People Moves: Sept. 2024

This month of People Moves is brought to you the Construction Leaders Forum, a gathering of high-level construction leaders set to take place on Sept. 25 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. Only a few tickets remain before the venue is at capacity.

Cecil Dawe is now vice president, major projects at Bird Construction. Previously, Dawe spent more than 27 years at Graham, reaching the position of executive vice president, industrial and infrastructure. 

Mathew Baranowski has been promoted to district manager for PCL’s Ottawa office overseeing district operations throughout the Ottawa region. Baranowski succeeds Geoff Howe, recently promoted to senior VP and district manager.

Dale Reimer is helping MAKE Projects expand in Calgary as their new regional director. Reimer brings more than 30 years of industry experience.

Stephen Toth has joined Infrastructure BC as vice president of infrastructure construction and delivery. Toth will provide leadership on managing owner obligations of construction contracts during design and construction for vertical infrastructure and related corporate strategic initiatives and operations.

Nina Boccia, director of marketing for KPMB Architects, has joined the Society for Marketing Professional Services as its president-elect. Boccia is a marketing and communications professional with more than 15 years of experience developing and executing strategies.

Brad Moore has been promoted to senior associate, sustainable infrastructure team lead at Stantec. Moore is an accomplished civil engineer specializing in the field of sustainable infrastructure design. In his career, Brad has applied his unique skills and expertise to projects at over 80 locations across North America. 

Mike Zurowski has been promoted to district manager of PCL’s Regina office where he will oversee projects throughout Southern Saskatchewan. With PCL Regina now for 24 years and has been involved in the delivery of hundreds of projects.

I’m very excited to take on the role of district manager for southern Saskatchewan. I was born and raised in this community and have worked alongside teams that have delivered some of the most iconic projects in our province. Our company was founded in Saskatchewan, and I am proud to be part of PCL’s legacy as we continue to build a better future, together.

Mike Zurowski, district manager of PCL’s Regina office

Thomas Strong has joined NFP’s Construction & Infrastructure Group as senior vice president, construction technology and innovation. Strong will advance our expertise in emerging technology and innovations in the construction space with a focus on maximizing efficiency and mitigating risk for clients.

We’re witnessing rapid emergence and adoption of new technologies in the construction and infrastructure sector that enhance the experience for clients. By investing in talent, including Thomas, we’re enhancing our position to provide expertise on how to most effectively assess and implement technology to drive better performance and reduce risk.

Adrian Pellen, managing director and co-leader, C&I Group, NFP

Warren Lippit has moved into the role of vice president of McElhanney’s prairies south region. Mike Canning is also starting a new position at the company: operations leader. 

Brian Maksymetz has joined the infrastructure advisory team at Colliers Project Leaders as a managing director. He specializes in optimizing project procurement & delivery using collaborative and traditional contract models. He has 30 years of experience in varied projects working for the owner, designer, and construction contractor.

I’m excited to join Colliers Project Leaders with their impressive national business which is helping project owners deliver projects right across Canada. With my varied public and private sector experience, I will help clients improve project outcomes and job satisfaction by refreshing project procurement and delivery approaches within both collaborative and traditional contract models. By unlocking ways for people to work better together and for leaders to get the best out of their service providers, we can engage and enjoy the full potential of the construction industry.

Brian Maksymetz, managing director, Colliers Project Leaders

Jamie Hill is the new region head of North America for Lafarge Canada and HolcimUS. Hill brings his almost 30 years’ experience in Latin America, and last five as Country CEO of Mexico, to the North American market, helping shape the company’s future as the leader in building materials. 

David Hanick has joined Spotlight Development as its new chief operating officer, Andrew Garrett as its chief investment officer and Mark Saunders as its community outreach liaison. Spotlight says their combined expertise will drive forward our mission of delivering inclusive, affordable housing solutions.

Former executive vice president of merchandising of The Home Depot and president of The Home Depot Canada, Jeff Kinnaird, has been appointed president and CEO of Peak Group of Companies, effective October 1. Kinnaird will lead Peak, and work with founder John Gross, who becomes executive chair, to take on the strategic future of the company.

After 27 incredible years at The Home Depot, it was time to hang up my orange apron and return to Canada. I’m excited to work with John and the talented team at Peak, a group I’ve respected for many years. Peak’s commitment to innovation and the strategic investments it has made to strengthen its manufacturing and supply chain mean its most significant years of growth are still to come. I look forward to contributing to that success in the busy and exciting years ahead.

Jeff Kinnaird, president and CEO, Peak Group of Companies

Chris McColl has been appointed as the new president of CRH Canada Construction and Materials. Throughout his 31-year career at CRH Canada, McColl has succeeded several roles within the construction, cement, and ready-mix sectors, most recently serving as vice president of Dufferin Construction Company. 

Pia Abercromby has joined the COWI team in Vancouver as its new leading specialist in Sustainability. With a background in structural engineering, Abercromby thrives in a multidisciplinary environment. She will be instrumental in implementing sustainable solutions to projects in North America. Gabriela M. has also joined the COWI team in Vancouver as associate technical director, port and marine. 

Gary Leslie is celebrating 50 years with the water services team at Metro Vancouver. Leslie’s journey began on June 20, 1974, as an inspector. Inspectors perform vital quality assurance work on construction projects for water and liquid waste infrastructure.

Alex Chay has been promoted to associate at S2 Architecture. Chay has been an integral part of the S2 team since 2018, serving as the BIM & technical services manager.

Kyle Davis has joined SiteTalent as managing partner. SiteTalent is part of Site, a specialized service and consulting group built for Canada’s industrial sector. Davis explained that SiteTalent is poised to address talent challenges head on with a full suite of exciting and value driven products beyond what you expect from the growing hoard of basic recruitment agencies.

If we know anything, it’s that these talent challenges are not going away, and solving them requires a more sophisticated solution than ever. So we designed a unique blend of products, services, and solutions that deliver measurable results designed specifically for the industrial sector. These solutions are scalable, sustainable and deliver incredible value for our partners.

Kyle Davis, managing partner, SiteTalent

Steven Casey, partner at KPMB Architects, will serve as a juror for the 2024 Fantini Design Awards. Presented by Fantini USA, an award-winning manufacturer of high-quality faucets and shower systems, the Fantini Design Awards celebrates the best of North American design inspired by water.  

Mira Saba, RJC engineer in training, has earned a rare fenestration credential held by less than 50 people in Canada. Awarded by the National Fenestration Rating Council, Mira’s new credential is a testament of her high competence in thermal modeling of fenestration using industry software.

After 40 years of fixing everything from bulldozers to bobcats, Jacob Bros’ legendary Head Mechanical Superintendent Rick Weir is hanging up his wrench to enjoy retirement.