RESTON, Va., Oct. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), has elected veteran executive Mary McLaughlin, who leads EPC Functions, to the Bechtel Group, Inc. (BGI) board of directors. Additionally, Catherine Hunt Ryan has been appointed chief financial officer.

McLaughlin has held a range of leadership and operations positions during nearly 20 years at Bechtel.  Last November, McLaughlin was chosen to lead EPC Functions, overseeing the delivery of integrated engineering, procurement and construction processes, as well as Information Systems & Technology function and innovation strategy for the company.

McLaughlin joined Bechtel in 2000 with nearly 20 years of engineering and project management experience, primarily in the power sector. Her first assignment was assistant project manager of a combined-cycle power plant in New York state for the former Bechtel Power business unit.

She holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla.

"Mary brings deep competence in project delivery and has been an outstanding leader at the project, business unit, and corporate levels, consistently contributing to the strong performance of Bechtel," said Brendan Bechtel, chairman and chief executive officer of Bechtel. "We welcome Mary to the board, where she will have a broader and lasting impact on our culture and our company."

The appointments of McLaughlin and Hunt Ryan are latest among recent leadership changes at Bechtel, which is celebrating its 120^th anniversary this year. In April, Justin Zaccaria was promoted to chief human resources officer. In May, Barbara Rusinko, president of the Nuclear, Security & Environmental business unit, was elected to the BGI board.

Hunt Ryan succeeded Peter Dawson, who was chief financial officer for 14 years. Dawson has held multiple executive roles over 40 years at Bechtel, including president of the former Civil Infrastructure business. He will become a non-executive director on the BGI board on January 1, 2019.

Hunt Ryan brings a new perspective to finance, drawing on the strategic focus, business acumen, and project experience she has gained during her 11 years at Bechtel and, previously, in project finance at the World Bank and other organizations. Prior to assuming her new role, Hunt Ryan was the chief financial officer of Bechtel's Oil, Gas & Chemicals business unit.

"Catherine is uniquely suited to build on the strong legacy of the CFO role as both a financial steward and a catalyst for growth," said Bechtel. "We welcome her fresh outlook on finance and strategy, as well as her passion for our work, to the leadership team. I am confident Catherine's leadership will help us build our company for the future."

Hunt Ryan joined Bechtel in 2007 and helped manage project investments and develop financing and development opportunities in emerging markets. She moved to Oil, Gas & Chemicals as senior project controls engineer, and later became commercial manager at the Sabine Pass Liquefaction project in Louisiana.

Hunt Ryan holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University.

About Bechtel

Bechtel is one of the most respected global engineering, construction, and project management companies. Together with our customers, we deliver landmark projects that foster long-term progress and economic growth. Since 1898, we've completed more than 25,000 extraordinary projects across 160 countries on all seven continents. We operate through four global businesses: Infrastructure; Nuclear, Security & Environmental; Oil, Gas & Chemicals; and Mining & Metals. Our company and our culture are built on more than a century of leadership and a relentless adherence to our values, the core of which are safety, quality, ethics, and integrity. These values are what we believe, what we expect, what we deliver, and what we live. www.Bechtel.com

Media contact:
Corey Dade
O:  +1 571 262 7067
M: +1 571 283 9363
cadade@bechtel.com

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bechtel-elects-new-board-member-and-appoints-new-chief-financial-officer-300731030.html

SOURCE Bechtel