Parsons announces FORWARD initiative to create a more streamlined, agile global business structure

On January 4, Parsons announced FORWARD, an initiative to reorganize its business operations to better serve its customers and create more opportunities for growth. With the new structure, the Pasadena, CA-based company will streamline its reporting structure and simplify layers of management while improving its administrative processes.

“Parsons is excited to unveil FORWARD,” said Chuck Harrington, Parsons’ Chairman and CEO. “This initiative is an important step in enhancing the effectiveness of our company, making us more agile in responding to the needs of our customers. The changes to our corporate structure will give us a greater outlook for long-term, organic growth and boost performance in every segment of our business.”

A key feature of the reorganization plan is the creation of five business units headed by members of the company’s senior administrative team. Each unit will be responsible for Parsons’ business in a particular area of the marketplace, allowing the company to be flexible in implementing core growth strategies. The restructured units and their leadership include:

• Middle East Africa:  Garold “Gary” Adams will head this unit, which will provide complete, standalone services to customers in these regions in the horizontal infrastructure and roads and highways markets.
• Infrastructure:  Upon his return from leave, Michael “Mike” Johnson will head this unit, which will focus on the North American infrastructure market and specialized global businesses in aviation, rail and transit, transportation-related systems, long-span bridges, and tunnels. As announced on December 21, 2015, Donald “Don” Graul will serve as the interim President of this unit until Mike’s return.
• Industrial:  Michael “Mike” Walsh will head this unit, which will focus on commercial customers in water, wastewater, environmental, telecom, energy, and vehicle inspection.
• Federal:  Mary Ann Hopkins will head this unit, which will serve a variety of U.S. federal government agency customers in the environmental, infrastructure, security, and defense markets.
• Construction:  Don Graul will head this unit, which will take the lead in more civil construction projects and projects using Alternative Project Delivery methods.

The FORWARD initiative is driven by a renewed focus on localized decision-making. Each individual unit will be empowered to perform many traditional corporate functions, such as customer support services, that were centralized in the company’s previous alignment.

By encouraging proactive leadership at multiple levels of its new structure, Parsons will benefit from a focused investment in each of its units as well as the development of key staff resources that will facilitate the company’s growth worldwide.

Source: Parsons