Aberdeen-based engineering and consultancy group Wood yesterday announced the appointment of Ken Gilmartin as chief executive.
Mr Gilmartin, who joined Wood as chief operating officer last August, takes up the top role on July 1.
He previously spent 15 years with US firm Jacobs Engineering Group, where he held a variety of executive, operational and project leadership roles.
Wood says that, with more than 25 years' experience, Mr Gilmartin has worked internationally throughout his career, including leading the delivery of major projects, and running major operations, in Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East.
He succeeds Robin Watson, who announced his intention to retire from the CEO post in April.
Chairman Roy Franklin said: "Ken has brought a wealth of industry experience and excellent strategic and leadership skills to Wood, and I am delighted that he will be our new chief executive officer.
"He has impressed the board with the impact he has made over the last nine months, where he has brought clarity, structure and focus, and a strong client-centric mindset to the role, and by his drive to lead the development of Wood's future strategy.
"The board believes he is a great fit for Wood, with the combination of skills and experience to lead the business through its next strategic phase.”
Great potential in Wood
Mr Gilmartin said he had joined Wood because he could see the great potential in the company.
He added: "In my short time with the business, I have been impressed by the quality of our people, and the strength of our culture and our client relationships, which provide strong foundations on which to build in the years ahead. I believe we have an exciting future in front of us as we capture growth opportunities in energy security and sustainability and deliver value for our shareholders over the medium term.
"I will work with Robin on a seamless transition and thank him for the guidance he has given me over the last nine months."
Mr Watson said: "After 10 years on the board of Wood, and having reached an agreement for the sale of our built environment business, I am pleased that Ken will now lead the company into its next phase."
Wood currently employs around 40,000 people in more than 60 countries.
It was the start of this month when the Aberdeen group announced it was selling its built environment consulting business to WSP Global for more than £1.5billion.
The unit has over 100 offices, predominantly in North America, with others located in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
Thousands of consultants and technicians
Built environment consulting employs around 5,500 consultants and technicians.
Canadian company WSP is one of the world's leading engineering professional services firms, with 37,000 people based in more than 500 offices, across 40 countries.
FTSE 100
The UK's top share index, the FTSE 100, was down 89 points at 7,062 shortly after opening this morning, following yesterday's 30-point gain.
Brent crude futures were 4.61% lower at $109.36 a barrel.
Companies reporting today
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- Half-year results: Micro Focus International