Effective on Jan. 1, Skanska AB will elevate Richard Cavallaro to corporate executive vice president, president and CEO of Skanska USA, the Sweden-based contractor’s U.S. construction operations, which includes its Skanska USA Building and Skanska USA Civil units, the firm said on Aug. 19. He will succeed Michael McNally, who is retiring. Cavallaro now is president and CEO of the civil construction company. Set to succeed him is Michael Cobelli, who now is the unit’s chief operating officer.

McDermott International Inc. has hired Stuart Spence executive vice president and chief financial officer following the departure of Perry L. Elders, from the company on Aug. 23. Spence had been a vice president at Halliburton Co., where he had overall strategic and operational responsibility for its artificial lift product and service line. He joined Halliburton following its acquisition of Global Oilfield Services Inc. in 2011, where he was executive vice president and CFO.

Wier & Associates, Arlington, Texas, has elevated Carlo Silvestri to president. A principal of the firm since 2004, he joined in 1993 as an intern. Silvestri was cited, in 2011, by ENR Texas & Louisiana on its Top 20 Under 40 list.

Mike Meyers is set to join contractor McCarthy Holdings Inc. as central division vice president of operations, when it completes its purchase of Castle Contracting LLC, of which he is chief operating officer. The firms, both private and based in St. Louis, announced the deal on Aug. 12. No purchase price or completion date were announced, but Castle will be a stand-alone unit, they say.

HDR has promoted Laurie Roden to president and chief operating officer of HDR
Construction Control Corp., a wholly owned unit that provides construction-field inspection services. She also is its director for construction services across service lines. Roden is formerly HDR’s transportation director for the West region.

John Braccio is now president and CEO of Wright-Pierce, a Topsham, Maine, water wastewater and infrastructure engineer. He was its senior wastewater-engineering VP in southern New England and succeeds William Brown, who remains chairman. Brown was CEO since 2002.

Woods Hole Group Inc., a Falmouth, Mass., environmental firm, has elevated Robert P. “Bob” Hamilton Jr. to president, succeeding Dennis Aubrey. Hamilton had been vice president of business development. Aubrey remains CEO.

Steven B. Lesser has been named chairman of the American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, the ABA’s 6,000-member group of construction attorneys. He chairs the construction law and litigation practice at Becker & Poliakoff, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and last year was named a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers. The Forum will hold its fall meeting in Chicago on Oct. 16-17. Lesser says new rules, taking effect on Sept. 1, will make it easier and more cost-effective for ABA members to join the forum.

Sandeep Donald Shah, formerly managing director of Chennai, India-based structural and earthquake engineering firm Taylor Design and Engineeriing Consultants, now leads Miyamoto International India. The new role follows Taylor's acquisition in July by U.S.-based Miyamoto International Group. 

Michael Baker International LLC, a Moon Township, Pa., design firm, has named Timothy J. Bond vice president and managing director-in-charge of its Middle East and North Africa division, based in Abu Dhabi. He was managing director of WS Atkins & Partners’ Saudi Arabia division. Michael Baker ranks at No. 26 on ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms list.