Company News: Changes at SNC-Lavalin, SMS Engineering

SNC-Lavalin has appointed a new chief financial officer effective June 1. Alain-Pierre Raynaud’s background is in France, Europe and Asia, but he will be based at the company’s head office in Montreal. He began his career in 1987 with Renault of France, becoming senior vice president and controller, then moved to Japan with Nissan in 2003. Since 2006 he has been with Areva, including as chairman and chief executive officer of Areva U.K.

Gilles Laramée who is SNC-Lavalin’s current chief financial officer will now continue exclusively in the role of executive vice-president for the company’s infrastructure, concessions and investments unit.

In another announcement, SNC-Lavalin said it has “debooked” approximately $120 million in anticipated revenues from its 2013 first quarter backlog thanks to the suspension of an EPCM contract it had for a copper mine project in Panama. A joint venture led by SNC-Lavalin that included GyM S.A. and Technit International Construction Corp received the notice of suspension from a subsidiary of Inmet. Another company – First Quantum Minerals – recently acquired a majority stake in Inmet, and FQM usually executes its projects internally.

SMS Engineering of Winnipeg has recently announced several new principals and partners. The mechanical-engineering consulting company was established in 1965 and has around 70 staff. Three new principals are Stirling Walkes, Peter Gryc and Christopher Hewitt. Hewitt has also taken over as leader of the electrical group. Six new partners are: Wayne Armstrong, Allan Baskin, Chris Ott, Jeff Horrocks, Gord Whiffen and Scott Hammond.  Also, one of the existing principals, Andy Lohse, recently retired from the company.