MAKING MOVES


Blach Names New CFO, Promotes Several Leaders Amid Expansion Blach Construction recently welcomed Alex Llerena, a former Certified Public Accountant, as chief financial officer (CFO). Llerena has more than three decades of experience leading finan- cial and operational strategy for large, multinational companies, primarily in the construction industry. At Blach,


Alex Llerena


he will oversee the Finance and Accounting Team and is a member of the cross-functional leadership team that manages overall firm operations. Llerena most recently served as CFO for W. Bradley


Electric in the Bay Area. Prior to that, he spent 16 years in a variety of positions at Bechtel Corporation, including head of International Tax, general manager of Bechtel Business Services, and CFO/principal VP and ethics & compliance officer for the firm’s Mining and Metals Global Business Unit in Santiago, Chile. Additional previous professional experience includes leading the international tax groups for Oracle Corporation and Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., a multi-bil- lion-dollar, multinational building materials company based in Mexico. “Alex’s distinguished background in guiding financial


Swinerton Announces Major Leadership Change Swinerton Incor- porated recent- ly announced a major lead- ership change, with the retire- ment of CEO Eric Foster this


Eric Foster David Callis


January. Foster is succeeded by current president David Callis, who was named CEO of both Swinerton and its subsidiaries, including Swinerton Builders. Foster and Callis have worked to ensure a seamless transition since the shift was announced internally to employee-owners in June 2023. Foster joined Swinerton Builders as a Project Engineer in 1982 after earning his Bachelor of Science in Civil En- gineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and has been integral to the company’s continued growth and success. His talent and dedication propelled him through various roles, leaving an indelible mark on Swinerton


operations for global building companies and proven track record of success in navigating change and expansion make him an ideal addition to Blach Leadership,” said Blach President Dan Rogers. Blach also recently made several changes to its oper-


ations team. Keith Craw has assumed the newly created position of vice president, field operations, leading the firm’s award-winning safety program, quality assurance/ quality control and self-perform crews. As vice president of operations, Mike Grzanowski’s role expanded to include responsibility for Blach’s project management teams, in addition to his oversight of preconstruction and virtual design & construction groups. Both Kevin McIntosh and James Woodbury were promoted to vice president, with McIntosh overseeing Blach’s central coast region and affordable housing market projects and Woodbury re- sponsible for market rate and mixed-use projects, as well as companywide innovation and design-build initiatives. Rounding out operations leadership changes, Blach


has elevated Amber Emery and Brad Fannin to project executives, empowering them with expanded strategic responsibility for leading several of the firm’s Bay Area education projects.


projects across the United States over his tenure. As Swinerton’s new CEO, Callis brings a strong 30-year


career in the construction industry, a wealth of experience, and a fresh perspective to the role. His appointment marks a significant milestone in Swinerton’s strategic plans. Callis joined Swinerton Builders in 2001 as a senior


project manager in Orange County, CA, and has since held various key positions. Recognizing his leadership skills and contributions to the company’s success, he was elected senior vice president in 2017 and joined the Swinerton Incorporated Board of Directors. The following year, Callis became executive vice president and an integral part of the Executive Committee. Over the last few years under Callis’ leadership, Swinerton


has successfully developed and expanded its Public-Private Partnership capabilities, with a portfolio now exceeding $1 billion in projects, including the Salinas Police Station, County of Orange Civic Center, Quartz Library, and McK- inney Airport Hangar.


CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR MARCH/APRIL 2024


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