To best serve its multi-sector client base and ambitious growth plans, WSP, a leading engineering, environment and professional services firm, has appointed several executives within its U.S. business.
These internal appointments and related updates enable more strategic and interdisciplinary response to increasingly complex challenges for the clients WSP serves, further enhances WSP’s established reputation, and continues to position the firm at the forefront of the industry.
“Importantly, we are implementing these appointments today to advance the vision we have for growth in the U.S. over the next three years,” said Joe Sczurko, WSP’s U.S. region president. He assumed his leadership role in early April, following the retirement of Lou Cornell.
The Advisory and Planning (A&P) business will be led by Jannet Walker-Ford. Having previously served as national transit and rail market sector leader, Walker-Ford’s experience developing and cultivating deep client industry relationships, as well as her leadership presence within key industry organizations — such as Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) International board, American Public Transportation Association executive committee and Eno Center for Transportation board — has helped establish WSP as a preferred partner.
With a focus on equity, sustainability and community building, she has served in executive leadership and strategic advisor roles on ground-breaking programs and projects for large transit and rail and transportation agencies across the U.S. Prior to joining WSP, she served as deputy general manager/deputy CEO and chief information officer and assistant general manager at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, where she led the implementation of the regional smart card fare collection system, the first of its kind in North America.
“Jannet is the right leader for our A&P business,” Sczurko said. “Given the importance of advisory capabilities to our clients — from project development and financing to organizational management and asset management to planning and alternative delivery — Jannet’s understanding of our business and the industry will support trusted and sustained client partnerships.”
Walker-Ford is a graduate of the University of Memphis with a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and Central Michigan University with a master’s degree in business administration.
Jerry Jannetti, PE, will lead the firm’s U.S. Transportation and Infrastructure business, responsible for project delivery and operating performance. Jannetti’s three decades of experience and numerous leadership positions with WSP, and across the transportation industry, make him an ideal candidate to steward this important sector. Jannetti most recently served as WSP’s East region president and formerly as Southeast region president.
He was recently named to City & State magazine’s New York Transportation Power 100 List.
Jannetti has overseen iconic transportation programs throughout the Northeast, including Champlain Hudson Power Express power transmission line, East Side Access and Second Avenue Subway in New York City, and the B&P Tunnel Replacement and Purple Line light rail projects in Maryland.
He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
Sofia Berger, succeeds Sczurko in her new position as leader of the U.S. Earth and Environment (E&E) business, overseeing more than 4,000 employees. Berger moves from her previous role as national director of WSP’s U.S. Transportation and Infrastructure business. Prior to that, she served as deputy leader for Advisory.
“Sofia’s multi-sector and multi-service experience will serve her well in this new leadership role,” Sczurko said. “Her deep understanding of our markets and tremendous focus on value creation and client satisfaction, coupled with her passion for leading and unifying people and teams, ideally positions her to lead E&E into the future.”
Berger graduated from Columbia University with bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering and economics-operations research, and she holds a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. She is a board member of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association and numerous other professional, civic and academic organizations.
“I am a firm believer in career development and internal mobility to build the strongest executive leadership team in the industry,” Sczurko said. “With these key executive appointments — all internal — we demonstrate to our employees, clients and partners the crucial importance of personnel development, promotion and succession, and prove our employee value proposition.”
