Black & Veatch

Andrea Bernica is Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff, on the Black & Veatch Leadership Team. She works alongside Chairman and CEO Mario Azar on companywide strategic objectives and helps to prioritize and track progress of companywide initiatives as well as manage follow-through on decisions and actions for Black & Veatch’s Board of Directors. She also oversees the management of external relationships and incoming requests to the CEO as well as executive-level communications.

With more than 20 years of industry and legal experience, including 11 years with Black & Veatch, Andrea most recently served as Vice President & Lead Counsel, Human Resources, Corporate Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management. Before Black & Veatch she was an attorney at three major law firms.

Dave Hallowell is the president of Connectivity and Commercial,  focused on the telecommunications and broadband markets, advanced transportation and sustainable data center development. With more than 29 years of service at Black & Veatch, Dave spent six years guiding the company’s telecommunications public networks business before serving as leader of Black & Veatch’s global renewable energy business.

Hoe Wai Cheong is president of Black & Veatch’s Asia-Pacific and India regional market. With Southeast Asia as the company’s second largest market and growing infrastructure opportunities throughout the entire region, this team focuses on providing market-specific solutions to clients, capitalizing on the company’s integrated solutions across the full portfolio. Hoe Wai, who joined Black & Veatch in 2007, previously served as president of Black & Veatch’s gas, fuels and chemicals business, responsible for global strategy, business development, and project acquisition and execution.

Irvin Bishop, Jr. is Chief Information Officer for Black & Veatch. He leads the Information Technology (IT) services team which provides the company’s global workforce with the tools and technologies needed to offer world-class solutions and services to clients.

Irvin is a proven innovator in the development and execution of analytics, client experience and digital transformation strategies. He brings a unique blend of technology and marketing expertise including demonstrated success in digital strategy development, social, mobile and web content programs and delivery. Irvin has successfully driven business performance and growth in both start-up and Fortune 50 corporate environments through digital strategies and omni-channel programs.

Irvin earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Alabama A&M University and a Master of Science in Marketing from Georgia State University. He also holds Master’s Certifications in Project Management and Brand & Customer Management, as well as a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification from the Project Management Institute.

Joy Johnson is the Interim Chief Human Resources Officer. She is responsible for leading all elements of Human Resources and managing talent and organizational capability across the organization. Prior to serving as Interim CHRO, Joy was Chief Operating Officer for Human Resources responsible for Business HR, Talent Acquisition, HR Systems, HR Shared Services and Employee Relations. She also served as Senior Vice President, HR for the Global Power business where she was responsible for the talent strategies and services for that business. Before the Power HR position, Joy served as an operations executive for 12 years where she led a variety of business functions such as general administration, human resources, workforce management, acquisition integration, process development/improvement, internal communications, IT, marketing, proposals and sales support. Joy began her career at Black & Veatch 25 years ago in the Finance organization as a Project Accounting Supervisor eventually serving as a Division Finance Officer. Joy earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in HR from Baker University. She holds a CPA and SHRM-SCP certification.

Laszlo von Lazar is president of Black & Veatch’s Energy & Process Industries sector, which provides critical infrastructure services and solutions to power, oil and gas, mining, and other process industry clients. He was appointed to the Black & Veatch Board of Directors in August 2022.

Having joined Black & Veatch in 2019 as leader of global projects for the company’s previous power organization, he oversaw engineering, procurement, construction, quality, and business excellence. Laszlo was named the company’s president of BV Operations in 2021 as part of a companywide transformation, successfully establishing BV Ops and its critical role within the company’s global operating model. His project execution experience spans the company’s diverse client base and geographies.

Laszlo has more than three decades of worldwide project experience — including global project leadership for GE and Bechtel — comprising work in conventional power generation, solar and wind generation, transmission and distribution, oil and gas, and industrial markets. He earned a Master of Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Massachusetts, and a Bachelor of International Relations also from Tufts University.

With more than 33 years of global leadership experience, Mario Azar serves as Black & Veatch’s Chairman and CEO. He previously served as President of the Energy & Process Industries business sector, which provides critical infrastructure services and solutions to power, oil and gas, mining, and other process industry clients.

Mario joined the company in 2018 as President of its global power business, guiding it through a strategic repositioning towards growth in renewable electricity generation, grid modernization, and resiliency. He also joined the Black & Veatch Board of Directors in 2021.

Before Black & Veatch, Mario served in multiple executive roles and led large global businesses at Siemens, and previously Westinghouse, including as CEO of Siemens Oil & Gas and Marine, an engineered solutions and integration business unit operating globally in over 21 countries. He also founded a private consulting firm focused on energy and heavy industry.

Mario serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the United States Energy Association and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and he previously served on the Board of the Solar Energy Industries Association. He earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Black & Veatch’s CFO, Michael Williams, is a financial leader and Certified Public Accountant with more than 17 years of experience. He has extensive expertise in all aspects of corporate financial operations and systems, as well as contract and change management, process improvement, project management, and professional development. Previously Black & Veatch’s Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer, Michael has served in several financial leadership positions since joining the company in 2011, including at the corporate level and as Director of Finance for the company’s former telecommunications business. A model of the employee-owner mindset, Michael was an instrumental leader during Black & Veatch’s companywide transformation, which aligned the organization to meet the global megatrends reshaping the world of critical human infrastructure and the rapidly expanding need for innovative solutions.

Mike Orth is the president of the Governments and Environment market sector, which focuses on serving the needs of government clients at the federal, state and municipal level as well as the growing field of environmental services. During his 32 years with Black & Veatch, Mike most recently served as executive vice president and managing director of the company’s water business in the Americas, where he guided the company’s growth in supply, storage, treatment and conveyance. Mike was appointed to the Black & Veatch Board of Directors in August 2022.

Black & Veatch’s first Chief Client Officer (CCO), Patrick Hogan, holds a senior leadership position as part of the company’s strategic transformation. The role focuses on further strengthening client relationships and ensuring client satisfaction. As CCO, Patrick partners with professionals across the company to align Black & Veatch’s full portfolio of integrated solutions and services with the needs of clients globally.

Patrick leads sales strategy and execution, with management responsibility for Global Advisory, Enterprise Sales & Client Account Management, and Enterprise Marketing & Communications. He has extensive experience in building sales communities, cultivating client relationships, and taking cutting-edge solutions to market to address the changing needs of government, utility, commercial and industrial clients.

Before he joined Black & Veatch, Patrick spent 20 years in several enterprise and business unit leadership positions for Honeywell, most notably with several Chief Commercial Officer positions where he stood up Commercial Excellence as an enterprise-wide global initiative.

Originally from Ireland and growing up in the UK, Dr. Hogan earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Bristol, a PhD in medicinal chemistry from the University of Cambridge, and later in the U.S. completed the Strategy and Management Program at The Wharton School.

Barry Clegg was named president of BV Operations in August 2022.  The function comprises a centralized pool of resources and talent serving as the execution engine that keeps the global engineering and construction company running. BV Operations, with more than 8,100 professionals, houses project execution capabilities and resources, and maintains, develops and deploys global resources in support of the work the company performs around the world.

Before assuming his President role, Barry managed large complex projects across a wide range of solutions. He has experience in engineering, proposals,  supply chain, contracts, and client-relationship management. He has nearly three decades of worldwide project experience, including 26 years with Black & Veatch.

Barry earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kansas) and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Kansas State University.