Houston, Tx., USA - May 20, 2014, Houston, Tx., USA - Willbros Group, Inc., a specialty energy infrastructure contractor, announces the promotion of Earl Collins to the position of president of Willbros Group, Inc., effective July 1, 2014.
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Mr. Collins is a veteran of the engineering and construction industry where he has successfully led increasingly large and complex projects and organizations for more than 20 years. Mr. Collins is currently President of the Willbros Oil & Gas business and a member of the Executive Leadership Team.
Mr. Collins joined Willbros as President of the Company's Oil & Gas Segment and member of the Executive Leadership Team in May 2013. Previously, Mr. Collins was with CH2M HILL where he served as President & Global Director of EPC & Construction Operations for their Energy and Chemicals Business Group. He began his career as an Engineer/Estimator at Peter Kiewit Construction Company.
A graduate of the Kiewit Executive Leadership Development Program, during his 17 years with that firm, he served in capacities of increasing responsibility, rising to the position of Senior Vice President. He is a member of the Rice Global Round Table and the Construction Industry Institute (CII). Mr. Collins holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering from Iowa State University.
In addition to the appointment of Mr. Collins, Michael Fournier, currently President of Willbros Canada, has been named EVP and COO of Willbros Group, with primary responsibility for the construction and maintenance activities of the Company.
Mr. Fournier serves as President of Willbros Canada and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. He joined Willbros Canada as Chief Operating Officer in August 2011. He is a 29-year veteran of Western Canada's Oil & Gas service industry. Prior to joining Willbros, Mr. Fournier held various executive and senior management positions with a number of industrial contractors operating in the Canadian Oil Sands. He has gained a reputation for turning around operational performance and building strong teams.
He has served on the Board of Directors for Construction Labour Relations Alberta and Management Board for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Chair in Construction Management for University of Alberta.
Mr. Fournier graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and is registered with the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta.
Edward Wiegele, currently President of Professional Services, has been named EVP of Willbros Group and President of Engineering and Technology.
Mr. Wiegele joined Willbros in 2007 as Vice President of Integrity Services and became President of Engineering in 2010 and President of Willbros' Professional Services in 2013. Previously, he served as Sr. Vice President of the pipeline division and General Manager of Integrity Services for GE Oil & Gas, after GE's purchase in 2003 of M.J. Harden and Associates. Mr. Wiegele also worked to create alliances within the pipeline industry to add value to Engineering, GIS and Pipeline Integrity programs through the use of advanced technologies.
Mr. Wiegele also spent 13 years with Panhandle Eastern, where he held various engineering, construction, project management and marketing positions. He has more than 30 years of experience in engineering, project management, GIS technologies, integrity management, and technology implementation and integration. He operates out of the Company's Tulsa office where he is responsible for the executive oversight of the engineering, integrity, field services, land and survey, UtilX and EPC service lines.
Mr. Wiegele is a member of the American Petroleum Institute, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) Foundation, Southern Gas Association (SGA), and Geographic Information Technology Association (GITA). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University. ■