held management roles at Deloitte Consulting and Sotheby's. NBBJ ranks at No. 65 on ENR's list of The Top 500 Design Firms, with $197.3 million in 2013 revenue.
Nicholson Construction Co., Cuddy, Pa., has named Steven Scherer as president. He had been senior vice president of Hayward Baker Inc. and is a 14-year veteran of that company. Scherer succeeds Christophe Dauchy, who had been serving as interim president and resumes his role as director of North America for Soletanche Bachy, which is Nicholson's parent firm.
Advanced Construction Techniques, a King City, Ontario, geotechnical contractor, has elevated Douglas M. Heenan to president and CEO. He was vice president and is a co-inventor of IntelliGrout, a patented real time drilling and grouting data collection system. ACT also named Stephen Howe as vice president and chief financial officer and Douglas Horvath as vice presi
Cheryl Openshaw has joined the Virginia Dept.of Rail and Public Transportation as deputy director, based in Richmond. Most recently, she was an independent transportation consultant in Norfolk, and before that, a special assistant in the Federal Transit Administration and chief project management officer at Hampton Roads Transit.
Fluor Corp. has named Mike Wheeler chief procurement officer, responsible for global procurement and contract management. He was senior vice president at Reliance Industries Ltd. in Mumbai, India, leading its procurement and contracting center. Wheeler also was CEO of Dallas-based M.W. Wheeler and Associates Inc.
Douglas Herbst has joined Fort Worth engineer Freese and Nichols as director of alternative project delivery. Based in Houston, he was vice president of integrated project delivery at MWH Constructors. Herbst is a director of the Design Build Institute of America's southwest region and its past president. He also is co-chair of DBIA's national water-wastewater committee.
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Michael Baker International, Moon Township, Pa., has named Beth M. Foley executive vice president and chief communications officer. She was senior corporate communications director at Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and also had communications management roles at Radian International and Progress Energy.
W. Peter Burkhimer has joined American Engineering Associates-Southeast, Charlotte, as principal and chief engineer, following its acquisition of Virginia Beach, Va.-based Engineering Services, Inc., at which he held the same roles. ESI Principal Gerard P. Brunick Jr. also joins as principal and will retire in mid-2015.
RECOGNITIONS
The Beavers, a Los Altos, Calif., heavy construction group, has named 2015 recipients of the Golden Beaver awards. Richard S. Weeks, president and CEO of Weeks Marine Inc., Cranford, N.J., is named for management; he has grown the firm to $600 million in 2013 revenue and is his family's fourth generation to lead it. Jim Stevens, operations director of contractor Michels Corp.'s tunneling division, New Berlin, Wis., is cited for supervision; he was project manager on the $215-million San Francisco Bay Tunnel, completing the tunnel bore eight months early and under budget, says the group. The Beavers' engineering award goes to Mark Leja, construction division chief of the California Dept. of Transportation; since 2007, he has managed an average of 675 projects annually worth $11.25 billion, says the Beavers. Tom Clemens, Louisville-based president of North American tunneling for Dywidag-Systems International, is cited in the service and supply category; the firm specializes in tunneling products and systems for construction and mining. The awards will be presented on Jan. 16 in Los Angeles.
