People News: Caterpillar, WSP, STV

From Left to Right: George Moubayad, Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer, Caterpillar; Patrick Watz, Midwest District Transportation Leader, WSP; Matthew Lunemann, Vice President and Engineering Director, Tunneling and Geotechnical Group, STV; and Angel Peña, Vice President for Rail and Transit, Texas/Mountain Region, STV.

Caterpillar, Inc. names George Moubayad as its new Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer. Also, WSP promotes Patrick Watz to Midwest District Transportation Leader; and STV appoints Angel Peña as Vice President for Rail and Transit in the firm’s Texas/Mountain Region and welcomes Matthew Lunemann as Vice President and Engineering Director in its Tunneling and Geotechnical Practice.

Caterpillar

Caterpillar on Oct. 13 announced that George Moubayed, current Senior Vice President of the Enterprise and Strategy Division, will assume additional responsibilities as the Chief Sustainability and Strategy Officer, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Moubayed succeeds Chief Sustainability Officer Lou Balmer-Millar, who is retiring on Dec. 31, 2023, after more than 20 years of dedicated service. In his capacity as Chief Sustainability Officer, Moubayed will report directly to Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby.

Moubayed has held several leadership positions in more than 25 years with Caterpillar. Prior to his role within the Enterprise Strategy Division, he was Vice President and General Manager of Load and Haul Products for Resource Industries, and previously served as Vice President for Aftermarket Solutions for the segment. He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

WSP

WSP on Oct. 16 announced that it has named Patrick Watz as Midwest District Transportation Business Line Leader.

WSP’s Midwest district includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Watz, a Senior Vice President with the firm since 2021, brings nearly three decades of experience to his new leadership role that includes planning, design and construction of highways, bridges, rail transit systems and multi-modal facilities across the U.S.

While helping position WSP in pursuit of new transportation projects and guiding strategic development, Watz will remain engaged with the delivery of active projects in the district, including Metropolitan Council’s METRO Blue Line Light Rail Extension project, a 13.5-mile transitway that will connect downtown Minneapolis with the communities of North Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park.

In his prior role at WSP, Watz led the nine-state Plains District with responsibility for the strategic direction of all business lines. Prior to joining WSP, Watz served in various regional and business line leadership positions for other national engineering firms.

Watz is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and a graduate of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with a master’s degree in business administration. He is a registered professional engineer in Minnesota, North Dakota and California.

Watz is also involved in several industry and civic organizations, including American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) and Minneapolis Downtown Council.

“Patrick’s multidiscipline experience enables him to oversee a collaborative delivery approach and leverage technical excellence across multiple business lines,” said WSP Midwest District Leader John Trotta. “His knowledge and expertise translate to agility and creativity in problem-solving as he steps into this new role.”

STV

STV on Oct. 16 announced that Angel Peña has joined the firm as Vice President, Rail and Transit Leader for the firm’s Transportation Texas/Mountain Region operating group.

In this role, Peña will focus on overseeing client relationships and leading STV’s transportation expansion in the Lone Star State—from client serviced and financial performance to project oversight.

Prior to STV, Peña dedicated more than 15 years to developing business strategy at the national, regional and local levels with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and the District Department of Transportation. Most recently, he served in a multimodal transportation agency and performed system oversight for a transit system with one of the largest ridership in the country.

Peña is a graduate of Universidad Yacambu in Venezuela, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. He also earned his Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. He is an active member of American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and a graduate of the 2017 APTA Leadership Class.

“Angel will be a transformational leader in our effort to meet the ever-changing needs of Central Texas communities and beyond.” said STV President of Transportation Texas/Mountain Region J.J. Roohms. “Angel is the ideal match for STV, with a proven track record of statewide and national successes strengthened by his unparalleled passion for advocating for more inclusive, authentic, solutions-oriented approaches in transit.”

Separately, Matthew Lunemann, PE, PMP, ENV SP, has joined STV as Vice President and Engineering Director in the firm’s Tunneling and Geotechnical Group.

In this role, Lunemann will oversee the group’s geotechnical initiatives in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with a focus on civil infrastructure and renewable energy projects.

Prior to joining STV, Lunemann was a geotechnical leader for a major engineering firm supporting projects in the roadways and bridges, tunnels, rail and transit, ports and marine, dams and utilities arenas. In New Jersey, he has supported key programs, such as the South Jersey Transportation Authority’s Atlantic City Expressway Connector Tunnel; the Pulaski Skyway Rehabilitation in Newark, N.J.; and the Ocean Wind 2 onshore substation evaluation and geotechnical investigation in Monmouth County, N.J.. In Pennsylvania, he was task leader for the PAthways Tolling Structures and P3 Procurement Management across multiple Pennsylvania counties.

In addition to his project work, Lunemann is an active industry steward and serves on the Career Services Advisory Board for Technology, Engineering and Physical Sciences at Rutgers University. He is the New Jersey Delegate for the National Society of Professional Engineers House of Delegates and served as a U.S. Representative for the Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses Task Group 193, which focused on “Resilience of the Maritime and Inland Waterborne Transportation System.” He is also a past president of the Ocean County Society of Professional Engineers and a two-term past president of the Rutgers School of Engineering’s alumni association.

Lunemann earned his M.S. and B.S. in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University.

“Matt is a seasoned veteran and a fantastic addition to our growing geotechnical engineering team,” said Senior Vice President and National Director of STV’s Tunneling and Geotechnical Group Frank Pepe, P.E.. “From geotechnical engineering to coastal restoration and shoreline stabilization, embankment and dam design as well as foundation engineering, Matt is a nationally recognized thought leader and has already successfully executed projects on behalf of some of our key clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”