Big Moves at Turner, Skanska

Two major players in the New York regional construction market have announced changes in their top leadership. At New York-based Turner Construction, Pasquale "Pat" DiFilippo has taken over New York and New Jersey operations, replacing James McKenna. Meanwhile, Michael Healy is out as president of national operations for Skanska USA Building based in Parsippany, N.J.

Turner announced that DiFilippo has taken over after McKenna's recent departure to join Hunter Roberts Construction Group [see related story below]. DiFilippo returns to the region from a post as senior vice president of Texas operations, which he began in 2003. Previously, he had worked for Turner in the New York metropolitan region since 1984.

DiFilippo was senior v.p. in Texas and retains that title in New York. McKenna's title had been senior v.p. as well. McKenna had taken the helm in the region in 2003 when his predecessor, Peter Davoren, moved up to the post of president of Turner Construction. Davoren remains in that position and has since added the role of CEO.

Skanska, meanwhile, announced Healy's dismissal in a press release issued last week. That statement cited poor performance for the national division as the reason. A press release from December 2004 had announced a write-down of $56 million for the national building unit in the fourth quarter, largely because of a government project in its early stages. That caused a corporate net profit loss of $33 million. A Skanska spokesman said the performance under question was located outside of the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut region.

In that statement, Stuart Graham, president and CEO of Skanska AB, the Sweden-based parent company, said the write-down reaffirmed a corporate strategy to move the USA Building unit away from bidding for lump-sum projects and instead to seek new business through negotiated contracts. Furthermore, he said a major restructuring plan for the unit adopted last May would remain in effect.

Johan Karlström, executive vice president at the parent company, will head the USA Building unit as acting president. In September 2004, Karlström had added oversight of all of Skanska USA, including the USA Civil division, to his other executive duties.