By Andy Brown

US-based engineering and construction firm Jacobs has announced that current president and chief operating officer Bob Pragada will succeed Steve Demetriou as chief executive.

The changes will be made on the 24 January 2023, the date of Jacobs’ annual shareholder meeting.

Pragada joined Jacobs in 2006 and held senior management positions over nine years. He returned to Jacobs in 2016, working as president of its buildings and infrastructure, and global industrial businesses. In 2019 Pragada was appointed as Jacobs’ president and chief operations officer.

“It is an exciting time for Jacobs. We have just launched our bold new strategy and are at the forefront of our industry – anticipating the global trends most important to our clients and developing differentiated, data-enabled solutions that meet their needs,” said Pragada.

“I am honoured to take on the role of chief executive early next year and advance the exciting work under way to further diversify our capabilities and offerings, increasing opportunities and value for our people, our clients and our shareholders.”

Demetriou will continue his role as executive chair for a minimum of two years, as well as being a board member of subsidiary PA Consulting. “It has been the highlight of my career to lead Jacobs over these past seven years and work with our outstanding people to transform Jacobs’ portfolio, advance our culture and position the company for even higher levels of growth and success,” said Demetriou.

“With a strong foundation and clear trajectory in place, now is the right time to implement our succession plan.”